IASB issued new standard IFRS 18
On 9 April 2024, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published its new standard IFRS 18 Presentation and Disclosures in Financial Statements that will replace IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Sta…
IASB issued a narrow-scope amendment to IFRS 17
On 9 December 2021, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) published 'Initial Application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 — Comparative Information (Amendment to IFRS 17)' with an amendment that enables companies to improve the usefulness of the comparative information presented on initial application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9.
Background
Many insurance companies have not yet applied IFRS 9 Financial Instruments and will first apply it at the same time they apply IFRS 17 Insurance Contracts. However, the two standards have different requirements for the comparative information that will be presented on initial application. IFRS 17 requires companies to present one restated comparative period. IFRS 9 permits but does not require restatement of comparative periods, and prohibits companies from applying IFRS 9 to financial assets derecognised in the comparative period.
To address these concerns, the IASB has published a narrow-scope amendment to the transition requirements in IFRS 17.
Key amendment
For entities that apply IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 at the same time, the amendment relates to financial assets for which comparative information presented on initial application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 has not been restated for IFRS 9 (including financial assets that have been derecognised in the comparative period).
Applying the amendment, an entity is permitted to present comparative information about such financial assets as if the classification and measurement requirements of IFRS 9 had been applied to the financial assets. The option is available on an instrument-by-instrument basis.
The amendment is also available for entities that have applied IFRS 9 before applying IFRS 17. For these entities, the classification overlay applies to financial assets that have been derecognised in the comparative period and permits an entity to apply the redesignation requirements of IFRS 17 based on how the entity expects the asset would have been designated at initial application of IFRS 17.
There are no changes to the transition requirements in IFRS 9.
Effective date
An entity that elects to apply the amendment applies it when it first applies IFRS 17. New standard IFRS is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023, with early application permitted.
You can find more information about the amendments in our IFRS in Focus from December 2021.
