Try as it might, the Financial Accounting Standards Board simply cannot come up with a way to simplify the equity method of accounting.
FASB published a proposal in June 2015 and asked for public comment on two ideas to simplify equity accounting. One idea was to eliminate the current requirement under equity method accounting to account for the basis difference in a given investment as if the investment were a consolidated subsidiary. Second, the board proposed eliminating the requirement to retroactively adopt the equity method of accounting if an investment qualifies for use of the method because of an increase in ownership or influence.
