International GAAP® 2019: Generally Accepted Accounting Practice under International Financial Reporting Standards
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described at 10.1 above. A first-time adopter is required to assess and reassess predominance
on the same reporting dates as an existing user of IFRS. This means that a first-time adopter
initially performs the predominance calculation (see 10.1.1 above) using the carrying
amounts determined applying IFRSs as at its annual reporting date that immediately
precedes 1 April 2016. This reporting period is used even if the entity first applies IFRS 1
with a later date of transition to IFRSs (e.g. the period ended 31 December with a
1 January 2017 date of transition). A first-time adopter that qualifies for the temporary
exemption at its annual reporting date that immediately precedes 1 April 2016 must reassess
eligibility if there is a change in its activities (see 10.1.2 above). A first-time adopter that does
not qualify for the temporary exemption on initial assessment is permitted to reassess
Insurance contracts (IFRS 4) 4357
whether its activities are predominantly connected with insurance at a subsequent annual
reporting date before 31 December 2018 if, and only if, there is a change in its activities.
[IFRS 4.20L]. The Basis for Conclusions states that the IASB was prepared to allow first-time
adopters to use the temporary exemption if, and only if, those first-time adopters met the
same criteria as existing users of IFRS (i.e. the initial assessment of eligibility for the
temporary exemption was performed for the same reporting period). [IFRS 4.BC282].
Other requirements in IFRS 1, for example the elections available to a subsidiary that
becomes a first-time adopter later than its parent or to an entity that becomes a first-
time adopter later than its subsidiary (discussed in Chapter 5 at 5.9), do not override the
conditions for using the temporary exemption. Therefore, nothing overrides the
requirement that a first-time adopter must meet the predominance criteria at an annual
reporting date that immediately precedes 1 April 2016, or, in certain circumstances, at a
later date, to apply the temporary exemption from IFRS 9. [IFRS 4.20M].
When making the disclosure required by entities using the temporary exemption
(see 10.1.5 below), a first-time adopter should use the requirements and exemptions in
IFRS 1 that are relevant to making the assessments required for those disclosures.
[IFRS 4.20N].
10.1.4
Relief for investors in associates and joint ventures
IAS 28 requires an entity to use uniform accounting policies when applying the equity
method to account for interests in associates and joint ventures. Nevertheless, for
accounting periods beginning before 1 January 2021, an entity is permitted, but not
required, to retain the relevant accounting policies applied by the associate or joint
venture as follows: [IFRS 4.20O]
• the entity applies IFRS 9 but the associate or joint venture uses the temporary
exemption from IFRS 9; or
• the entity applies the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 but the associate or joint
venture applies IFRS 9.
These reliefs are intended to reduce the costs of applying the equity method when an
entity does not qualify for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9, and thus applies IFRS 9,
but one or more of its associates and joint ventures is eligible and chooses to continue to
apply IAS 39 (or vice versa). [IFRS 4.BC279]. The effect is that the underlying financial assets
and liabilities held by individual associates and joint ventures, which contribute to the
equity accounted result, can be valued on a different basis to those of the reporting entity.
This election may be applied separately to each associate or joint venture. [IFRS 4.20Q].
The following accounting applies when an entity uses the equity method to account for
its investment in an associate or joint venture: [IFRS 4.20P]
• if IFRS 9 was previously applied in the financial statements used to apply the equity
method to that associate or joint venture (after reflecting any adjustments made by
the entity), then IFRS 9 should continue to be applied; and
• if the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 was previously applied in the financial
statements used to apply the equity method to that associate or joint venture
(after reflecting any adjustments made by the entity), then IFRS 9 may be
subsequently applied.
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The elections described above may be applied separately for each associate or joint
venture. [IFRS 4.20Q].
This relief is not limited to consolidated financial statements and could also be applied
under the temporary exemption in separate or individual financial statements when
associates and joint ventures are accounted for using the equity method.
When an entity uses fair value through profit or loss to measure an investment in
associate or joint venture, as permitted by paragraph 18 of IAS 28, this election does not
apply (as the election applies only to associates and joint ventures accounted for using
the equity method).
10.1.5
Disclosures required for entities using the temporary exemption
Insurers that apply the temporary exemption should disclose information to enable
users of their financial statements to: [IFRS 4.39B]
• understand how the insurer qualified for the temporary exemption; and
• compare insurers applying the temporary exemption with entities applying IFRS 9.
