Appendix B (AASBPS2_12-17_COMPdec22_01-24)

Paragraph 1.2

Referred to in paragraphs 7 and 17 of the Practice Statement

The objective of general purpose financial reporting is to provide financial information about the reporting entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors in making decisions relating to providing resources to the entity. Those decisions involve decisions about:

(a)            buying, selling or holding equity and debt instruments;

(b)            providing or settling loans and other forms of credit; or

(c)            exercising rights to vote on, or otherwise influence, management’s actions that affect the use of the entity’s economic resources.

Paragraph 1.3

Referred to in paragraph 18 of the Practice Statement

The decisions described in paragraph 1.2 depend on the returns that existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors expect, for example, dividends, principal and interest payments or market price increases. Investors’, lenders’ and other creditors’ expectations about returns depend on their assessment of the amount, timing and uncertainty of (the prospects for) future net cash inflows to the entity and on their assessment of management’s stewardship of the entity’s economic resources. Existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors need information to help them make those assessments.

Paragraph 1.4

Referred to in paragraphs 19 and 38 of the Practice Statement

To make the assessments described in paragraph 1.3, existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors need information about:

(a)            the economic resources of the entity, claims against the entity and changes in those resources and claims (see paragraphs 1.12–1.21); and

(b)            how efficiently and effectively the entity’s management and governing board have discharged their responsibilities to use the entity’s economic resources (see paragraphs 1.22–1.23).

Paragraph 1.5

Referred to in paragraph 13 of the Practice Statement

Many existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors cannot require reporting entities to provide information directly to them and must rely on general purpose financial reports for much of the financial information they need. Consequently, they are the primary users to whom general purpose financial reports are directed.

Paragraph 1.6

Referred to in paragraph 21 of the Practice Statement

However, general purpose financial reports do not and cannot provide all of the information that existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors need. Those users need to consider pertinent information from other sources, for example, general economic conditions and expectations, political events and political climate, and industry and company outlooks.

Paragraph 1.8

Referred to in paragraph 36 of the Practice Statement

Individual primary users have different, and possibly conflicting, information needs and desires. The Board, in developing Standards, will seek to provide the information set that will meet the needs of the maximum number of primary users. However, focusing on common information needs does not prevent the reporting entity from including additional information that is most useful to a particular subset of primary users.

Paragraph 1.9

Referred to in paragraph 13 of the Practice Statement

The management of a reporting entity is also interested in financial information about the entity. However, management need not rely on general purpose financial reports because it is able to obtain the financial information it needs internally.

Paragraph 1.10

Referred to in paragraph 13 of the Practice Statement

Other parties, such as regulators and members of the public other than investors, lenders and other creditors, may also find general purpose financial reports useful. However, those reports are not primarily directed to these other groups.

Paragraph 2.7

Referred to in paragraph 20 of the Practice Statement

Financial information is capable of making a difference in decisions if it has predictive value, confirmatory value or both.

Paragraph 2.11

Referred to in paragraph 5 of the Practice Statement

Information is material if omitting, misstating or obscuring it could reasonably be expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial reports make on the basis of those reports, which provide financial information about a specific reporting entity. In other words, materiality is an entity-specific aspect of relevance based on the nature or magnitude, or both, of the items to which the information relates in the context of an individual entity’s financial report. Consequently, the Board cannot specify a uniform quantitative threshold for materiality or predetermine what could be material in a particular situation.

Paragraph 2.34

Referred to in paragraph 56 of the Practice Statement

Classifying, characterising and presenting information clearly and concisely makes it understandable.

Paragraph 2.36

Referred to in paragraph 15 of the Practice Statement

Financial reports are prepared for users who have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and who review and analyse the information diligently. At times, even well-informed and diligent users may need to seek the aid of an adviser to understand information about complex economic phenomena.

