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Understanding Provisions and Liabilities

The document discusses provisions under intermediate accounting. It defines a provision as an existing liability of uncertain timing or amount. A provision is recognized when: 1) There is a present obligation from a past event. 2) It is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation. 3) The amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions are measured as management's best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation. This may be a single estimate of the most likely outcome or a weighted average of possible outcomes. Provisions are also discussed for restructuring, warranties, and decommissioning costs, with examples provided.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
56 views2 pages

Understanding Provisions and Liabilities

The document discusses provisions under intermediate accounting. It defines a provision as an existing liability of uncertain timing or amount. A provision is recognized when: 1) There is a present obligation from a past event. 2) It is probable that an outflow of resources will be required to settle the obligation. 3) The amount can be reliably estimated. Provisions are measured as management's best estimate of the expenditure required to settle the obligation. This may be a single estimate of the most likely outcome or a weighted average of possible outcomes. Provisions are also discussed for restructuring, warranties, and decommissioning costs, with examples provided.

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clariza
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INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING 2 MODULE

Chapter 4:
PROVISION – Contingent Liability The expected value or cost of repairs is measured a follows:
20% sales 200,000
5% sales 250,000
Objectives:
Total expected value or cost of repairs 450,000
The learner should be able:
 To understand the nature of a provision.
 To know the conditions for the recognition of a provision.
Illustration 2:
 To know the measurement of a provision.
An entity is a defendant in a patent infringement suit. The lawyers
 To identify measurement considerations for a provision.
believe that there is a 60% chance that the court will not dismiss the
 To know the requirements for the recognition of contingent
case and the entity will incur an outflow of future economic benefits.
asset.
If the court rule against the entity and in favour of the claimant, the
lawyers believe that there is a 30% chance the entity will be
Start of Discussion required to pay damages of P4,000,000 and a 70% chance that the
damages will be P2,000,000.
 PROVISION
A 10% risk adjustment factor to the probabilities of the expected
- It is an existing liability of uncertain timing or uncertain cash flows is considered appropriate to reflect the uncertainties in
amount. The essence of a provision is that there is the cash flow estimate.
uncertainty about the timing or amount of the future
expenditure. Measurement of Provision
- A provision may be the equivalent of an estimated liability or Weighted Probabilities:
a loss contingency that is accrued because it is both probable 30% x P4,000,000 x 60% 720,000
and measurable. 70% x P2,000,000 x 60% 840,000
Expected cash outflow 1,560,000
 Recognition of Provision Risk adjustment factor (10% x 1,560,000) 156,000
a. The entity has a present obligation. Estimated amount of Provision 1,716,000
b. It is probable that an outflow of resources embodying
economic benefits would be required to settle the obligation.
 Other measurement considerations:
c. The amount of the obligation can be measured reliably.
1. Risks and uncertainties
2. Present value of obligation
 Measurement of Provision
3. Future events
- The amount recognized as a provision should be the best
4. Expected disposal of assets
estimate of the expenditure required to settle the present
5. Reimbursements
obligation at the end of reporting period.
6. Changes in provision
- BEST ESTIMATE is the amount that an entity would rationally
7. Use of provision
pay to settle the obligation at the end of reporting period or
8. Future operating losses
to transfer it to a third party at that time.
9. Onerous contract
 Single obligation – most likely outcome
 Examples of Provision:
 Continuous range of possible outcomes – midpoint of the range
a. Warranties
is used.
b. Environmental contamination
 Large population of items – weighting all possible outcomes by
c. Decommissioning or abandonment costs
their associated probabilities.
d. Court case
***Note: The amount of the provision shall be discounted if the e. Guarantee
effect of the time value of money is material.
 RESTRUCTURING
- A program that is planned and controlled by management
Illustration 1: (expected value method) and materially changes either the scope of a business of an
An entity sells goods with a warranty under which customers are entity or the manner in which that business is conducted.
covered for the cost of repairs of any manufacturing defects that
become apparent within 6 months after purchase.  Events that may qualify as restructuring include:
a) Sale or termination of a line of business
If minor defects are detected in all products sold, repair costs would b) Closure of business or business relocation
be about P1,000,000. If major defects are detected in all products
c) Change in management structure
sold, repair costs of P5,000,000 would result.
d) Fundamental reorganization of an entity that has a material
or significant impact on its operations.
The entity’s past experience and future expectations indicate that
75% of the goods sold will have no defects, 20% will have minor
defects and 5% will have major defects.  Provision for Restructuring
INTERMEDIATE ACCOUNTING 2 MODULE
- Recognition of the provision for restructuring is required P25,000,000 and is required by Philippine Law to remove and
because a constructive obligation may arise from the decision dismantle the platform at the end of its useful life of 10 years.
to restructure. The straight line method is used in depreciating the drilling platform.
The entity has estimated that such decommissioning will cost
Two conditions for a constructive obligation for restructuring P5,000,000.
arise:
1. The entity has a detailed formal plan. Based a 12% discount rate, the present value of 1 for 10 years is
2. The entity has raised valid expectation in the minds of those 0.322. Thus the present value of the decommissioning liability is
affected that the entity will carry out the restructuring by P1,610,000.
starting to implement the plan and announcing the main
features to those affected by it. Journal Entries for 2020 and 2021:
2020
 Amount of Restructuring Provisions
Jan. 1 Drilling platform 26,610,00
A restructuring provision shall include only DIRECT
0
EXPENDITURES arising from restructuring and not associated
Cash 25,000,000
with the ongoing activities of the entity. Decommissioning liability 1,160,000

