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IFRS 9 Financial Instruments

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Background

IFRS 9 financial Instruments is that the IASB’s replacement of IAS 39 (Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement). This standard shall be applied by all entities to all or any forms of financial instruments except the exceptions dominated by different accounting standards (refer 'Scope of IFRS 9' for more details)

It’s effective from annual periods starting on or after 1 Jan 2018 with early application allowable.

Coverage                                                                  

The following areas are considered by IFRS 9:-
1.      Recognition and measurement of financial instrument: Initial recognition, classification and measurement of financial assets, financial liabilities, and some contracts to buy or sell non-financial items.
2.      Derecognition- The derecognition model in IFRS 9 is carried over unchanged from IAS 39
3.     Impairment
4.     Hedge accounting

 ##Recognition and measurement of financial instrument-

Initial recognition:


An entity shall recognize a financial asset or a financial liability in the statement of financial position when the entity becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument. A regular way purchase or sale of financial assets (trade receivable/payable) shall be recognized either on trade date or on settlement date.


Classification:

IFRS 9 classifies financial instruments as below:

 Financial asset: - Entity recognizes a financial asset based on the entity’s business model for managing the asset and the asset’s contractual cash flow (SPPI test) characteristics, as follows

  • Amortised cost—Any financial asset can be measured at amortised cost if the following both conditions are met:
    • Business model test - Asset is being hold within a business model whose objective is to hold assets in to receive contractual cash flows; and
    • Contractual cash flow test – When contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the remaining principal amount.

In simple words, if asset is held to maturity {held to collect) then that will fall under Amortised cost. For example:- Trade receivable, bonds held at maturity, simple loan etc.

 

  • Fair value through other comprehensive income (FVOCI)—financial assets should be classified and recognised at fair value through other comprehensive income when the asset will be hold in a business model whose purpose is to achieve both = collecting contractual cash flows + selling financial assets.

In simple words, if asset is available for sale then will fall under FVOCI. For example:- Debt, equity classified as FVOCI etc.

 

  • Fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL)—any residual financial assets will be measured at fair value through profit or loss.

 

In simple words, if any asset doesn’t fall under above two then will consider as FVTPL. For example- equity classified as FVTPL etc.

 


Refer below diagram for quick glimpse:

ð Reclassification: It will happen only when the entity changes its business model for handling the financial assets. Then, it should be reclassifying all affected financial assets.

Financial liability:-  It can be allocated in below categories-
# Amortised Cost- All financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost, except for financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss. 
#Fair value through profit or loss(FVTPL)- The term liability includes derivatives (other than derivatives that are financial guarantee contracts or are designated and effective hedging instruments), other liabilities held for trading, and liabilities that an entity considerd to be recognized at fair value through profit or loss (see ‘fair value option’ below).
ð  Reclassification:  Post initial recognition, company cannot reclassify any of its financial liability.

 Measurement:

Initial measurement:

Financial asset or financial liability shall be first measured at:
  • Fair value: all financial instruments should be measured at fair value through profit or loss;
  • Fair value plus or minus transaction cost: all other financial instruments (at amortized cost or fair value through other comprehensive income).

Subsequent Measurement:

Subsequent measurement based on the classification of financial instrument:-
  • Financial assets will be further recognised either at fair value or at amortized cost;
  • Financial liabilities will be recognised at amortized cost unless until the fair value option is considered.
Refer below diagram for quick glimpse:

# NOTES TO TAKE #

1.     Fair value option: IFRS 9 contains an option to designate FVTPL. An entity may, at initial recognition, irrevocably designate any financial asset or liability to be measured at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL) if doing so would eliminate or significantly reduce an inconsistency in measurement or recognition (sometimes referred to as "mismatch" accounting "') or otherwise results in more relevant information.

 

2.     Equity instrument: all equity investments in the scope of IFRS 9 must be measured at fair value in the statement of financial position, with changes in value recognized in profit or loss, except those equity investments for which the entity has chosen the present value changes in 'other comprehensive income'. There is no "cost exception" for unlisted shares.

 

3.     The FVTOCI classification is mandatory for certain debt instrument assets unless the FVTPL option is taken ("the fair value option"). While for equity investments, the FVTOCI rating is a choice

 

4.     The requirements to reclassify the gains or losses recognized in other comprehensive income (OCI) are different for debt and equity investments (see the diagram mentioned above). For debt instruments measured in FVTOCI, interest income (calculated using the effective interest rate method), foreign currency gains or losses and impairment gains or losses are recognized directly in profit or loss. The difference between the cumulative gains or losses of fair value and the accumulated amounts recognized in results is recognized in OCI until the derecognition, when the amounts in OCI are reclassified to results. In contrast to the accounting treatment for investments in equity instruments designated in FVTOCI under which only dividend income is recognized in results with all other gains and losses recognized in OCI and there is no reclassification in derecognition.

