Accounting Treatment of Government Grants :
Capital Approach versus Income Approach
Two broad approaches may be followed for the accounting treatment of government grants: the ‘capital approach’, under which a grant is treated as part of shareholders’ funds, and the ‘income approach’, under which a grant is taken to income over one or more periods.
Those in support of the ‘capital approach’ argue as follows:
(i) Many government grants are in the nature of promoters’ contribution, i.e., they are given with reference to the total investment in an undertaking or by way of contribution towards its total capital outlay and no repayment is ordinarily expected in the case of such grants. These should, therefore, be credited directly to shareholders’ funds.
(ii) It is inappropriate to recognise government grants in the profit and loss statement, since they are not earned but represent an incentive provided by government without related costs.
Arguments in support of the ‘income approach’ are as follows:
(i) Government grants are rarely gratuitous. The enterprise earns them through compliance with their conditions and meeting the envisaged obligations. They should therefore be taken to income and matched with the associated costs which the grant is intended to compensate.
(ii) As income tax and other taxes are charges against income, it is logical to deal also with government grants, which are an extension of fiscal policies, in the profit and loss statement.
(iii) In case grants are credited to shareholders’ funds, no correlation is done between the accounting treatment of the grant and the accounting treatment of the expenditure to which the grant relates
It is generally considered appropriate that accounting for government grant should be based on the nature of the relevant grant. Grants which have the characteristics similar to those of promoters’ contribution should be treated as part of shareholders’ funds. Income approach may be more appropriate in the case of other grants.
It is fundamental to the ‘income approach’ that government grants be recognised in the profit and loss statement on a systematic and rational basis over the periods necessary to match them with the related costs. Income recognition of government grants on a receipts basis is not in accordance with the accrual accounting assumption (see Accounting Standard (AS) 1, Disclosure of Accounting Policies).
In most cases, the periods over which an enterprise recognises the costs or expenses related to a government grant are readily ascertainable and thus grants in recognition of specific expenses are taken to income in the same period as the relevant expenses.
Recognition of Government Grants
Government grants available to the enterprise are considered for inclusion in accounts:
(i) where there is reasonable assurance that the enterprise will comply with the conditions attached to them; and
(ii) where such benefits have been earned by the enterprise and it is reasonably certain that the ultimate collection will be made.
Mere receipt of a grant is not necessarily a conclusive evidence that conditions attaching to the grant have been or will be fulfilled.
An appropriate amount in respect of such earned benefits, estimated on a prudent basis, is credited to income for the year even though the actual amount of such benefits may be finally settled and received after the end of the relevant accounting period.
A contingency related to a government grant, arising after the grant has been recognised, is treated in accordance with Accounting Standard (AS) 4, Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date.2
In certain circumstances, a government grant is awarded for the purpose of giving immediate financial support to an enterprise rather than as an incentive to undertake specific expenditure. Such grants may be confined to an individual enterprise and may not be available to a whole class of enterprises. These circumstances may warrant taking the grant to income in the period in which the enterprise qualifies to receive it, as an extraordinary item if appropriate (see Accounting Standard (AS) 5, Net Profit or Loss for the Period, Prior Period Items and Changes in Accounting Policies).
Government grants may become receivable by an enterprise as compensation for expenses or losses incurred in a previous accounting period. Such a grant is recognised in the income statement of the period in which it becomes receivable, as an extraordinary item if appropriate (see Accounting Standard (AS) 5, Net Profit or Loss for the Period, Prior Period Items and Changes in Accounting Policies).
Non-monetary Government Grants
Government grants may take the form of non-monetary assets, such as land or other resources, given at concessional rates. In these circumstances, it is usual to account for such assets at their acquisition cost. Non-monetary assets given free of cost are recorded at a nominal value.
Presentation of Grants Related to Specific Fixed Assets
Grants related to specific fixed assets are government grants whose primary condition is that an enterprise qualifying for them should purchase, construct or otherwise acquire such assets. Other conditions may also be attached restricting the type or location of the assets or the periods during which they are to be acquired or held.
Two methods of presentation in financial statements of grants (or the appropriate portions of grants) related to specific fixed assets are regarded as acceptable alternatives.
Under one method, the grant is shown as a deduction from the gross value of the asset concerned in arriving at its book value. The grant is thus recognised in the profit and loss statement over the useful life of a depreciable asset by way of a reduced depreciation charge. Where the grant equals the whole, or virtually the whole, of the cost of the asset, the asset is shown in the balance sheet at a nominal value.
Under the other method, grants related to depreciable assets are treated as deferred income which is recognised in the profit and loss statement on a systematic and rational basis over the useful life of the asset. Such allocation to income is usually made over the periods and in the proportions in which depreciation on related assets is charged. Grants related to non-depreciable assets are credited to capital reserve under this method, as there is usually no charge to income in respect of such assets. However, if a grant related to a non-depreciable asset requires the fulfillment of certain obligations, the grant is credited to income over the same period over which the cost of meeting such obligations is charged to income. The deferred income is suitably disclosed in the balance sheet pending its apportionment to profit and loss account. For example, in the case of a company, it is shown after ‘Reserves and Surplus’ but before ‘Secured Loans’ with a suitable description, e.g., ‘Deferred government grants’.
The purchase of assets and the receipt of related grants can cause major movements in the cash flow of an enterprise. For this reason and in order to show the gross investment in assets, such movements are often disclosed as separate items in the statement of changes in financial position regardless of whether or not the grant is deducted from the related asset for the purpose of balance sheet presentation.
Presentation of Grants Related to Revenue
Grants related to revenue are sometimes presented as a credit in the profit and loss statement, either separately or under a general heading such as ‘Other Income’. Alternatively, they are deducted in reporting the related expense.
Supporters of the first method claim that it is inappropriate to net income and expense items and that separation of the grant from the expense facilitates comparison with other expenses not affected by a grant. For the second method, it is argued that the expense might well not have been incurred by the enterprise if the grant had not been available and presentation of the expense without offsetting the grant may therefore be misleading.
Presentation of Grants of the nature of Promoters’ contribution
Where the government grants are of the nature of promoters’ contribution, i.e., they are given with reference to the total investment in an undertaking or by way of contribution towards its total capital outlay (for example, central investment subsidy scheme) and no repayment is ordinarily expected in respect thereof, the grants are treated as capital reserve which can be neither distributed as dividend nor considered as deferred income.
Refund of Government Grants
Government grants sometimes become refundable because certain conditions are not fulfilled. A government grant that becomes refundable is treated as an extraordinary item (see Accounting Standard (AS) 5, Net Profit or Loss for the Period, Prior Period Items and Changes in Accounting Policies).
The amount refundable in respect of a government grant related to revenue is applied first against any unamortised deferred credit remaining in respect of the grant. To the extent that the amount refundable exceeds any such deferred credit, or where no deferred credit exists, the amount is charged immediately to profit and loss statement
The amount refundable in respect of a government grant related to a specific fixed asset is recorded by increasing the book value of the asset or by reducing the capital reserve or the deferred income balance, as appropriate, by the amount refundable. In the first alternative, i.e., where the book value of the asset is increased, depreciation on the revised book value is provided prospectively over the residual useful life of the asset.
Where a grant which is in the nature of promoters’ contribution becomes refundable, in part or in full, to the government on non-fulfillment of some specified conditions, the relevant amount recoverable by the government is reduced from the capital reserve.