14-2

PREVIEW OF CHAPTER

Intermediate Accounting
IFRS 2nd Edition
Kieso, Weygandt, and Warfield
14-3
BONDS PAYABLE

Non-current liabilities (long-term debt) consist of an expected

outflow of resources arising from present obligations that are
not payable within a year or the operating cycle of the
company, whichever is longer.

Examples:
► Bonds payable ► Pension liabilities
► Long-term notes payable ► Lease liabilities
► Mortgages payable
Long-term debt has various
covenants or restrictions.
Issuing Bonds

 Bond contract known as a bond indenture.

 Represents a promise to pay:
(1) sum of money at designated maturity date, plus
(2) periodic interest at a specified rate on the maturity
amount (face value).
 Paper certificate, typically a € 1,000 face value.
 Interest payments usually made semiannually.
 Used when the amount of capital needed is too large for
one lender to supply.
Types and Ratings of Bonds

Common types found in practice:

 Secured and Unsecured (debenture) bonds.

 Term, Serial, and Callable bonds.

 Convertible, Commodity-Backed, Deep-Discount bonds.

 Registered and Bearer (Coupon) bonds.

 Income and Revenue bonds.

Types and Ratings of Bonds

Corporate bond listing.

Company Price as a % of par

Name
Interest rate based on price
Interest rate paid as Creditworthiness
a % of par value
Valuation of Bonds Payable

Issuance and marketing of bonds to the public:

 Usually takes weeks or months.

 Issuing company must

► Arrange for underwriters.

► Obtain regulatory approval of the bond issue, undergo

audits, and issue a prospectus.

► Have bond certificates printed.

Valuation of Bonds Payable

Selling price of a bond issue is set by the

 supply and demand of buyers and sellers,

 relative risk,

 market conditions, and

 state of the economy.

Investment community values a bond at the present value of its

expected future cash flows, which consist of (1) interest and (2)
principal.
Valuation of Bonds Payable

Interest Rate
 Stated, coupon, or nominal rate = Rate written in the
terms of the bond indenture.

► Bond issuer sets this rate.

► Stated as a percentage of bond face value (par).

 Market rate or effective yield = Rate that provides an

acceptable return commensurate with the issuer’s risk.

► Rate of interest actually earned by the bondholders.

Valuation of Bonds Payable

How do you calculate the amount of interest that is actually

paid to the bondholder each period?

(Stated rate x Face Value of the bond)

How do you calculate the amount of interest that is actually

recorded as interest expense by the issuer of the bonds?

(Market rate x Carrying Value of the bond)

Valuation of Bonds Payable
Assume Stated Rate of 8%

Market Interest Bonds Sold At

6% Premium

8% Par Value

10% Discount
 Bonds Issued at Par

Illustration: Santos Company issues R$100,000 in bonds dated

January 1, 2015, due in five years with 9 percent interest
payable annually on January 1. At the time of issue, the market
rate for such bonds is 9 percent.

ILLUSTRATION 14-1
Time Diagram for Bonds
Issued at Par
 Bonds Issued at Par ILLUSTRATION 14-1
Time Diagram for Bonds
Issued at Par

ILLUSTRATION 14-2
Present Value
Computation of
Bond Selling at Par
Bonds Issued at Par

Journal entry on date of issue, Jan. 1, 2015.

Cash 100,000
Bonds payable 100,000

Journal entry to record accrued interest at Dec. 31, 2015.

Interest expense 9,000

Interest payable 9,000

Journal entry to record first payment on Jan. 1, 2016.

Interest payable 9,000

Cash 9,000
 Bonds Issued at a Discount

Illustration: Assuming now that Santos issues R$100,000 in

bonds, due in five years with 9 percent interest payable
annually at year-end. At the time of issue, the market rate for
such bonds is 11 percent.

ILLUSTRATION 14-3
Time Diagram for Bonds
Issued at a Discount
 Bonds Issued at a Discount ILLUSTRATION 14-3
Time Diagram for Bonds
Issued at a Discount

ILLUSTRATION 14-4
Present Value
Computation of
Bond Selling at
Discount
Bonds Issued at a Discount
Journal entry on date of issue, Jan. 1, 2015.
Cash 92,608
Bonds payable 92,608

Journal entry to record accrued interest at Dec. 31, 2015.