Paragraph 7

Referred to in paragraphs 5, 41 and 60 of the Practice Statement

Material  Information is material if omitting, misstating or obscuring it could reasonably be expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial statements make on the basis of those financial statements, which provide financial information about a specific reporting entity.

Materiality depends on the nature or magnitude of information, or both. An entity assesses whether information, either individually or in combination with other information, is material in the context of its financial statements taken as a whole.

Paragraph 7

Referred to in paragraph 6 of the Practice Statement

Assessing whether information could reasonably be expected to influence decisions made by the primary users of a specific reporting entity’s general purpose financial statements requires an entity to consider the characteristics of those users while also considering the entity’s own circumstances. […] At times, even well-informed and diligent users may need to seek the aid of an adviser to understand information about complex economic phenomena.

Paragraph 15

Referred to in paragraph 62 of the Practice Statement

Financial statements shall present fairly the financial position, financial performance and cash flows of an entity. Fair presentation requires the faithful representation of the effects of transactions, other events and conditions in accordance with the definitions and recognition criteria for assets, liabilities, income and expenses set out in the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting. The application of Australian Accounting Standards, with additional disclosure when necessary, is presumed to result in financial statements that achieve a fair presentation.

Paragraph 17

Referred to in paragraph 10 of the Practice Statement

In virtually all circumstances, an entity achieves a fair presentation by compliance with applicable Australian Accounting Standards. A fair presentation also requires an entity:

(a) to select and apply accounting policies in accordance with AASB 108 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors. AASB 108 sets out a hierarchy of authoritative guidance that management considers in the absence of an Australian Accounting Standard that specifically applies to an item.

(b) to present information, including accounting policies, in a manner that provides relevant, reliable, comparable and understandable information.

(c) to provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in Australian Accounting Standards is insufficient to enable users to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial performance.

Paragraph 29

Referred to in paragraph 43 of the Practice Statement

An entity shall present separately each material class of similar items. An entity shall present separately items of a dissimilar nature or function unless they are immaterial.

Paragraph 30A

Referred to in paragraphs 28, 57 and 69 of the Practice Statement

When applying this and other Australian Accounting Standards an entity shall decide, taking into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances, how it aggregates information in the financial statements, which include the notes. An entity shall not reduce the understandability of its financial statements by obscuring material information with immaterial information or by aggregating material items that have different natures or functions.

Paragraph 31

Referred to in paragraph 10 of the Practice Statement

Some Australian Accounting Standards specify information that is required to be included in the financial statements, which include the notes. An entity need not provide a specific disclosure required by an Australian Accounting Standard if the information resulting from that disclosure is not material. This is the case even if the Australian Accounting Standard contains a list of specific requirements or describes them as minimum requirements. An entity shall also consider whether to provide additional disclosures when compliance with the specific requirements in Australian Accounting Standards is insufficient to enable users of financial statements to understand the impact of particular transactions, other events and conditions on the entity’s financial position and financial performance.

Paragraph 38

Referred to in paragraphs 67 and 70 of the Practice Statement

Except when Australian Accounting Standards permit or require otherwise, an entity shall present comparative information in respect of the preceding period for all amounts reported in the current period’s financial statements. An entity shall include comparative information for narrative and descriptive information if it is relevant to understanding the current period’s financial statements.

Paragraph 38A

Referred to in paragraph 67 of the Practice Statement

An entity shall present, as a minimum, two statements of financial position, two statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income, two separate statements of profit or loss (if presented), two statements of cash flows and two statements of changes in equity, and related notes.

Paragraph 38C

Referred to in paragraph 69 of the Practice Statement

An entity may present comparative information in addition to the minimum comparative financial statements required by  Australian Accounting Standards, as long as that information is prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards. This comparative information may consist of one or more statements referred to in paragraph 10, but need not comprise a complete set of financial statements. When this is the case, the entity shall present related note information for those additional statements.

