LIABILITIES AND EQUITY

Section 22

Liabilities and Equity

Scope of this section

22. 1 This section establishes principles for classifying financial instruments as either liabilities or equity and addresses accounting for equity instruments issued to individuals or other parties acting in their capacity as investors in equity instruments (ie in their capacity as owners). Section 26 Share-based Payment addresses accounting for a transaction in which the entity receives goods or services (including employee services) as consideration for its equity instruments (including shares or share options) from employees and other vendors acting in their capacity as vendors of goods and services.

22. 2 This section shall be applied when classifying all types of financial instruments except:
    1. those interests in subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures that are accounted for in accordance with Section 9 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements, Section 14 Investments in Associates or Section 15 Interests in Joint Ventures.
    2. employers’ rights and obligations under employee benefit plans, to which Section 28 Employee Benefits applies.
    3. contracts for contingent consideration in a business combination (see Section 19 Business Combinations and Goodwill). This exemption applies only to the acquirer.
    4. financial instruments, contracts and obligations under share-based payment transactions to which Section 26 applies, except that paragraphs 22.3–22.6 shall be applied to treasury shares purchased, sold, issued or cancelled in connection with employee share option plans, employee share purchase plans and all other share-based payment arrangements.

Classification of a financial instrument as liability or equity

22. 3 Equity is the residual interest in the assets of an entity after deducting all its liabilities. A liability is a present obligation of the entity arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the entity of resources embodying economic benefits. Equity includes investments by the owners of the entity, plus additions to those investments earned through profitable operations and retained for use in the entity’s operations, minus reductions to owners’ investments as a result of unprofitable operations and distributions to owners.

22. 3A A An entity shall classify a financial instrument as a financial liability or as equity in accordance with the substance of the contractual arrangement, not merely its legal form, and in accordance with the definitions of a financial liability and an equity instrument. Unless an entity has an unconditional right to avoid delivering cash or another financial asset to settle a contractual obligation, the obligation meets the definition of a financial liability, and is classified as such, except for those instruments classified as equity instruments in accordance with paragraph 22.4.

22. 4 Some financial instruments that meet the definition of a liability are classified as equity because they represent the residual interest in the net assets of the entity:
    1. a puttable instrument is a financial instrument that gives the holder the right to sell that instrument back to the issuer for cash or another financial asset or is automatically redeemed or repurchased by the issuer on the occurrence of an uncertain future event or the death or retirement of the instrument holder. A puttable instrument that has all of the following features is classified as an equity instrument:
       1. it entitles the holder to a pro rata share of the entity’s net assets in the event of the entity’s liquidation. The entity’s net assets are those assets that remain after deducting all other claims on its assets.
       2. the instrument is in the class of instruments that is subordinate to all other classes of instruments.
       3. all financial instruments in the class of instruments that is subordinate to all other classes of instruments have identical features.
       4. apart from the contractual obligation for the issuer to repurchase or redeem the instrument for cash or another financial asset, the instrument does not include any contractual obligation to deliver cash or another financial asset to another entity, or to exchange financial assets or financial liabilities with another entity under conditions that are potentially unfavourable to the entity, and it is not a contract that will or may be settled in the entity’s own equity instruments.
       5. the total expected cash flows attributable to the instrument over the life of the instrument are based substantially on the profit or loss, the change in the recognised net assets or the change in the fair value of the recognised and unrecognised net assets of the entity over the life of the instrument (excluding any effects of the instrument).
    2. instruments, or components of instruments, that are subordinate to all other classes of instruments are classified as equity if they impose on the entity an obligation to deliver to another party a pro rata share of the net assets of the entity only on liquidation.

