Accounting

Just in case you had been wondering in your idle time how many pages long the Accounting Standards Codification would be in print form, I have the answer.

10,068 pages.

How thick is that if you stacked the five volumes on top of one another?

12.75 inches.

I’m working on a writing project for which it will be convenient to have a hard copy of the ASC, so I ordered a copy. Yipee! It arrived yesterday!

In case it seems like the volume of rules is growing faster than you can keep track, here is a seven-year comparison, looking at the physical size and volume count of the 2017 and 2010 editions:

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Been thinking the volume of accounting rules is growing a lot? It isn’t your imagination. Here’s a page count of GAAP.Read More »

The July 2017 post explaining Before the tsunami hits it might be time to tune into the accounting rules on the horizon  at my other blog, Nonprofit Update, has been updated to mention ASU 2018-08, which addresses accounting for contributions and grants. Might be worth your time to think about the major changes in accounting rules coming into play over the next few years.

As mentioned in the previous post, I’ve reread my notes from several continuing education classes this year. Thought I would share a variety of stray ideas.

(Cross-posted from my other blog, Nonprofit Update.)

For what it is worth here are some tidbits you might enjoy:

Presentation of not-for-profit financials – ASU 2016-14

Presenter said that if an organization wanted to break out the with restriction column into more detail there is nothing to resented been broken into two or three columns. Perhaps it could be columns for:

• donor endowment
• other with restriction contributions
• time restrictions
• total with donor restriction
• without donor restriction
• total (total column is not required, but total change in net assets is)

Another possibility to present more detail would be to present multiple lines within the with donor restriction column, such as contributions to donor endowment, various purpose restrictions, time restriction, and a subtotal.

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Various thoughts from continuing education classes this year, part 2Read More »

As part of working on a big writing project, I’ve reread my notes from several continuing education classes this year. (More details later and a link to the published material much later.) Thought I would share a variety of stray ideas. Here are a few tidbits from the classes.

Probably need to note that I have not gone back and read the original pronouncements supporting each idea and therefore I do not have a specific citation for you. (Reading three of the documents is the next step for my writing project.)

(Cross-posted from my other blog, Nonprofit Update.)

For what it is worth here are some tidbits you might enjoy:

Leases – ASU 2016-02.

One of the key on/off switches is whether a particular transaction or document is a lease. That will require an assessment of each transaction.

Right of use assets (the new description) resulting from operating and financing leases need to be listed separately on the statement of financial position. Those two categories (operating right of use and financing right of use) will be presented separately from fixed assets.

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Various thoughts from continuing education classes this year, part 1Read More »

FASB has released an exposure draft which slightly redefines the distinction between revenues and contributions for the nonprofit world.

Exposure draft is called Not-for-Profit Entities (Topic 958) – Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance for Contributions Received and Contributions Made.

On 9/11/17 I watched FASB’s one hour webcast on the exposure draft. This is only the second time I’ve seen a presentation on the issue and I haven’t yet dived into the 51 page document. That means I’m just starting to understand the changes.

What I’m going to do here is give a high level introduction. Keep in mind this is just an overview without all the details. Furthermore it is my preliminary understanding after having only heard the presentation twice and looking at the slide deck once. Please don’t cite this in your workpapers!

This exposure draft does not call for any change in how transactions are presented in the statement of activities. Organizations can present particular transactions as either revenue or contributions as they wish. The point was made several times in the presentation that the rules spelled out here determine which model is used for recognizing a transaction, not what presentation is used on the statement of activity.

There is a fantastic graph in the slide deck that provides a good visualization of the current and proposed accounting. It is copyrighted and thus I won’t be presenting it here. I’m sure you’ll be seeing the graphic before you get very far into your study.

Here’s a breakout of how exchange transactions are currently handled. These are also called reciprocal transactions. Currently we think of these as revenue, although the verbal comments in the presentation indicate that is no longer necessarily how exchange transactions must be presented.

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FASB exposure draft on contributions and grants.Read More »

While you have been sitting on the beach enjoying life this summer, have you noticed that dark, odd horizontal line out there on the horizon?

It isn’t a figment of your imagination. There really is a tsunami wave out there in the distance of the accounting ocean and it is going to hit the shore where you are sun bathing.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, there will be fresh waves of water hitting the beach over four years.

The good news? Maybe one or two or three of the waves will miss your organization.

Here is a quick glance of what’s on the horizon:

• Overhaul NFP financial statement presentation
• Restricted cash on cash flow statement
• Revenue recognition for all entities
• Grant and contribution recognition for NFPs
• Most leases brought onto the statement of financial position
• Credit losses on loans and receivables

Here is just a bit more detail:

(Cross-post from my other blog, Nonprofit Update, so this will focus on not-for-profit issues.)

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Before the tsunami hits it might be time to tune into the accounting rules on the horizon.Read More »

Here are a few of the comments from CalCPA’s May 24, 2017 Not-for-profit conference about major overhaul of financial statement presentation that I thought would be of interest to others in the nonprofit community. This post addresses ASU 2016-14. Part 1 addressed tax, revenue recognition, and single audit update sessions.

(Cross-posted from my other blog, Nonprofit Update.)

Accounting update – The first presenter is a FASB staff person. While comments made are the presenter’s opinions, we ought to pay attention to such a person’s opinions. Another disclaimer is the following summaries are from me.

ASU 2016-14 is the document changing not-for-profit financial statement presentation. We all need to get to the place where ASU 2016-14 or 16-14 easily rolls off our tongues.

ASU 2016-14:

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Comments on changes to financial statement presentation during 2017 CalCPA Not-for-profit conference, part 2Read More »