 

5.     Derivatives: All derivatives within the scope of IFRS 9, including those linked to unlisted equity investments, are measured at fair value. Changes in fair value are recognized in profit or loss, unless the entity has chosen to apply hedge accounting by designating the derivative as a hedging instrument in an eligible hedging relationship in which some or all gains or losses may be recognized in other comprehensive income.

 

6.     Embedded derivatives: Implicit derivatives are not separated for accounting purposes if the non-derivative host is a financial asset within the scope of IFRS 9, that is, the classification criteria in IFRS 9 apply to the financial asset as a whole. An embedded derivative is separated from the host contract if, and only if, all of the following criteria are met:

·        The economic characteristics and risks of the embedded derivative are not closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host;

·        A separate instrument with the same terms as the embedded derivative would meet the definition of a derivative; and

·        The hybrid contract is not measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in results (that is, a derivative that is incorporated in a financial liability at fair value through results is not separated).

 

A derivative that is attached to a financial instrument but is contractually transferable independently of that instrument, or has a different counterparty, is not an embedded derivative, but a separate financial instrument.

##Derecognition

Derecognition of financial assets

The basic premise for the derecognition model in IFRS 9 (transferred from IAS 39) is to determine whether the asset under consideration for derecognition is an asset in its entirety. Once the asset has been determined, an assessment is made of whether the asset has been transferred and, if so, whether the transfer of that asset is subsequently eligible for derecognition.
If the entity has not retained or transferred substantially all of the risks and rewards of the asset, then the entity should assess whether or not it has relinquished control of the asset. If the entity does not control the asset, then derecognition is appropriate; however, if the entity has retained control of the asset, then the entity continues to recognize the asset to the extent that it has a continuing interest in the asset. These various derecognition steps are summarized in the decision tree below:


Derecognition of financial liabilities
A financial liability should be removed from the balance sheet when, and only when, it is extinguished, that is, when the obligation specified in the contract is discharged or canceled or expires. When there has been an exchange between an existing borrower and lender of debt instruments with substantially different terms, or there has been a substantial modification of the terms of an existing financial liability, this transaction is accounted for as a termination of the original financial liability and the recognition of a new financial liability. A gain or loss on termination of the original financial liability is recognized in results.

##Impairment

IFRS 9 introduces a new impairment model based on expected losses (rather than the loss incurred under IAS 39) that has a broader scope than IAS 39. Impairment of financial assets is recognized in stages:
Stage 1: As soon as a financial instrument is originated or purchased, the expected 12-month credit losses are recognized in results and a reserve for losses is established. This serves as a proxy for initial expectations of credit losses. For financial assets, interest income is calculated on the gross carrying amount (that is, without deduction for expected credit losses).
Stage 2: if the credit risk increases significantly and is not considered low, the expected credit losses for life are recognized in results. The calculation of interest income is the same as for Stage 1.
Stage 3: If the credit risk of a financial asset increases to the point where it is considered to be impaired, interest income is calculated based on the amortized cost (that is, the gross carrying amount less the loss reserve) . Financial assets at this stage will generally be evaluated individually. The expected lifetime credit losses are recognized in these financial assets.
Refer link "IFRS 9- Impairment" for more detail on impairment.

##Hedge accounting

The objective of hedge accounting is to represent, in financial statements, the effect of an entity's risk management activities that use financial instruments to manage exposures arising from particular risks that could affect profit or loss or other result. integral.
Hedge accounting is optional. An entity that applies hedge accounting designates a hedging relationship between a hedging instrument and a hedged item. For hedging relationships that meet the qualification criteria in IFRS 9, an entity accounts for the gain or loss in the hedging instrument and the hedged item in accordance with the special hedge accounting provisions of IFRS 9.
IFRS 9 identifies three types of hedging relationships and prescribes special accounting provisions for each:
fair value hedge: a hedge of exposure to changes in the fair value of a recognized asset or liability or an unrecognized firm commitment, or a component of any item, that is attributable to a particular risk and could affect profit or loss .
cash flow hedge: a hedge of exposure to variability in cash flows that is attributable to a particular risk associated with all, or a component of, a recognized asset or liability (such as all or some future interest payments on variable rate debt) or a highly probable forecasted transaction, and could affect profit or loss.
hedge of a net investment in a foreign business as defined in IAS 21.
When an entity first applies IFRS 9, it may choose to continue to apply the hedge accounting requirements in IAS 39, rather than the requirements in IFRS 9, to all its hedging relationships.

Disclosure

IFRS 9 modifies some of the requirements of IFRS 7 Financial Instruments: disclosures that include adding disclosures about investments in equity instruments designated as FVTOCI, disclosures about risk management activities and hedge accounting, and disclosures about risk management and impairment of credit.