Interest expense ($92,608 x 11%) 10,187
Interest payable 9,000
Bonds payable 1,187

Journal entry to record first payment on Jan. 1, 2016.

Interest payable 9,000
Cash 9,000
Bonds Issued at a Discount

When bonds sell at less than face value:

► Investors demand a rate of interest higher than stated rate.

► Usually occurs because investors can earn a higher rate on

on alternative investments of equal risk.

► Cannot change stated rate so investors refuse to pay face

value for the bonds.

► Investors receive interest at the stated rate computed on

the face value, but they actually earn at an effective rate
because they paid less than face value for the bonds.
Effective-Interest Method

Bond issued at a discount - amount paid at maturity is more

than the issue amount.

Bonds issued at a premium - company pays less at maturity

relative to the issue price.

Adjustment to the cost is recorded as bond interest expense over

the life of the bonds through a process called amortization.

Required procedure for amortization is the effective-interest

method (also called present value amortization).
 Effective-Interest Method

Effective-interest method produces a periodic interest expense

equal to a constant percentage of the carrying value of the
bonds.

ILLUSTRATION 14-5
Bond Discount and Premium
Amortization Computation
 Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at a Discount

Illustration: Evermaster Corporation issued €100,000 of 8% term
bonds on January 1, 2015, due on January 1, 2020, with interest
payable each July 1 and January 1. Investors require an effective-
interest rate of 10%. Calculate the bond proceeds.

ILLUSTRATION 14-6
Computation of Discount on Bonds Payable
ILLUSTRATION 14-7
Bond Discount
Amortization Schedule
Effective-Interest Method ILLUSTRATION 14-7
Bond Discount
Amortization Schedule

Journal entry on date of issue, Jan. 1, 2015.

Cash 92,278
Bonds Payable 92,278
Effective-Interest Method ILLUSTRATION 14-7
Bond Discount
Amortization Schedule

Journal entry to record first payment and amortization of the

discount on July 1, 2015.

Interest expense 4,614

Bonds payable 614
Cash 4,000
Effective-Interest Method ILLUSTRATION 14-7
Bond Discount
Amortization Schedule

Journal entry to record accrued interest and amortization of the

discount on Dec. 31, 2015.

Interest expense 4,645

Interest payable 4,000
Bonds payable 645
 Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at a Premium

Illustration: Evermaster Corporation issued €100,000 of 8% term
bonds on January 1, 2015, due on January 1, 2016, with interest
payable each July 1 and January 1. Investors require an effective-
interest rate of 6%. Calculate the bond proceeds.

ILLUSTRATION 14-8
Computation of Premium on Bonds Payable
ILLUSTRATION 14-9
Bond Premium
Amortization Schedule
Effective-Interest Method ILLUSTRATION 14-9
Bond Premium
Amortization Schedule

Journal entry on date of issue, Jan. 1, 2015.

Cash 108,530
Bonds payable 108,530
Effective-Interest Method ILLUSTRATION 14-9
Bond Premium
Amortization Schedule

Journal entry to record first payment and amortization of the

premium on July 1, 2015.

Interest expense 3,256

Bonds payable 744
Cash 4,000
Effective-Interest Method

Accrued Interest
What happens if Evermaster prepares financial statements at the
end of February 2015? In this case, the company prorates the
premium by the appropriate number of months to arrive at the
proper interest expense, as follows.

ILLUSTRATION 14-10
Computation of Interest
Expense
Effective-Interest Method
ILLUSTRATION 14-10
Accrued Interest Computation of Interest
Expense

Evermaster records this accrual as follows.

Interest expense 1,085.33

Bonds payable 248.00
Interest payable 1,333.33
 Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued between Interest Dates

Bond investors will pay the seller the interest accrued from the
last interest payment date to the date of issue.

On the next semiannual interest payment date, bond investors

will receive the full six months’ interest payment.

14-37
Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Par

Illustration: Assume Evermaster issued its five-year bonds, dated
January 1, 2015, on May 1, 2015, at par (€100,000). Evermaster
records the issuance of the bonds between interest dates as
follows.
(€100,000 x .08 x 4/12) = €2,667

Cash 100,000
Bonds payable 100,000
Cash 2,667
Interest expense 2,667
Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Par

On July 1, 2015, two months after the date of purchase,
Evermaster pays the investors six months’ interest, by making
the following entry. ($100,000 x .08 x 1/2) = $4,000

Interest expense 4,000

Cash 4,000
Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Discount or Premium

Illustration: Assume that the Evermaster 8% bonds were issued
on May 1, 2015, to yield 6%. Thus, the bonds are issued at a
premium price of €108,039. Evermaster records the issuance of
the bonds between interest dates as follows.

