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Pre-existing relationships and reacquired rights under IFRS 3


Determining what is part of the business combination transaction (Pre-existing relationships and reacquired rights):-

(Note- It covers paragraphs 51-52 & B50 to B62 of bear standard IFRS 3)

 

The acquirer and the acquire (or its former owners) might have a preexisting relationship or any other prearrangement before initiating the negotiations for business combination, or may enter into any such arrangement during the process of business combination negotiations which is separate in nature. In any of above mentioned situation, the acquirer will identify any amounts which is not part of what the acquirer and the acquire have exchanged in the business combination. The acquirer shall consider as part of applying the acquisition method only on the consideration transferred to acquiree and the assets acquired and liabilities identified in the exchange process. Any separate transactions which will have been treated for in accordance with the relevant applicable IFRSs.

 

A transaction made by or on behalf of the acquirer or principally for the benefit of the acquirer or the combined entity, rather than primarily for the benefit of the acquiree (or its former owners) prior to the combination, is expected to be a separate transaction. Below are examples of separate transactions that should not be included when acquisition method will be applicable:

(a) a transaction that effectively establishes pre-existing relationships between the acquirer and the acquiree;

(b) a transaction that remunerates the acquiree's employees or former owners for future services; and

(c) a transaction that repays the acquiree or its former owners for paying the costs related to the acquisition of the acquirer.

 

The acquirer should study the below factors, those are neither mutually exclusive not individually conclusive, to identify and conclude whether a transaction is portion of any exchange or the transaction is separate from any business combination:

 

(a) the causes for the transaction: understanding the reasons why the parties of the combination (the acquirer and acquiree and their owners, directors, manager and their agents) conducted a particular transaction or arrangement may give insight into if it is part of the consideration given and the assets acquired or the liabilities assumed. For illustration, if any transaction is arranged mainly for benefit of acquirer/ Any combined entity rather than principally for benefit of the acquire/ its former owners prior to the combination, that share of the transaction price paid (and any assets or related liability) a smaller amount to be part of the exchange for the acquiree. Consequently, the acquirer would account for that part separately from the business combination.

(b) initiator of transaction: The understanding who was the initiator of the transaction can also provide information about whether it should be part of the exchange for the acquired entity. For example, a transaction or other event

the acquirer-initiated may subscribe for the determination of providing future economic benefits to the acquirer or any combined entity with small or almost no benefit received by the acquirer or its former owners prior to the combination. Conversely, a transaction or agreement introduced by the acquired entity or its former owners is a smaller amount benefited to the acquirer or the combined entity and more probable that it will be part of the business combination.

(c) the time of the transaction: The time of transaction might also provide information on whether it should be part of the exchange for the acquired entity.

For example, any transaction between the acquirer and acquiree that occurs during negotiations of the terms of a business combination may have been made in observation of the business combination to make available the future economic benefits for the acquirer or to the combined entity. Accordingly, the acquiree or its ex owners prior to the business combination are expected to receive small or nope benefit from the transaction, except for the benefits they obtain as part of the combined entity.

 

Effective settlement of a preexisting relationship between the acquirer and acquiree in a business combination

 

The acquirer and the acquiree might have a relationship that existed before contemplating the business combination, referred to herein as "pre-existing relationship". A pre-existing relationship between the acquirer and the acquiree may be contractual (for example, seller and customer or licensor and licensee) or non-contractual (for example, plaintiff and defendant). If the business combination establishes a pre-existing relationship, the acquirer recognizes a gain or loss, measured as follows:

(a) for a pre-existing non-contractual relationship (such as a lawsuit), fair value.

(b) for a pre-existing contractual relationship, the lesser of (i) and (ii):

(i) the amount for which the contract is favorable or unfavorable from the acquirer's perspective compared to the terms of current market transactions for the same or similar items. (An unfavorable contract is an unfavorable contract in terms of current market terms. It is not necessarily an onerous contract in which the unavoidable costs of fulfilling the contract obligations exceed the economic benefits expected to be received pursuant to it.)

(ii) the amount of any settlement provision established in the contract available to the counterparty for which the contract is unfavorable.

If (ii) is less than (i), the difference is included as part of the business combination accounting.

 

The amount of the recognized gain or loss may depend in part on whether the acquirer had previously recognized a related asset or liability, and the reported gain or loss, therefore, may differ from the amount calculated applying the above requirements.

A pre-existing relationship can be a contract that the acquirer recognizes as a reacquired right. If the contract includes terms that are favorable or unfavorable compared to the current market transaction price for the same or similar items, the acquirer recognizes, separately from the business combination, a gain or loss for the effective settlement of the contract.


You may also refer below related standards:-

IFRS 3 Business Combinations