Wednesday, June 18, 2014

ASU 20014-09 Daily Digest for 20140618: What are the Main Provisions? (Part 2)

What Are the Main Provisions?

The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.

To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps:

Step 1: Identify the contract(s) with a customer.
Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract.
Step 3: Determine the transaction price.
Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract.
Step 5: Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.


Yesterday we covered Steps 1 & 2.  Today we will cover Step 3:

Step 3:   Determine the Transaction Price

The transaction price is the amount of consideration (for example, payment) to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring promised goods or services to a customer, excluding amounts collected on behalf of third parties. To determine the transaction price, an entity should consider the effects of:

1.       Variable consideration—If the amount of consideration in a contract is variable, an entity should determine the amount to include in the transaction price by estimating either the expected value (that is, probability-weighted amount) or the most likely amount, depending on which method the entity expects to better predict the amount of consideration to which the entity will be entitled.
2.       Constraining estimates of variable consideration—An entity should include in the transaction price some or all of an estimate of variable consideration only to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved.
3.       The existence of a significant financing component—An entity should adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of the time value of money if the timing of the payments agreed upon by the parties to the contract (either explicitly or implicitly) provides the customer or the entity with a significant benefit of financing for the transfer of goods or services to the customer.  In assessing whether a financing component exists and is significant to a contract, an entity should consider various factors.  As a practical expedient, an entity need not assess whether a contract has a significant financing component if the entity expects at contract inception that the period between payment by the customer and the transfer of the promised goods or services to the customer will be one year or less.
4.       Noncash consideration—If a customer promises consideration in a form other than cash, an entity should measure the noncash consideration (or promise of noncash consideration) at fair value.  If an entity cannot reasonably estimate the fair value of the noncash consideration, it should measure the consideration indirectly by reference to the standalone selling price of the goods or services promised in exchange for the consideration.  If the noncash consideration is variable, an entity should consider the guidance on constraining estimates of variable consideration.

5.       Consideration payable to the customer—If an entity pays, or expects to pay, consideration to a customer (or to other parties that purchase the entity’s goods or services from the customer) in the form of cash or items (for example, credit, a coupon, or a voucher) that the customer can apply against amounts owed to the entity (or to other parties that purchase the entity’s goods or services from the customer),  the entity should account for the payment (or expectation of payment) as a reduction of the transaction price or as a payment for a distinct good or service (or both).  If the consideration payable to a customer is a variable amount and accounted for as a reduction in the transaction price, an entity should consider the guidance on constraining estimates of variable consideration. 

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