Paragraph 117

Referred to in paragraphs 88A and 88C of the Practice Statement

An entity shall disclose material accounting policy information (see paragraph 7). Accounting policy information is material if, when considered together with other information included in an entity’s financial statements, it can reasonably be expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial statements make on the basis of those financial statements.

Paragraph 117A

Referred to in paragraph 88C of the Practice Statement

Accounting policy information that relates to immaterial transactions, other events or conditions is immaterial and need not be disclosed. Accounting policy information may nevertheless be material because of the nature of the related transactions, other events or conditions, even if the amounts are immaterial. However, not all accounting policy information relating to material transactions, other events or conditions is itself material.

Paragraph 117B

Referred to in paragraphs 88C and 88D of the Practice Statement

Accounting policy information is expected to be material if users of an entity’s financial statements would need it to understand other material information in the financial statements. For example, an entity is likely to consider accounting policy information material to its financial statements if that information relates to material transactions, other events or conditions and:

(a)                the entity changed its accounting policy during the reporting period and this change resulted in a material change to the information in the financial statements;

(b)                the entity chose the accounting policy from one or more options permitted by Australian Accounting Standards—such a situation could arise if the entity chose to measure investment property at historical cost rather than fair value;

(c)                the accounting policy was developed in accordance with AASB 108 in the absence of an Australian Accounting Standard that specifically applies;

(d)                the accounting policy relates to an area for which an entity is required to make significant judgements or assumptions in applying an accounting policy, and the entity discloses those judgements or assumptions in accordance with paragraphs 122 and 125; or

(e)                the accounting required for them is complex and users of the entity’s financial statements would otherwise not understand those material transactions, other events or conditions—such a situation could arise if an entity applies more than one Australian Accounting Standard to a class of material transactions.

Paragraph 117C

Referred to in paragraphs 88C and 88E of the Practice Statement

Accounting policy information that focuses on how an entity has applied the requirements of the Australian Accounting Standards to its own circumstances provides entity-specific information that is more useful to users of financial statements than standardised information, or information that only duplicates or summarises the requirements of the Standards.

Paragraph 117D

Referred to in paragraphs 88C and 88G of the Practice Statement

If an entity discloses immaterial accounting policy information, such information shall not obscure material accounting policy information.

Paragraph 117E

Referred to in paragraph 88C of the Practice Statement

An entity’s conclusion that accounting policy information is immaterial does not affect the related disclosure requirements set out in other Australian Accounting Standards.

Paragraph BC30F of the Basis for Conclusions on IAS 1

Referred to in paragraphs 28 and 69 of the Practice Statement

Paragraph 30A was added to IAS 1 to highlight that when an entity decides how it aggregates information in the financial statements, it should take into consideration all relevant facts and circumstances. Paragraph 30A emphasises that an entity should not reduce the understandability of its financial statements by providing immaterial information that obscures the material information in financial statements or by aggregating material items that have different natures or functions. Obscuring material information with immaterial information in financial statements makes the material information less visible and therefore makes the financial statements less understandable. The amendments do not actually prohibit entities from disclosing immaterial information, because the Board thinks that such a requirement would not be operational; however, the amendments emphasise that disclosure should not result in material information being obscured.

Paragraph 5

Referred to in paragraphs 72 and 78 of the Practice Statement

Prior period errors are omissions from, and misstatements in, the entity’s financial statements for one or more prior periods arising from a failure to use, or misuse of, reliable information that:

(a) was available when financial statements for those periods were authorised for issue; and

(b) could reasonably be expected to have been obtained and taken into account in the preparation and presentation of those financial statements.

Such errors include the effects of mathematical mistakes, mistakes in applying accounting policies, oversights or misinterpretations of facts, and fraud.

Paragraph 8

Referred to in paragraph 8 of the Practice Statement

Australian Accounting Standards set out accounting policies that the AASB has concluded result in financial statements containing relevant and reliable information about the transactions, other events and conditions to which they apply. Those policies need not be applied when the effect of applying them is immaterial. However, it is inappropriate to make, or leave uncorrected, immaterial departures from Australian Accounting Standards to achieve a particular presentation of an entity’s financial position, financial performance or cash flows.