Cash 108,039
Bonds payable 108,039
Cash 2,667
Interest expense 2,667
 Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Discount or Premium

Evermaster then determines interest expense from the date of
sale (May 1, 2015), not from the date of the bonds (January 1,
2015).

ILLUSTRATION 14-12
Partial Period Interest
Amortization
 Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Discount or Premium

The premium amortization of the bonds is also for only two
months.

ILLUSTRATION 14-13
Partial Period Interest
Amortization
Effective-Interest Method

Bonds Issued at Discount or Premium

Evermaster therefore makes the following entries on July 1,
2015, to record the interest payment and the premium
amortization.

Interest expense 4,000

Cash 4,000
Bonds payable 253
Interest expense 253
LONG-TERM NOTES PAYABLE

Accounting is Similar to Bonds

 A note is valued at the present value of its future interest

and principal cash flows.

 Company amortizes any discount or premium over the

life of the note.
Notes Issued at Face Value

BE14-9: Coldwell, Inc. issued a €100,000, 4-year, 10% note at

face value to Flint Hills Bank on January 1, 2015, and received
€100,000 cash. The note requires annual interest payments each
December 31. Prepare Coldwell’s journal entries to record (a) the
issuance of the note and (b) the December 31 interest payment.

(a) Cash 100,000

Notes payable 100,000

(b) Interest expense 10,000

Cash 10,000
(€100,000 x 10% = €10,000)
Notes Not Issued at Face Value

Zero-Interest-Bearing Notes
Issuing company records the difference between the face
amount and the present value (cash received) as
 a discount and
 amortizes that amount to interest expense over the life
of the note.
 Zero-Interest-Bearing Notes

Illustration: Turtle Cove Company issued the three-year, $10,000,

zero-interest-bearing note to Jeremiah Company. The implicit rate
that equated the total cash to be paid ($10,000 at maturity) to the
present value of the future cash flows ($7,721.80 cash proceeds
at date of issuance) was 9 percent.

ILLUSTRATION 14-14
Time Diagram for Zero-Interest Note
Zero-Interest-Bearing Notes

Illustration: Turtle Cove Company issued the three-year, $10,000,

zero-interest-bearing note to Jeremiah Company. The implicit rate
that equated the total cash to be paid ($10,000 at maturity) to the
present value of the future cash flows ($7,721.80 cash proceeds
at date of issuance) was 9 percent.

Turtle Cove records issuance of the note as follows.

Cash 7,721.80
Notes Payable 7,721.80
 Zero-Interest-Bearing Notes

ILLUSTRATION 14-15
Schedule of Note
Discount Amortization
 Zero-Interest-Bearing Notes
ILLUSTRATION 14-15
Schedule of Note
Discount Amortization

Turtle Cove records interest expense for year 1 as follows.

Interest Expense ($7,721.80 x 9%) 694.96

Notes Payable 694.96
 Interest-Bearing Notes

Illustration: Marie Co. issued for cash a €10,000, three-year note

bearing interest at 10 percent to Morgan Corp. The market rate of
interest for a note of similar risk is 12 percent. In this case,
because the effective rate of interest (12%) is greater than the
stated rate (10%), the present value of the note is less than the
face value. That is, the note is exchanged at a discount.

ILLUSTRATION 7-16
Computation of
Present Value—
Effective Rate
Different from
Stated Rate
Interest-Bearing Notes

Illustration: Marie Co. issued for cash a €10,000, three-year note

bearing interest at 10 percent to Morgan Corp. The market rate of
interest for a note of similar risk is 12 percent. In this case,
because the effective rate of interest (12%) is greater than the
stated rate (10%), the present value of the note is less than the
face value. That is, the note is exchanged at a discount.

Marie Co. records the issuance of the note as follows.

Cash 9,520
Notes Payable 9,520
 Interest-Bearing Notes

ILLUSTRATION 14-16
Schedule of Note
Discount Amortization
 Interest-Bearing Notes
ILLUSTRATION 14-16
Schedule of Note
Discount Amortization

Marie Co. records the following entry at the end of year 1.

