The Financial Accounting Standards Board on Wednesday voted to approve a previously proposed delay to its upcoming rule change for credit losses, in addition to standards for hedging and leasing.
The board affirmed its decisions on the amendments following a public comment period that ended Sept. 16. Affected are Accounting Standards Codification Topic 326 (credit losses, or CECL), Topic 815 (derivatives and hedging), and Topic 842 (leases).
The board will next draft a final Accounting Standards Update on the amendments for vote by written ballot.
ASC 326 requires companies to adopt a “current expected credit losses” approach. Public business entities (PBEs) that are Securities and Exchange Commission filers, excluding entities eligible to be smaller reporting companies (SRCs) as currently defined by the SEC, will still be expected to comply for fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2019, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For calendar-year-end companies, the date is Jan. 1, 2020.
All other PBEs and private entities will have the date delayed from January 2021 to fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years.
ASC 815 on hedging, already in effect for PBEs as of December 2018 (January 2019 for calendar-year-end companies), will be deferred an additional year for all other entities other than PBEs to fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2020 (Jan. 1, 2021, for calendar-year-end), and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2021 (Jan. 1, 2022, for calendar-year-end).
ASC 842 on leases, also already in effect for all PBEs, not-for-profit conduit bond obligors, and employee benefit plans that file or furnish financial statements with the SEC, will be deferred an additional year for all other entities—similar to ASC 815.
Early adoption on ASC 815 and ASC 842 will continue to be allowed.
FASB’s CECL delay notably does not let large SEC filers off the hook despite a universal plea from banks of all sizes to delay the standard so its effects on the economy can be further studied. The controversial standard has even been a target for lawmakers, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) each referencing CECL in legislation proposed to subject FASB standards to additional scrutiny before being implemented.
FASB Chairman Russ Golden has acknowledged private companies, not-for-profit organizations, and smaller public companies would benefit from having more time to implement major changes in accounting, with availability of resources, the timing and sources of education in new standards, and the development or acquisition of technology among factors providing hardship.
No comments yet