22. 5 The following are examples of instruments that are classified as liabilities instead of equity:
    1. an instrument is classified as a liability if the distribution of net assets on liquidation is subject to a maximum amount (a ceiling). For example, if on liquidation the holders of the instrument receive a pro rata share of the net assets, but this amount is limited to a ceiling and the excess net assets are distributed to a charity organisation or the government, the instrument is not classified as equity.
    2. a puttable instrument is classified as equity if, when the put option is exercised, the holder receives a pro rata share of the net assets of the entity measured in accordance with this Standard. However, if the holder is entitled to an amount measured on some other basis (such as local GAAP), the instrument is classified as a liability.
    3. an instrument is classified as a liability if it obliges the entity to make payments to the holder before liquidation, such as a mandatory dividend.
    4. a puttable instrument that is classified as equity in a subsidiary’s financial statements is classified as a liability in its parent entity’s consolidated financial statements.
    5. a preference share that provides for mandatory redemption by the issuer for a fixed or determinable amount at a fixed or determinable future date, or gives the holder the right to require the issuer to redeem the instrument at or after a particular date for a fixed or determinable amount, is a financial liability.

22. 6 Members’ shares in co-operative entities and similar instruments are equity if:
    1. the entity has an unconditional right to refuse redemption of the members’ shares; or
    2. redemption is unconditionally prohibited by local law, regulation or the entity’s governing charter.

Original issue of shares or other equity instruments

22. 7 An entity shall recognise the issue of shares or other equity instruments as equity when it issues those instruments and another party is obliged to provide cash or other resources to the entity in exchange for the instruments:
    1. if the equity instruments are issued before the entity receives the cash or other resources, the entity shall present the amount receivable as an offset to equity in its statement of financial position, not as an asset;
    2. if the entity receives the cash or other resources before the equity instruments are issued, and the entity cannot be required to repay the cash or other resources received, the entity shall recognise the corresponding increase in equity to the extent of consideration received; and
    3. to the extent that the equity instruments have been subscribed for but not issued, and the entity has not yet received the cash or other resources, the entity shall not recognise an increase in equity.

22. 8 An entity shall measure equity instruments, other than those issued as part of a business combination or those accounted for in accordance with paragraphs 22.15A–22.15B, at the fair value of the cash or other resources received or receivable, net of transaction costs. If payment is deferred and the time value of money is material, the initial measurement shall be on a present value basis.

22. 9 An entity shall account for the transaction costs of an equity transaction as a deduction from equity. Income tax relating to the transaction costs shall be accounted for in accordance with Section 29 Income Tax.

22. 10 How the increase in equity arising on the issue of shares or other equity instruments is presented in the statement of financial position is determined by applicable laws. For example, the par value (or other nominal value) of shares and the amount paid in excess of par value may be required to be presented separately.

Sale of options, rights and warrants

22. 11 An entity shall apply the principles in paragraphs 22.7–22.10 to equity issued by means of sales of options, rights, warrants and similar equity instruments.

Capitalisation or bonus issues of shares and share splits

22. 12 A capitalisation or bonus issue (sometimes referred to as a stock dividend) is the issue of new shares to shareholders in proportion to their existing holdings. For example, an entity may give its shareholders one dividend or bonus share for every five shares held. A share split (sometimes referred to as a stock split) is the dividing of an entity’s existing shares into multiple shares. For example, in a share split, each shareholder may receive one additional share for each share held. In some cases, the previously outstanding shares are cancelled and replaced by new shares. Capitalisation and bonus issues and share splits do not change total equity. An entity shall reclassify amounts within equity as required by applicable laws.

Convertible debt or similar compound financial instruments

22. 13 On issuing convertible debt or similar compound financial instruments that contain both a liability and an equity component, an entity shall allocate the proceeds between the liability component and the equity component. To make the allocation, the entity shall first determine the amount of the liability component as the fair value of a similar liability that does not have a conversion feature or similar associated equity component. The entity shall allocate the residual amount as the equity component. Transaction costs shall be allocated between the debt component and the equity component on the basis of their relative fair values.

22. 14 The entity shall not revise the allocation in a subsequent period.

22. 15 In periods after the instruments were issued, the entity shall account for the liability component as follows:
    1. in accordance with Section 11 Basic Financial Instruments if the liability component meets the conditions in paragraph 11.9. In these cases, the entity shall systematically recognise any difference between the liability component and the principal amount payable at maturity as additional interest expense using the effective interest method (see paragraphs 11.15–11.20).
    2. in accordance with Section 12 Other Financial Instrument Issues if the liability component does not meet the conditions in paragraph 11.9.

