- 13 Marks
FR – L2 – Q46 – Events After the Reporting Period
Question
Earley Enterprises is finalising its accounts for the year ended 31 December 20X3. The following events have arisen since the year end and the financial director has asked you to comment on the final accounts.
(a) At 31 December 20X3 trade receivables included a figure of GH¢250,000 in respect of NedenCorp. On 8 March 20X4, when the current debt was GH¢200,000, NedenCorp went into receivership. Recent correspondence with the receiver indicates that no dividend will be paid to unsecured creditors.
(b) On 15 March 20X4 Earley Enterprises sold its former head office building, Whiteley Grove, for GH¢2.7 million. At the year end the building was unoccupied and carried at a value of GH¢3.1 million.
(c) Inventories at the year-end included GH¢650,000 of a new electric tricycle the Oparis. In January 20X4 the European Union declared the tricycle to be unsafe and prohibited it from sale. An alternative market, in Bongaria, is being investigated, although the current price is expected to be cost less 30%.
(d) Stingray Ltd, a subsidiary in Outer Sarnia, was nationalised in February 20X4. The Outer Sarnia authorities have refused to pay any compensation. The net assets of Stingray Ltd have been valued at GH¢200,000 at the year end.
(e) Freak floods caused GH¢150,000 damage to the Southridge branch of Earley Enterprises in January 20X4. The branch was fully insured.
(f) On 1 April 20X4 Earley Enterprises announced a 1 for 1 rights issue aiming to raise GH¢15 million.
Required
Explain how you would respond to the matters listed above.
Answer
(a) IAS 10 Events After the Reporting Period states that assets and liabilities should be adjusted for events occurring after the statement of financial position date that provide additional evidence relating to conditions existing at the statement of financial position date. It specifically includes the example of bad debts, where evidence of bankruptcy of a debtor occurs after the year-end.
In this case, Earley Enterprises appears to have recovered part of the debt and as such only GH¢200,000 needs to be provided. It may be argued that the receivership has occurred as a result of events occurring after the statement of financial position date, as a result of a change in legislation for example, but this is unlikely.
(b) It is likely that the fall in the value of the property will fit the IAS 10 definition of adjusting events noted in (a) above, unless, again, it can be argued that the decline in the property market occurred after the year-end.
IAS 36 Impairment of Assets and IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment require that the carrying amount of property, plant and equipment should be reviewed periodically in order to assess whether the recoverable amount has fallen below the carrying amount. Where it has, the property, plant and equipment should be written down to the recoverable amount, either through the statement of profit or loss as an expense, or through a revaluation reserve in shareholder’s equity, but only where that reserves has been created by a previous revaluation surplus on the same asset.
(c) IAS 2 Inventories requires that inventories be stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Net realisable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business less the estimated costs of completion and the estimated costs necessary to make the sale.
Unless Earley was making a significant margin on the tricycles, it is likely that the reduction in selling price of 30% will necessitate a write-down to net realisable value, especially considering the transportation costs to Eria which must be included. If the Eria option is unlikely to proceed, it may be necessary to write the tricycles down to scrap value.
(d) Under IAS 10, the nationalisation is likely to be regarded as a non-adjusting event that merely requires disclosure in the financial statements. IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements, requires that an investment in an enterprise should be accounted for as an investment (under IFRS 9 Financial Instruments) from the date that it ceases to fall within the definition of a subsidiary and does not become an associate. It seems here that Earley has neither control nor significant influence, nor even an investment as the assets have been in fact, expropriated. The loss of the investment should be accounted for in the year in which it occurred, but disclosed in the current year.
If the loss of the subsidiary results in Earley no longer being a going concern, then the event becomes an adjusting event.
(e) & (f) Both of the events described are non-adjusting events which should be disclosed, but not adjusted for in the current year financial statements.
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