Interest Expense 1,142

Notes Payable 142
Cash 1,000
Special Notes Payable Situations

Notes Issued for Property, Goods, or Services

When exchanging the debt instrument for property, goods, or
services in a bargained transaction, the stated interest rate is
presumed to be fair unless:

1. No interest rate is stated, or

2. The stated interest rate is unreasonable, or

3. The stated face amount is materially different from the

current cash price for the same or similar items or from the
current fair value of the debt instrument.
Special Notes Payable Situations

Choice of Interest Rates

If a company cannot determine the fair value of the property,
goods, services, or other rights, and if the note has no ready
market, the present value of the note must be determined by the
company to approximate an applicable interest rate
(imputation).

Choice of rate is affected by:

► Prevailing rates for similar instruments.

► Factors such as restrictive covenants, collateral, payment

schedule, and the existing prime interest rate.
Special Notes Payable Situations

Illustration: On December 31, 2015, Wunderlich Company issued a

promissory note to Brown Interiors Company for architectural
services. The note has a face value of £550,000, a due date of
December 31, 2020, and bears a stated interest rate of 2 percent,
payable at the end of each year. Wunderlich cannot readily
determine the fair value of the architectural services, nor is the note
readily marketable. On the basis of Wunderlich’s credit rating, the
absence of collateral, the prime interest rate at that date, and the
prevailing interest on Wunderlich’s other outstanding debt, the
company imputes an 8 percent interest rate as appropriate in this
circumstance.
 Special Notes Payable Situations ILLUSTRATION 14-18
Time Diagram for
Interest-Bearing Note

ILLUSTRATION 14-19
Computation of Imputed Fair Value and Note Discount
 Special Notes Payable Situations

ILLUSTRATION 14-19
Computation of Imputed Fair Value and Note Discount

On December 31, 2015, Wunderlich records issuance of the

note in payment for the architectural services as follows.

Building (or Construction in Process) 418,239

Notes Payable 418,239
Special Notes Payable Situations
ILLUSTRATION 14-20
Schedule of Discount
Amortization Using
Imputed Interest Rate
Special Notes Payable Situations
ILLUSTRATION 14-20
Schedule of Discount
Amortization Using
Imputed Interest Rate

Payment of first year’s interest and amortization of the discount.

Interest Expense 33,459

Notes Payable 22,459
Cash 11,000
Mortgage Notes Payable

A promissory note secured by a document called a mortgage

that pledges title to property as security for the loan.
 Common form of long-term notes payable.

 Payable in full at maturity or in installments.

 Fixed-rate mortgage.

 Variable-rate mortgages.
SPECIAL ISSUES RELATED TO NON-
CURRENT LIABILITIES

Extinguishment of Non-Current Liabilities

1. Extinguishment with cash before maturity,

2. Extinguishment by transferring assets or securities, and

3. Extinguishment with modification of terms.

Extinguishment of Non-Current Liabilities

Extinguishment with Cash before Maturity

 Net carrying amount > Reacquisition price = Gain

 Reacquisition price > Net carrying amount = Loss

 At time of reacquisition, unamortized premium or

discount must be amortized up to the reacquisition
Extinguishment with Cash before Maturity

Illustration: Evermaster bonds issued at a discount on January 1,

2015. These bonds are due in five years. The bonds have a par value
of €100,000, a coupon rate of 8% paid semiannually, and were sold to
yield 10%. ILLUSTRATION 14-21
Bond Premium Amortization Schedule, Bond Extinguishment
Extinguishment with Cash before Maturity

Two years after the issue date on January 1, 2017, Evermaster

calls the entire issue at 101 and cancels it. ILLUSTRATION 14-22
Computation of Loss on
Redemption of Bonds

Evermaster records the reacquisition and cancellation of the

bonds as follows.
Bonds Payable 94,925
Loss on Extinguishment of Bonds 6,075
Cash 101,000
Extinguishment of Non-Current Liabilities

Extinguishment by Exchanging Assets or

Securities
 Creditor should account for the non-cash assets or equity
interest received at their fair value.