Paragraph 41

Referred to in paragraph 73 of the Practice Statement

Errors can arise in respect of the recognition, measurement, presentation or disclosure of elements of financial statements. Financial statements do not comply with Australian Accounting Standards if they contain either material errors or immaterial errors made intentionally to achieve a particular presentation of an entity’s financial position, financial performance or cash flows. Potential current period errors discovered in that period are corrected before the financial statements are authorised for issue. However, material errors are sometimes not discovered until a subsequent period, and these prior period errors are corrected in the comparative information presented in the financial statements for that subsequent period (see paragraphs 42–47).

Paragraph 6

Referred to in paragraph 87 of the Practice Statement

In the interest of timeliness and cost considerations and to avoid repetition of information previously reported, an entity may be required to or may elect to provide less information at interim dates as compared with its annual financial statements. This Standard defines the minimum content of an interim financial report as including condensed financial statements and selected explanatory notes. The interim financial report is intended to provide an update on the latest complete set of annual financial statements. Accordingly, it focuses on new activities, events, and circumstances and does not duplicate information previously reported.

Paragraph 15

Referred to in paragraph 87 of the Practice Statement

An entity shall include in its interim financial report an explanation of events and transactions that are significant to an understanding of the changes in financial position and performance of the entity since the end of the last annual reporting period. Information disclosed in relation to those events and transactions shall update the relevant information presented in the most recent annual financial report.

Paragraph 15A

Referred to in paragraph 87 of the Practice Statement

A user of an entity’s interim financial report will have access to the most recent annual financial report of that entity. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the notes to an interim financial report to provide relatively insignificant updates to the information that was reported in the notes in the most recent annual financial report.

Paragraph 20

Referred to in paragraph 85 of the Practice Statement

Interim reports shall include interim financial statements (condensed or complete) for periods as follows:

(a) statement of financial position as of the end of the current interim period and a comparative statement of financial position as of the end of the immediately preceding financial year.

(b) statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the current interim period and cumulatively for the current financial year to date, with comparative statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the comparable interim periods (current and year-to-date) of the immediately preceding financial year. As permitted by AASB 101, an interim report may present for each period a statement or statements of profit or loss and other comprehensive income.

(c) statement of changes in equity cumulatively for the current financial year to date, with a comparative statement for the comparable year-to-date period of the immediately preceding financial year.

(d) statement of cash flows cumulatively for the current financial year to date, with a comparative statement for the comparable year-to-date period of the immediately preceding financial year.

Paragraph 23

Referred to in paragraph 85 of the Practice Statement

In deciding how to recognise, measure, classify, or disclose an item for interim financial reporting purposes, materiality shall be assessed in relation to the interim period financial data. In making assessments of materiality, it shall be recognised that interim measurements may rely on estimates to a greater extent than measurements of annual financial data.

Paragraph 25

Referred to in paragraph 85 of the Practice Statement

While judgement is always required in assessing materiality, this Standard bases the recognition and disclosure decision on data for the interim period by itself for reasons of understandability of the interim figures. Thus, for example, unusual items, changes in accounting policies or estimates, and errors are recognised and disclosed on the basis of materiality in relation to interim period data to avoid misleading inferences that might result from non-disclosure. The overriding goal is to ensure that an interim financial report includes all information that is relevant to understanding an entity’s financial position and performance during the interim period.

Paragraph 41

Referred to in paragraph 88 of the Practice Statement

The measurement procedures to be followed in an interim financial report shall be designed to ensure that the resulting information is reliable and that all material financial information that is relevant to an understanding of the financial position or performance of the entity is appropriately disclosed. While measurements in both annual and interim financial reports are often based on reasonable estimates, the preparation of interim financial reports generally will require a greater use of estimation methods than annual financial reports.