Extinguishing financial liabilities with equity instruments

22. 15A An entity may renegotiate the terms of a financial liability with a creditor of the entity with the result that the entity extinguishes the liability fully or partially by issuing equity instruments to the creditor. Issuing equity instruments constitutes consideration paid in accordance with paragraph 11.38. An entity shall measure the equity instruments issued at their fair value. However, if the fair value of the equity instruments issued cannot be measured reliably without undue cost or effort, the equity instruments shall be measured at the fair value of the financial liability extinguished. An entity shall derecognise the financial liability, or part of the financial liability, in accordance with paragraphs 11.36–11.38.

22. 15B If part of the consideration paid relates to a modification of the terms of the remaining part of the liability, the entity shall allocate the consideration paid between the part of the liability extinguished and the part that remains outstanding. This allocation should be made on a reasonable basis. If the remaining liability has been substantially modified, the entity shall account for the modification as the extinguishment of the original liability and the recognition of a new liability as required by paragraph 11.37.

22. 15C An entity shall not apply paragraphs 22.15A–22.15B to transactions in situations in which:

1. the creditor is also a direct or indirect shareholder and is acting in its capacity as a direct or indirect existing shareholder;
2. the creditor and the entity are controlled by the same party or parties before and after the transaction and the substance of the transaction includes an equity distribution by, or contribution to, the entity; or
3. extinguishing the financial liability by issuing equity instruments is in accordance with the original terms of the financial liability (see paragraphs 22.13–22.15).

Treasury shares

22. 16 Treasury shares are the equity instruments of an entity that have been issued and subsequently reacquired by the entity. An entity shall deduct from equity the fair value of the consideration given for the treasury shares. The entity shall not recognise a gain or loss in profit or loss on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of treasury shares.

Distributions to owners

22. 17 An entity shall reduce equity for the amount of distributions to its owners (holders of its equity instruments). Income tax relating to distributions to owners shall be accounted for in accordance with Section 29.

22. 18 Sometimes an entity distributes assets other than cash to its owners (‘non-cash distributions’). When an entity declares such a distribution and has an obligation to distribute non-cash assets to its owners, it shall recognise a liability. It shall measure the liability at the fair value of the assets to be distributed unless it meets the conditions in paragraph 22.18A. At the end of each reporting period and at the date of settlement, the entity shall review and adjust the carrying amount of the dividend payable to reflect changes in the fair value of the assets to be distributed, with any changes recognised in equity as adjustments to the amount of the distribution. When an entity settles the dividend payable, it shall recognise in profit or loss any difference between the carrying amount of the assets distributed and the carrying amount of the dividend payable.

22. 18A If the fair value of the assets to be distributed cannot be measured reliably without undue cost or effort, the liability shall be measured at the carrying amount of the assets to be distributed. If prior to settlement the fair value of the assets to be distributed can be measured reliably without undue cost or effort, the liability is remeasured at fair value with a corresponding adjustment made to the amount of the distribution and accounted for in accordance with paragraph 22.18.

22. 18B Paragraphs 22.18–22.18A do not apply to the distribution of a non-cash asset that is ultimately controlled by the same party or parties before and after the distribution. This exclusion applies to the separate, individual and consolidated financial statements of an entity that makes the distribution.

Non-controlling interest and transactions in shares of a consolidated subsidiary

22. 19 In consolidated financial statements, a non-controlling interest in the net assets of a subsidiary is included in equity. An entity shall treat changes in a parent’s controlling interest in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control as transactions with owners in their capacity as owners. Accordingly, the carrying amount of the non-controlling interest shall be adjusted to reflect the change in the parent’s interest in the subsidiary’s net assets. Any difference between the amount by which the non-controlling interest is so adjusted and the fair value of the consideration paid or received, if any, shall be recognised directly in equity and attributed to owners of the parent. An entity shall not recognise gain or loss on these changes. Also, an entity shall not recognise any change in the carrying amounts of assets (including goodwill) or liabilities as a result of such transactions.

Disclosures

22. 20 If the fair value of the assets to be distributed as described in paragraphs 22.18–22.18A cannot be measured reliably without undue cost or effort, the entity shall disclose that fact and the reasons why a reliable fair value measurement would involve undue cost or effort.