Illustration of Applying the Recognition and Measurement Principles :

This illustration, which does not form part of the Accounting Standard, illustrates application of the general recognition and measurement principles set out in paragraphs 27-38 of this Standard. Its purpose is to illustrate the application of the Accounting Standard to assist in clarifying its meaning.

Gratuity and Other Defined Benefit Schemes

Provisions in respect of gratuity and other defined benefit schemes for an interim period are calculated on a year-to-date basis by using the actuarially determined rates at the end of the prior financial year, adjusted for significant market fluctuations since that time and for significant curtailments, settlements, or other significant one-time events.

Major Planned Periodic Maintenance or Overhaul

The cost of a major planned periodic maintenance or overhaul or other seasonal expenditure that is expected to occur late in the year is not anticipated for interim reporting purposes unless an event has caused the enterprise to have a present obligation. The mere intention or necessity to incur expenditure related to the future is not sufficient to give rise to an obligation.

 

Provisions

This Standard requires that an enterprise apply the same criteria for recognising and measuring a provision at an interim date as it would at the end of its financial year. The existence or non-existence of an obligation to transfer economic benefits is not a function of the length of the reporting period. It is a question of fact subsisting on the reporting date.

Year-End Bonuses

The nature of year-end bonuses varies widely. Some are earned simply  by continued employment during a time period. Some bonuses are earned based on monthly, quarterly, or annual measure of operating result. They may be purely discretionary, contractual, or based on years of historical precedent.

A bonus is anticipated for interim reporting purposes if, and only if, (a) the bonus is a legal obligation or an obligation arising from past practice for which the enterprise has no realistic alternative but to make the payments, and (b) a reliable estimate of the obligation can be made.

Intangible Assets

An enterprise will apply the definition and recognition criteria for an intangible asset in the same way in an interim period as in an annual period. Costs incurred before the recognition criteria for an intangible asset are met are recognised as an expense. Costs incurred after the specific point in time at which the criteria are met are recognised as part of the cost of an intangible asset. “Deferring” costs as assets in an interim balance sheet in the hope that the recognition criteria will be met later in the financial year is not justified.

Other Planned but Irregularly Occurring Costs

An enterprise’s budget may include certain costs expected to be incurred irregularly during the financial year, such as employee training costs. These costs generally are discretionary even though they are planned and tend to recur from year to year. Recognising an obligation at an interim financial reporting date for such costs that have not yet been incurred generally is not consistent with the definition of a liability.

Measuring Income Tax Expense for Interim Period

Interim period income tax expense is accrued using the tax rate that would be applicable to expected total annual earnings, that is, the estimated average annual effective income tax rate applied to the pre-tax income of the interim period.

This is consistent with the basic concept set out in paragraph 27 that the same accounting recognition and measurement principles should be applied in an interim financial report as are applied in annual financial statements. Income taxes are assessed on an annual basis. Therefore, interim period income tax expense is calculated by applying, to an interim period’s pre-tax income, the tax rate that would be applicable to expected total annual earnings, that is, the estimated average effective annual income tax rate. That estimated average annual income tax rate would reflect the tax rate structure expected to be applicable to the full year’s earnings including enacted or substantively enacted changes in the income tax rates scheduled to take effect later in the financial year. The estimated average annual income tax rate would be re-estimated on a year-to-date basis, consistent with paragraph 27 of this Standard. Paragraph 16(d) requires disclosure of a significant change in estimate.

To the extent practicable, a separate estimated average annual effective income tax rate is determined for each governing taxation law and applied individually to the interim period pre-tax income under such laws. Similarly, if different income tax rates apply to different categories of income (such as capital gains or income earned in particular industries), to the extent practicable a separate rate is applied to each individual category of interim period pre-tax income. While that degree of precision is desirable, it may not be achievable in all cases, and a weighted average of rates across such governing taxation laws or across categories of income is used if it is a reasonable approximation of the effect of using more specific rates.

As illustration, an enterprise reports quarterly, earns Rs. 150 lakhs pretax profit in the first quarter but expects to incur losses of Rs 50 lakhs in each of the three remaining quarters (thus having zero income for the year), and is governed by taxation laws according to which its estimated average annual income tax rate is expected to be 35 per cent. The following table shows the amount of income tax expense that is reported in each quarter:

	1st  Quarter	2nd Quarter	3rd Quarter	4th Quarter	Annual
Tax Expense	52.5	(17.5)	(17.5)	(17.5)	0