The standard contains detailed disclosure requirements for each of these principles
which are described at 10.1.5.A and 10.1.5.B below. An insurer that uses the temporary
exemption from IFRS 9 should use the transitional provisions in IFRS 9 that are relevant
to making the assessments required for these disclosures. The date of initial application
for that purpose should be deemed to be the beginning of the first annual period
beginning on or after 1 January 2018. [IFRS 4.47]. In our view, comparative period
disclosures in the first year of application (i.e. a financial year beginning on or after
1 January 2018) are not required since IFRS 9 does not require restatement of prior
periods in the year of application (see Chapter 44 at 10.2.5).
There have been no consequential amendments to IAS 34 – Interim Financial
Reporting – and therefore the disclosures detailed at 10.1.5.A and 10.1.5.B below are not
specifically required in interim financial statements.
10.1.5.A
Disclosures required to understand how an insurer qualified for the
temporary exemption
In order to comply with the overall disclosure objective an insurer should disclose:
[IFRS 4.39C]
• the fact that it is applying the temporary exemption from IFRS 9; and
• how it concluded on the relevant date (see 10.1.2 above) that it qualifies for the
temporary exemption from IFRS 9, including:
• if the carrying amount of its liabilities arising from contracts within the scope
of IFRS 4 was less than or equal to 90% of the total carrying amount of all its
liabilities, the nature and carrying amount of the liabilities connected with
insurance that are not liabilities arising from contracts within the scope of
IFRS 4 (e.g. non-derivative investment contract liabilities measured at fair
value through profit or loss applying IAS 39, liabilities that arise because the
insurer issues or fulfils obligations arising from contracts within the scope of
IFRS 4 and non-derivative investment contract liabilities measured at fair
value through profit or loss) – see 10.1.1 above;
Insurance contracts (IFRS 4) 4359
• if the percentage of the total carrying amount of its liabilities connected with
insurance relative to the total carrying amount of all its liabilities was less than
or equal to 90% but greater than 80%, how the insurer determined that it did
not engage in a significant activity unconnected with insurance, including
what information it considered; and
• if the insurer qualified for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 on the basis
of a reassessment (see 10.1.2 above):
• the reason for the reassessment;
• the date on which the relevant change in its activities occurred; and
• a detailed explanation of the change in its activities and a qualitative
description of the effect of that change on the insurer’s financial statements.
The following examples illustrates the application of the disclosure requirements above
and in particular:
• Example 51.38 provides illustrative disclosures for an entity whose carrying
amount of liabilities within the scope of IFRS 4 exceeds 90% of total liabilities;
• Example 51.39 provides illustrative disclosures for an entity whose carrying
amount of its liabilities connected with insurance relative to the total carrying
amount of all its liabilities was greater than 90% but whose liabilities arising from
contracts within the scope of IFRS 4 was less than or equal to 90% of the total
carrying amount of all its liabilities; and
• Example 51.40 provides illustrative disclosures for an entity whose total carrying
amount of its liabilities connected with insurance relative to the total carrying
amount of all its liabilities was less than or equal to 90% but greater than 80% of
the total carrying amount of all its liabilities.
Example 51.38: Illustrative disclosure explaining how an insurer qualified for the
temporary exemption – where the gross liabilities within the
scope of IFRS 4 exceed 90% of total liabilities
The Group applies the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 as permitted by the amendments to IFRS 4
Applying IFRS 9 Financial Instruments with IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts issued in September 2016. The
temporary exemption permits the Group to continue applying IAS 39 rather than IFRS 9 for annual periods
beginning before 1 January 2021.
The Group concluded that it qualified for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 because its activities are
predominantly connected with insurance. As at 31 December 2015, the Group’s gross liabilities arising from
contracts within the scope of IFRS 4 represented 96% of the total carrying amount of all its liabilities. Since
31 December 2015, there has been no change in the activities of the Group that requires reassessment of the
use of the temporary exemption.
Example 51.39: Illustrative disclosure explaining how an insurer qualified for the
temporary exemption – where the gross liabilities within the
scope of IFRS 4 are less than 90% of total liabilities but liabilities
connected with insurance are in excess of 90% of total liabilities
The Group applies the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 as permitted by the amendments to IFRS 4
Applying IFRS 9 Financial Instruments with IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts issued in September 2016. The
temporary exemption permits the Group to continue applying IAS 39 rather than IFRS 9 for annual periods
beginning before 1 January 2021.
