Accounting Standard (AS) 4
(revised 1995)
Contingencies and Events Occurring
After the Balance Sheet Date
Contents
INTRODUCTION Paragraphs 1-3
Definitions 3
EXPLANATION 4-9
Contingencies 4-7
Accounting Treatment of Contingent Losses 5
Accounting Treatment of Contingent Gains 6
Determination of the Amounts at which Contingencies are
included in Financial Statements 7
Events Occurring after the Balance Sheet Date 8
Disclosure 9
ACCOUNTING STANDARD 10-17
Contingencies 10-12
Events Occurring after the Balance Sheet Date 13-15
Disclosure 16-17
76 AS 4 (revised 1995)
Accounting Standard (AS) 4*
(revised 1995)
Contingencies1 and Events Occurring
After the Balance Sheet Date
(This Accounting Standard includes paragraphs 10-17 set in bold italic type
and paragraphs 1-9 set in plain type, which have equal authority. Paragraphs
in bold italic type indicate the main principles. This Accounting Standard
should be read in the context of the Preface to the Statements of Accounting
Standards2.)
The following is the text of the revised Accounting Standard (AS) 4,
‘Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date’, issued
by the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
This revised standard comes into effect in respect of accounting periods
commencing on or after 1.4.1995 and is mandatory in nature.3 It is clarified
*The Standard was originally issued in November 1982.
1 Pursuant to AS 29, Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets,
becoming mandatory in respect of accounting periods commencing on or after 1-4-
2004, all paragraphs of this Standard that deal with contingencies (viz. paragraphs
1(a), 2, 3.1, 4 (4.1 to 4.4), 5 (5.1 to 5.6), 6, 7 (7.1 to 7.3), 9.1 (relevant portion), 9.2,
10, 11, 12 and 16) stand withdrawn except to the extent they deal with impairment of
assets not covered by other Indian Accounting Standards. For example, impairment
of receivables (commonly referred to as the provision for bad and doubtful debts),
would continue to be covered by AS 4. (See Announcement on ‘Applicability of AS
4 to impairment of assets not covered by present Indian Accounting Standards’
(published in ‘The CharteredAccountant’,April 2004, pp. 1151)). ThisAnnouncement
is reproduced under the section titled ‘Announcements of the Council regarding status
of various documents issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India’
appearing at the beginning of this Compendium.
2 Attention is specifically drawn to paragraph 4.3 of the Preface, according to which
Accounting Standards are intended to apply only to items which are material.
3 Reference may be made to the section titled ‘Announcements of the Council
regarding status of various documents issued by the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of India’ appearing at the beginning of this Compendium for a detailed
discussion on the implications of the mandatory status of an accounting standard.
Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date 83
that in respect of accounting periods commencing on a date prior to 1.4.1995,
Accounting Standard 4 as originally issued in November 1982 (and
subsequently made mandatory) applies.
Introduction
1. This Statement deals with the treatment in financial statements of
(a) contingencies4 , and
(b) events occurring after the balance sheet date.
2. The following subjects, which may result in contingencies, are excluded
from the scope of this Statement in view of special considerations applicable
to them:
(a) liabilities of life assurance and general insurance enterprises
arising from policies issued;
(b) obligations under retirement benefit plans; and
(c) commitments arising from long-term lease contracts.
Definitions
3. The following terms are used in this Statement with the meanings
specified:
3.1 A contingency is a condition or situation, the ultimate outcome of
which, gain or loss, will be known or determined only on the occurrence, or
non-occurrence, of one or more uncertain future events.
3.2 Events occurring after the balance sheet date are those significant
events, both favourable and unfavourable, that occur between the balance
sheet date and the date on which the financial statements are approved by
the Board of Directors in the case of a company, and, by the corresponding
approving authority in the case of any other entity.
Two types of events can be identified:
4 See footnote 1.
84 AS 4 (revised 1995)
(a) those which provide further evidence of conditions that existed
at the balance sheet date; and
(b) those which are indicative of conditions that arose subsequent to
the balance sheet date.
Explanation
4. Contingencies
4.1 The term “contingencies” used in this Statement is restricted to
conditions or situations at the balance sheet date, the financial effect of
which is to be determined by future events which may or may not occur.