 Debtor recognizes a gain equal to the excess of the

carrying amount of the payable over the fair value of the
assets or equity transferred (gain).
Exchanging Assets
Illustration: Hamburg Bank loaned €20,000,000 to Bonn Mortgage
Company. Bonn, in turn, invested these monies in residential
buildings. However, because of low occupancy rates, it cannot meet its
loan obligations. Hamburg Bank agrees to accept from Bonn Mortgage
real estate with a fair value of €16,000,000 in full settlement of the
€20,000,000 loan obligation. The real estate has a carrying value of
€21,000,000 on the books of Bonn Mortgage. Bonn (debtor) records
this transaction as follows.

Note Payable (to Hamburg Bank) 20,000,000

Loss on Disposal of Real Estate 5,000,000
Real Estate 21,000,000
Gain on Extinguishment of Debt 4,000,000
Exchanging Securities
Illustration: Now assume that Hamburg Bank agrees to accept from
Bonn Mortgage 320,000 ordinary shares (€10 par) that have a fair
value of €16,000,000, in full settlement of the €20,000,000 loan
obligation. Bonn Mortgage (debtor) records this transaction as follows.

Notes Payable (to Hamburg Bank) 20,000,000

Share Capital—Ordinary 3,200,000
Share Premium—Ordinary 12,800,000
Gain on Extinguishment of Debt 4,000,000
Extinguishment with Modification of Terms

Creditor may offer one or a combination of the following

modifications:
1. Reduction of the stated interest rate.
2. Extension of the maturity date of the face amount of the
debt.
3. Reduction of the face amount of the debt.
4. Reduction or deferral of any accrued interest.
Modification of Terms

Illustration: On December 31, 2015, Morgan National Bank enters

into a debt modification agreement with Resorts Development
Company. The bank restructures a ¥10,500,000 loan receivable
issued at par (interest paid to date) by:
► Reducing the principal obligation from ¥10,500,000 to
¥9,000,000;
► Extending the maturity date from December 31, 2015, to
December 31, 2019; and
► Reducing the interest rate from the historical effective rate of 12
percent to 8 percent. Given Resorts Development’s financial
distress, its market-based borrowing rate is 15 percent.
 Modification of Terms

IFRS requires the modification to be accounted for as an

extinguishment of the old note and issuance of the new note,
measured at fair value.

ILLUSTRATION 14-23
Fair Value of Restructured Note
Modification of Terms

The gain on the modification is ¥3,298,664, which is the

difference between the prior carrying value (¥10,500,000) and
the fair value of the restructured note, as computed in
Illustration 14-23 (¥7,201,336). Given this information, Resorts
Development makes the following entry to record the
modification.

Note Payable (old) 10,500,000

Gain on Extinguishment of Debt 3,298,664
Note Payable (new) 7,201,336
 Modification of Terms

Amortization schedule for the new note.

ILLUSTRATION 14-24
Schedule of Interest and Amortization
after Debt Modification
Fair Value Option

Companies have the option to record fair value in their

accounts for most financial assets and liabilities, including
bonds and notes payable.
The IASB believes that fair value measurement for financial
instruments, including financial liabilities, provides more
relevant and understandable information than amortized cost.
Fair Value Option

Fair Value Measurement

Non-current liabilities are recorded at fair value, with unrealized
holding gains or losses reported as part of net income.

Illustrations: Edmonds Company has issued € 500,000 of 6 percent

bonds at face value on May 1, 2015. Edmonds chooses the fair
value option for these bonds. At December 31, 2015, the value of the
bonds is now € 480,000 because interest rates in the market have
increased to 8 percent.

Bonds Payable (€ 500,000 - € 480,000) 20,000

Unrealized Holding Gain or Loss—Income 20,000
Off-Balance-Sheet Financing

Off-balance-sheet financing is an attempt to borrow monies

in such a way to prevent recording the obligations.

Different Forms:
► Non-Consolidated Subsidiary
► Special Purpose Entity (SPE)
► Operating Leases
Presentation and Analysis

Presentation of Non-Current Liabilities

Note disclosures generally indicate the nature of the liabilities,
maturity dates, interest rates, call provisions, conversion
privileges, restrictions imposed by the creditors, and assets
designated or pledged as security.

Fair value of the debt should be disclosed.