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The Group concluded that it qualified for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 because its activities are
predominantly connected with insurance. As at 31 December 2015, the Group’s percentage of its gross liabilities
connected with insurance represented 96% of its total liabilities. Since 31 December 2015, there has been no
change in the activities of the Group that requires reassessment of the use of the temporary exemption.
As at 31 December 2015, the gross liabilities connected with insurance relative to total liabilities were as follows:
Liability type
CU’m
% of total
liabilities
Liabilities arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 4
750
75
Liabilities from non-derivative investment contracts measured at
100 10
fair value through profit or loss
Debt instruments issued included in regulatory capital
50
5
Liabilities for derivatives used to mitigate risks arising from
25 2.5
contracts within the scope of IFRS 4, investment contracts
measured at fair value through profit or loss and from the assets
backing those contracts
Relevant tax liabilities
25
2.5
Relevant other liabilities including employee benefits
10
1
Example 51.40: Illustrative disclosure explaining how an insurer qualified for the
temporary exemption – where the total carrying amount of
liabilities connected with insurance are greater than 80% but less
than 90% of total liabilities
The Group applies the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 as permitted by the amendments to IFRS 4
Applying IFRS 9 Financial Instruments with IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts issued in September 2016. The
temporary exemption permits the Group to continue applying IAS 39 rather than IFRS 9 for annual periods
beginning before 1 January 2021.
The Group concluded that it qualified for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9 because its activities are
predominantly connected with insurance. As at 31 December 2015, the Group’s percentage of its gross liabilities
connected with insurance represented 86% of its total liabilities. Since 31 December 2015, there has been no
change in the activities of the Group that requires reassessment of the use of the temporary exemption.
As at 31 December 2015, the gross liabilities connected with insurance relative to total liabilities were as follows:
Liability type
CU’m
% of total
liabilities
Liabilities arising from contracts within the scope of IFRS 4
650
65
Liabilities from non-derivative investment contracts measured at
100 10
fair value through profit or loss
Debt instruments issued included in regulatory capital
50
5
Liabilities for derivatives used to mitigate risks arising from
25 2.5
contracts within the scope of IFRS 4, investment contracts
measured at fair value through profit or loss and from the assets
backing those contracts
Relevant tax liabilities
25
2.5
Relevant other liabilities including employee benefits
10
1
Insurance contracts (IFRS 4) 4361
The Group has determined that it does not engage in significant activities unconnected with insurance
primarily based on a consideration of the following factors:
• its principal subsidiaries are all regulated insurance entities;
• liabilities not connected with insurance relate prim
arily to debt instruments not included in regulatory
capital. These liabilities do not relate to a significant activity unconnected with insurance; and
• the Group is classified as a regulated insurance company by the insurance regulator of Euroland and is
therefore considered as an insurer for the purposes of prudential supervision.
If an entity, having previously qualified for the temporary exemption, concludes that its
activities are no longer predominantly connected with insurance, it should disclose the
following information in each reporting period before it begins to apply IFRS 9:
[IFRS 4.39D]
• the fact that it no longer qualifies for the temporary exemption from IFRS 9;
• the date on which the relevant change in its activities occurred; and
• a detailed explanation of the change in its activities and a qualitative description of
the effect of that change on the entity’s financial statements.
10.1.5.B
Disclosures required in order to compare insurers applying the
temporary exemption with entities applying IFRS 9
To comply with this disclosure principle, an insurer should disclose the fair value at the
end of the reporting period and the amount of change in fair value during that period
for the following two groups of financial assets separately: [IFRS 4.39E]
• financial assets with contractual terms that give rise on specified dates to cash flows
that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount
outstanding, excluding any financial asset that meets the definition of held for
trading under IFRS 9 or that is managed and whose performance is evaluated on a
fair value basis: that is, any financial asset (see Chapter 44 at 2.1):
• that is eligible for measurement at amortised cost under IFRS 9;
• that is a debt instrument that is eligible for measurement at fair value through
OCI under IFRS 9; or
• that would meet the eligibility criteria in IFRS 9 for either measurement at
amortised cost or, if a debt instrument, measurement at fair value through OCI
but, instead, would be measured at fair value through profit or loss in order to
avoid an accounting mismatch; and
• all financial assets other than those specified above; that is, any financial asset:
• with contractual terms that do not give rise on specified dates to cash flows