Scope

4

This Standard shall be applied by all entities to all types of financial instruments except:

(a) those interests in subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures that are accounted for in accordance with AASB 10 Consolidated Financial Statements, AASB 127 Separate Financial Statements or AASB 128 Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures. However, in some cases, AASB 10, AASB 127 or AASB 128 require or permit an entity to account for an interest in a subsidiary, associate or joint venture using AASB 9; in those cases, entities shall apply the requirements of this Standard. Entities shall also apply this Standard to all derivatives linked to interests in subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures.

(b) employers’ rights and obligations under employee benefit plans, to which AASB 119 Employee Benefits applies.

(c) [deleted]

(d) insurance contracts as defined in AASB 17 Insurance Contracts or investment contracts with discretionary participation features within the scope of AASB 17. However, this Standard applies to:

(i)            derivatives that are embedded in contracts within the scope of AASB 17, if AASB 9 requires the entity to account for them separately.

(ii)            investment components that are separated from contracts within the scope of AASB 17, if AASB 17 requires such separation, unless the separated investment component is an investment contract with discretionary participation features within the scope of AASB 17.

(iii)           an issuer’s rights and obligations arising under insurance contracts that meet the definition of financial guarantee contracts if the issuer applies AASB 9 in recognising and measuring the contracts. However, the issuer shall apply AASB 17 if the issuer elects, in accordance with paragraph 7(e) of AASB 17, to apply AASB 17 in recognising and measuring the contracts.

(iv)           an entity’s rights and obligations that are financial instruments arising under credit card contracts, or similar contracts that provide credit or payment arrangements, that an entity issues that meet the definition of an insurance contract if the entity applies AASB 9 to those rights and obligations in accordance with paragraph 7(h) of AASB 17 and paragraph 2.1(e)(iv) of AASB 9.

(v)            an entity’s rights and obligations that are financial instruments arising under insurance contracts that an entity issues that limit the compensation for insured events to the amount otherwise required to settle the policyholder’s obligation created by the contract if the entity elects, in accordance with paragraph 8A of AASB 17, to apply AASB 9 instead of AASB 17 to such contracts.

(e) [deleted]

(f) financial instruments, contracts and obligations under share-based payment transactions to which AASB 2 Share-based Payment applies, except for

(i) contracts within the scope of paragraphs 8–10 of this Standard, to which this Standard applies,

(ii) paragraphs 33 and 34 of this Standard, which shall be applied to treasury shares purchased, sold, issued or cancelled in connection with employee share option plans, employee share purchase plans, and all other share-based payment arrangements.

Aus4.1

Further to paragraph 4, public sector entities shall apply AASB 4 Insurance Contracts to insurance contracts as defined in AASB 4. However, this Standard applies to:

(a)            derivatives that are embedded in insurance contracts within the scope of AASB 4, if AASB 9 requires the entity to account for them separately; and

(b)          financial guarantee contracts if an issuer applies AASB 9 in recognising and measuring the contracts, but AASB 4 shall apply if an issuer elects, in accordance with paragraph 4(d) of AASB 4, to apply AASB 4 in recognising and measuring them.

Aus4.2

Public sector entities apply AASB 4 to financial instruments that are within the scope of AASB 4 because they contain a discretionary participation feature. The issuer of these instruments is exempt from applying to these features paragraphs 15–32 and AG25–AG35 of this Standard regarding the distinction between financial liabilities and equity instruments. However, these instruments are subject to all other requirements of this Standard. Furthermore, this Standard applies to derivatives that are embedded in these instruments (see AASB 9).

5–7

[Deleted]

8

This Standard shall be applied to those contracts to buy or sell a non-financial item that can be settled net in cash or another financial instrument, or by exchanging financial instruments, as if the contracts were financial instruments, with the exception of contracts that were entered into and continue to be held for the purpose of the receipt or delivery of a non-financial item in accordance with the entity’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements. However, this Standard shall be applied to those contracts that an entity designates as measured at fair value through profit or loss in accordance with paragraph 2.5 of AASB 9 Financial Instruments.

9

There are various ways in which a contract to buy or sell a non-financial item can be settled net in cash or another financial instrument or by exchanging financial instruments. These include:

(a) when the terms of the contract permit either party to settle it net in cash or another financial instrument or by exchanging financial instruments;

(b) when the ability to settle net in cash or another financial instrument, or by exchanging financial instruments, is not explicit in the terms of the contract, but the entity has a practice of settling similar contracts net in cash or another financial instrument, or by exchanging financial instruments (whether with the counterparty, by entering into offsetting contracts or by selling the contract before its exercise or lapse);

(c) when, for similar contracts, the entity has a practice of taking delivery of the underlying and selling it within a short period after delivery for the purpose of generating a profit from short-term fluctuations in price or dealer’s margin; and

(d) when the non-financial item that is the subject of the contract is readily convertible to cash.

A contract to which (b) or (c) applies is not entered into for the purpose of the receipt or delivery of the non-financial item in accordance with the entity’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements, and, accordingly, is within the scope of this Standard. Other contracts to which paragraph 8 applies are evaluated to determine whether they were entered into and continue to be held for the purpose of the receipt or delivery of the non-financial item in accordance with the entity’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirement, and accordingly, whether they are within the scope of this Standard.

10

A written option to buy or sell a non-financial item that can be settled net in cash or another financial instrument, or by exchanging financial instruments, in accordance with paragraph 9(a) or (d) is within the scope of this Standard. Such a contract cannot be entered into for the purpose of the receipt or delivery of the non-financial item in accordance with the entity’s expected purchase, sale or usage requirements.