Must disclose future payments for sinking fund requirements

and maturity amounts of long-term debt during each of the
next five years.
Presentation and Analysis

Analysis of Non-Current Liabilities

One ratio that provides information about debt-paying ability
and long-run solvency is:

Total Liabilities
Debt to Assets =
Total Assets

The higher the percentage of total liabilities to total assets, the

greater the risk that the company may be unable to meet its
maturing obligations.
Presentation and Analysis

Analysis of Non-Current Liabilities

A second ratio that provids information about debt-paying
ability and long-run solvency is:

Income before Income Taxes and

Times Interest Expense
Interest =
Earned Interest Expense

Indicates the company’s ability to meet interest payments

as they come due.
 Presentation and Analysis

Illustration: Novartis has total liabilities of $54,997 million, total

assets of $124,216 million, interest expense of $724 million,
income taxes of $1,625 million, and net income of $9,618 million.
We compute Novartis’s debt to assets and times interest earned
ratios as shown

ILLUSTRATION 14-28
Computation of Long-Term
Debt Ratios for Novartis
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

LIABILITIES
U.S. GAAP and IFRS have similar definitions for liabilities. In addition, the
accounting for current liabilities is essentially the same under both IFRS and
U.S. GAAP. However, there are substantial differences in terminology related
to noncurrent liabilities as well as some differences in the accounting for
various types of long-term debt transactions.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

Relevant Facts
Similarities
• U.S. GAAP and IFRS have similar liability definitions. Both also classify
liabilities as current and non-current.
• Much of the accounting for bonds and long-term notes is the same under
U.S. GAAP and IFRS.
• Both U.S. GAAP and IFRS require the best estimate of a probable loss. In
U.S. GAAP, the minimum amount in a range is used. Under IFRS, if a range
of estimates is predicted and no amount in the range is more likely than any
other amount in the range, the midpoint of the range is used to measure the
liability.
• Both U.S. GAAP and IFRS prohibit the recognition of liabilities for future
losses.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

Relevant Facts
Differences
• Under U.S. GAAP, companies must classify a refinancing as current only if
it is completed before the financial statements are issued. IFRS requires
that the current portion of long-term debt be classified as current unless an
agreement to refinance on a long-term basis is completed before the
reporting date.
• U.S. GAAP uses the term contingency in a different way than IFRS. A
contingency under U.S. GAAP may be reported as a liability under certain
situations. IFRS does not permit a contingency to be recorded as a liability.
• U.S. GAAP uses the term estimated liabilities to discuss various liability
items that have some uncertainty related to timing or amount. IFRS
generally uses the term provisions.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

Relevant Facts
Differences
• U.S. GAAP and IFRS are similar in the treatment of environmental liabilities.
However, the recognition criteria for environmental liabilities are more
stringent under U.S. GAAP: Environmental liabilities are not recognized
unless there is a present legal obligation and the fair value of the obligation
can be reasonably estimated.
• U.S. GAAP uses the term troubled debt restructurings and develops
recognition rules related to this category. IFRS generally assumes that all
restructurings should be considered extinguishments of debt.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

Relevant Facts
Differences
• Under U.S. GAAP, companies are permitted to use the straight-line method
of amortization for bond discount or premium, provided that the amount
recorded is not materially different than that resulting from effective-interest
amortization. However, the effective-interest method is preferred and is
generally used. Under IFRS, companies must use the effective-interest
method.
• Under U.S. GAAP, companies record discounts and premiums in separate
accounts (see the About the Numbers section). Under IFRS, companies do
not use premium or discount accounts but instead show the bond at its net
amount.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

Relevant Facts
Differences
• Under U.S. GAAP, bond issue costs are recorded as an asset. Under IFRS,
bond issue costs are netted against the carrying amount of the bonds.
• Under U.S. GAAP, losses on onerous contract are generally not recognized
unless addressed by industry- or transaction-specific requirements. IFRS
requires a liability and related expense or cost be recognized when a
contract is onerous.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

About The Numbers

Under IFRS, premiums and discounts are netted against the face value of the
bonds for recording purposes. Under U.S. GAAP, discounts and premiums are
recorded in separate accounts.
 GLOBAL ACCOUNTING INSIGHTS

On the Horizon
As indicated in Chapter 2, the IASB and FASB are working on a conceptual
framework project, part of which will examine the definition of a liability. In
addition, the two Boards are attempting to clarify the accounting related to
provisions and related contingencies.