ACCOUNTING STANDARDS UPDATE 2021-08—BUSINESS COMBINATIONS (TOPIC 805)—ACCOUNTING FOR CONTRACT ASSETS AND CONTRACT LIABILITIES FROM CONTRACTS WITH CUSTOMERS

Overview

On October 28, 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805)—Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract liabilities from Contracts with Customers.

The amendments in this Update require that an entity (acquirer) recognize and measure contract assets and contract liabilities acquired in a business combination in accordance with Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. At the acquisition date, an acquirer should account for the related revenue contracts in accordance with Topic 606 as if it had originated the contracts. Additionally, the amendments in this Update provide certain practical expedients for acquirers when recognizing and measuring acquired contract assets and contract liabilities from revenue contracts in a business combination.

The amendments in this Update primarily address the accounting for contract assets and contract liabilities from revenue contracts with customers in a business combination. However, the amendments also apply to contract assets and contract liabilities from other contracts to which the provisions of Topic 606 apply, such as contract liabilities from the sale of nonfinancial assets within the scope of Subtopic 610-20, Other Income—Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets.

The amendments in this Update do not affect the accounting for other assets or liabilities that may arise from revenue contracts with customers in accordance with Topic 606, such as refund liabilities, or in a business combination, such as customer-related intangible assets and contract-based intangible assets.

Transition and Effective Dates

For public business entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments in this Update should be applied prospectively to business combinations occurring on or after the effective date of the amendments.

Early adoption of the amendments is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. An entity that early adopts in an interim period should apply the amendments (1) retrospectively to all business combinations for which the acquisition date occurs on or after the beginning of the fiscal year that includes the interim period of early application and (2) prospectively to all business combinations that occur on or after the date of initial application.

Additional Information

• Download the Accounting Standards Update
• Press Release

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