4.2 Estimates are required for determining the amounts to be stated in the
financial statements for many on-going and recurring activities of an
enterprise.Onemust, however, distinguish between an eventwhich is certain
and one which is uncertain. The fact that an estimate is involved does not,
of itself, create the type of uncertainty which characterises a contingency.
For example, the fact that estimates of useful life are used to determine
depreciation, does notmake depreciation a contingency; the eventual expiry
of the useful life of the asset is not uncertain.Also, amounts owed for services
received are not contingencies as defined in paragraph 3.1, even though the
amounts may have been estimated, as there is nothing uncertain about the
fact that these obligations have been incurred.
4.3 The uncertainty relating to future events can be expressed by a range
of outcomes. This range may be presented as quantified probabilities, but
in most circumstances, this suggests a level of precision that is not
supported by the available information. The possible outcomes can,
therefore, usually be generally described except where reasonable
quantification is practicable.
4.4 The estimates of the outcome and of the financial effect of
contingencies are determined by the judgement of the management of the
enterprise. This judgement is based on consideration of information
available up to the date on which the financial statements are approved
and will include a review of events occurring after the balance sheet date,
supplemented by experience of similar transactions and, in some cases,
reports from independent experts.
Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date 85
5. Accounting Treatment of Contingent Losses
5.1 The accounting treatment of a contingent loss is determined by the
expected outcome of the contingency. If it is likely that a contingency will
result in a loss to the enterprise, then it is prudent to provide for that loss in
the financial statements.
5.2 The estimation of the amount of a contingent loss to be provided for
in the financial statements may be based on information referred to in
paragraph 4.4.
5.3 If there is conflicting or insufficient evidence for estimating the amount
of a contingent loss, then disclosure is made of the existence and nature of
the contingency.
5.4 A potential loss to an enterprise may be reduced or avoided because
a contingent liability is matched by a related counter-claimor claimagainst
a third party. In such cases, the amount of the provision is determined
after taking into account the probable recovery under the claim if no
significant uncertainty as to its measurability or collectability exists.
Suitable disclosure regarding the nature and gross amount of the contingent
liability is also made.
5.5 The existence and amount of guarantees, obligations arising from
discounted bills of exchange and similar obligations undertaken by an
enterprise are generally disclosed in financial statements by way of note,
even though the possibility that a loss to the enterprise will occur, is
remote.
5.6 Provisions for contingencies are not made in respect of general or
unspecified business risks since they do not relate to conditions or situations
existing at the balance sheet date.
6. Accounting Treatment of Contingent Gains
Contingent gains are not recognised in financial statements since their
recognition may result in the recognition of revenue which may never be
realised. However, when the realisation of a gain is virtually certain, then
such gain is not a contingency and accounting for the gain is appropriate.
86 AS 4 (revised 1995)
7. Determination of the Amounts at which Contingencies
are included in Financial Statements
7.1 The amount at which a contingency is stated in the financial statements
is based on the information which is available at the date on which the
financial statements are approved. Events occurring after the balance sheet
date that indicate that an asset may have been impaired, or that a liability
may have existed, at the balance sheet date are, therefore, taken into account
in identifying contingencies and in determining the amounts at which such
contingencies are included in financial statements.
7.2 In some cases, each contingency can be separately identified, and the
special circumstances of each situation considered in the determination of
the amount of the contingency. A substantial legal claim against the
enterprise may represent such a contingency. Among the factors taken into
account by management in evaluating such a contingency are the progress
of the claim
at the date on which the financial statements are approved, the opinions,
wherever necessary, of legal experts or other advisers, the experience of the
enterprise in similar cases and the experience of other enterprises in similar
situations.
7.3 If the uncertainties which created a contingency in respect of an
individual transaction are common to a large number of similar transactions,
then the amount of the contingency need not be individually determined,
but may be based on the group of similar transactions. An example of such
contingencies may be the estimated uncollectable portion of accounts
receivable. Another example of such contingencies may be the warranties
for products sold.These costs are usually incurred frequently and experience
provides ameans bywhich the amount of the liability or loss can be estimated
with reasonable precision although the particular transactions thatmay result
in a liability or a loss are not identified. Provision for these costs results in
their recognition in the same accounting period in which the related
transactions took place.