PAS 37 excludes the following expenditures from the Dec. 31 Depreciation 2,661,000
restructuring provision: Accu. Depreciation 2,661,000
a. Cost of retraining or relocating staff.
b. Marketing or advertising program to promote the new Dec. 31 Interest expense 193,200
company image Decommissioning liability 193,200
c. Investment in new system and distribution network.
2021
 CONTINGENT LIABILITY Dec. 31 Depreciation 2,661,000
Accu. Depreciation 2,661,000
- It is a possible obligation that arises from past event and
whose existence will be confirmed only by occurrence or
Dec. 31 Interest expense 216,384
non-occurrence of one or more uncertain future events not Decommissioning liability 216,384
wholly within the control of the entity.
- It is a present obligation that arises from past event but is
not recognized because it is not probable that an outflow of Settlement of Decommissioning Liability
resources will be required to settle an obligation or the aount
-End of Discussion-
of obligation cannot be measured reliably.

 Treatment of Contingent Liability


- Shall not be recognized in the financial statements but shall
be disclosed only.

 CONTINGENT ASSET
- It is a possible asset that arises from past event and whose
existence will be confirmed only by occurrence or non-
occurrence of one or more uncertain future events not wholly
within the control of the entity.
- A contingent asset shall not be recognized because this may
result to recognition of income that may never be realized.
- It is only disclosed when it is probable.

 DECOMMISSIONING LIABILITY
An obligation to dismantle, remove and restore an item of
property, plant and equipment as required by law or contract. It
is also called asset retirement obligation.

Illustration:
An entity extracts natural gas and oil in the Philippine Deep. On
January 1, 2020, the entity constructed a drilling platform for

Common questions

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A decommissioning liability is an obligation to dismantle, remove, and restore an asset, often required by law. Its calculation involves estimating the future cost and discounting it to present value using an appropriate discount rate. For example, if decommissioning costs are estimated at P5,000,000 with a discount rate of 12% over 10 years, the present value is calculated as P5,000,000 multiplied by the present value factor of 0.322, resulting in a liability of P1,610,000 .

The expected value method calculates provisions by considering various potential outcomes and their likelihoods. For instance, if minor defects have a 20% probability with a repair cost of P200,000 and major defects a 5% probability with costs of P250,000, then the expected repair cost provision is calculated as the sum of each outcome times its probability, resulting in P450,000 .

An onerous contract provision addresses situations where the unavoidable costs of fulfilling a contract exceed expected economic benefits. It becomes necessary to recognize when it's evident the entity will incur more costs than the contract will provide in revenue, thus marking a loss. Recognition ensures accurate financial reflection of pending contractual obligations .

Contingent liabilities and assets arise from past events and their existence depends on uncertain future events not fully controlled by the entity. Contingent liabilities are not recognized in financial statements because they are either not probable or cannot be measured reliably, though they are disclosed. Contingent assets are not recognized because recognizing them could result in premature income acknowledgment, and are only disclosed when it is probable they will be realized .

Recognition of restructuring provisions requires a constructive obligation through a detailed formal plan and expectations raised in those affected. The measurement includes only direct expenditures arising directly from restructuring, excluding ongoing operational activities. Expenditures such as retraining, marketing, and new investments are excluded as they do not relate directly to restructuring execution, aligning with PAS 37 guidelines .

Uncertainties necessitate careful estimation and may restrict recognition if reliable measurement is impaired. Entities should determine probabilities, apply proper estimation methods, and adjust provisions for known uncertainties to ensure liability recognition aligns with economic realities. This includes discounting future cash flows to present value if material .

For a provision to be recognized, three conditions must be met: (a) the entity has a present obligation as a result of a past event, (b) it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, and (c) the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably . The uncertainty about the timing or amount classifies it as a provision because it makes the liability somewhat estimated and contingent, but the expectation of an outflow makes it recordable under liabilities .

A risk adjustment factor enhances the reliability of provision estimates by accounting for additional uncertainties. For instance, an entity estimating cash outflows for a lawsuit adds a 10% factor on a calculated expected cash outflow of P1,560,000, resulting in a final provision of P1,716,000. This adjustment reflects comprehension of additional unknown risks specific to the situation .

The best estimate for a provision is the amount the entity would rationally pay to settle the obligation at the reporting period's end or to transfer it to a third party. For a single obligation, the most likely outcome is used for measurement. For a large population of items, all possible outcomes are weighted by their associated probabilities to determine the best estimate .

Key considerations in measuring provisions include risks and uncertainties, present value, future events, expected disposal of assets, potential reimbursements, and changes in provisions. These factors necessitate detailed estimation to reflect true obligations, especially considering any changes in expected circumstances or adjustments for factors like risk or time value of money .

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