8. Events Occurring after the Balance Sheet Date
8.1 Events which occur between the balance sheet date and the date on
which the financial statements are approved, may indicate the need for
adjustments to assets and liabilities as at the balance sheet date ormay require
disclosure.
Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date 87
8.2 Adjustments to assets and liabilities are required for events occurring
after the balance sheet date that provide additional information materially
affecting the determination of the amounts relating to conditions existing at
the balance sheet date. For example, an adjustment may be made for a loss
on a trade receivable account which is confirmed by the insolvency of a
customer which occurs after the balance sheet date.
8.3 Adjustments to assets and liabilities are not appropriate for events
occurring after the balance sheet date, if such events do not relate to
conditions existing at the balance sheet date. An example is the decline in
market value of investments between the balance sheet date and the date on
which the financial statements are approved.Ordinary fluctuations inmarket
values do not normally relate to the condition of the investments at the
balance sheet date, but reflect circumstances which have occurred in the
following period.
8.4 Events occurring after the balance sheet date which do not affect the
figures stated in the financial statements would not normally require
disclosure in the financial statements although they may be of such
significance that theymay require a disclosure in the report of the approving
authority to enable users of financial statements to make proper evaluations
and decisions.
8.5 There are events which, although they take place after the balance
sheet date, are sometimes reflected in the financial statements because of
statutory requirements or because of their special nature. Such items include
the amount of dividend proposed or declared by the enterprise after the
balance sheet date in respect of the period covered by the financial statements.
8.6 Events occurring after the balance sheet date may indicate that the
enterprise ceases to be a going concern. A deterioration in operating results
and financial position, or unusual changes affecting the existence or
substratum of the enterprise after the balance sheet date (e.g., destruction of
a major production plant by a fire after the balance sheet date) may indicate
a need to consider whether it is proper to use the fundamental accounting
assumption of going concern in the preparation of the financial statements.
9. Disclosure
9.1 The disclosure requirements herein referred to apply only in respect of
those contingencies or eventswhich affect the financial position to amaterial
extent.
88 AS 4 (revised 1995)
9.2 If a contingent loss is not provided for, its nature and an estimate of its
financial effect are generally disclosed by way of note unless the possibility
of a loss is remote (other than the circumstances mentioned in paragraph
5.5). If a reliable estimate of the financial effect cannot be made, this fact is
disclosed.
9.3 When the events occurring after the balance sheet date are disclosed
in the report of the approving authority, the information given comprises
the nature of the events and an estimate of their financial effects or a statement
that such an estimate cannot be made.
Accounting Standard
Contingencies5
10. The amount of a contingent loss should be provided for by a charge
in the statement of profit and loss if:
(a) it is probable that future events will confirm that, after taking
into account any related probable recovery, an asset has been
impaired or a liability has been incurred as at the balance sheet
date, and
(b) a reasonable estimate of the amount of the resulting loss can
be made.
11. The existence of a contingent loss should be disclosed in the financial
statements if either of the conditions in paragraph 10 is not met, unless
the possibility of a loss is remote.
12. Contingent gains should not be recognised in the financial
statements.
Events Occurring after the Balance Sheet Date
13. Assets and liabilities should be adjusted for events occurring after
the balance sheet date that provide additional evidence to assist the
estimation of amounts relating to conditions existing at the balance sheet
date or that indicate that the fundamental accounting assumption of
5 See also footnote 1.
Contingencies and Events Occurring After the Balance Sheet Date 89
going concern (i.e., the continuance of existence or substratum of the
enterprise) is not appropriate.
14. Dividends stated to be in respect of the period covered by the financial
statements, which are proposed or declared by the enterprise after the
balance sheet date but before approval of the financial statements, should
be adjusted.
15. Disclosure should be made in the report of the approving authority
of those events occurring after the balance sheet date that represent
material changes and commitments affecting the financial position of the
enterprise.
Disclosure
16. If disclosure of contingencies is required by paragraph 11 of this
Statement, the following information should be provided:
(a) the nature of the contingency;
(b) the uncertainties which may affect the future outcome;
(c) an estimate of the financial effect, or a statement that such an
estimate cannot be made.
17. If disclosure of events occurring after the balance sheet date in the
report of the approving authority is required by paragraph 15 of this
Statement, the following information should be provided:
(a) the nature of the event;
(b) an estimate of the financial effect, or a statement that such an
estimate cannot be made.
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