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Ifrs 15
Ifrs 15
If you enter into the construction contracts with your customers and you previously applied IAS
11, then you need to follow exactly these 5 steps under IFRS 15.
Let me show you straight on an example.
The standard IFRS 15 lists a few criteria when a performance obligation is satisfied over time:
receives and consumes as the entity performs;
Customer controls the asset enhanced or created by the entity;
Entity does NOT create an asset with an alternative use and has an enforceable right to
payment for performance completed to date.
If you meet just one of these criteria, then the performance obligation is satisfied over time.
In most construction contracts, the performance obligations are satisfied over time and NOT at
the point of time (although exceptions might exist).
In this case, you need to recognize revenue based on the progress towards completion.
How to measure progress towards completion?
You can use either input or output methods to measure the progress towards completion.
ABC uses input method, i.e. based on costs incurred to date. Also, let me warn you about one
significant factor specific especially for construction contracts:
There may be no direct relationship between your inputs and the transfer of control of goods
or services to a customer.
Therefore, you should exclude the effects of any inputs from input method that do not depict
your performance in transferring control of goods or services to the customer (par. B19 of IFRS
15).
Translated to human language and applied to this example:
ABC believes that costs of windows are significant item within total costs and including these
costs to measure the progress to completion would not be appropriate, because it would certainly
overstate ABC’s performance.
The reason is that the windows are purchased from the third party and the transfer of windows to
the customer has no direct relationship with the other ABC’s work.
Therefore, progress towards completion will be measured excluding the cost of windows.
Carefully, because you should apply the resulting percentage of completion to the revenues
excluding windows, too – just for the consistency!
Let’s measure the progress towards completion:
Total costs excluding windows: CU 4 mil.
Total incurred costs to date excluding windows: CU 1 mil.
Progress to completion: CU 1/CU 4 = 25%
Total contract revenue excluding windows: CU 6 mil. (CU 12 – CU 6)
Total revenue to 31 December 20X1 excluding windows: CU 6 mil. x 25% = CU 1.5 mil.
Journal entries at 31 December 20X1
As we excluded windows from measuring progress towards completion, we will draft the journal
entries separately for windows and for the remaining services.
Windows:
As ABC handed over windows and excluded them from measurement of progress towards
completion due to potential overstatement, the revenue from sale of windows is recognized at the
time of their delivery.
Purchase of windows by ABC (at the time of delivery from the supplier):
Debit Inventories: CU 6 mil.
Credit Suppliers: CU 6 mil.
ABC recognizes the revenue for windows at zero profit margin (equal to their cost – in line with
par. B19 (b) of IFRS 15):
Debit Contract Asset: CU 6 mil.
Credit Revenue from construction project***: CU 6 mil.
***Not the revenue from sale of windows – remember, the whole project is one performance
obligation and we recognize the revenue under 1 caption in this case.
Cost of windows:
Debit Costs of construction in profit or loss: CU 6 mil.
Credit Inventories: CU 6 mil.
The remaining cost/revenues:
Labor costs, materials, etc. to complete the contracts are accounted for as contract costs (at the
time when they are actually incurred):
Costs to paint the building:
o Debit Contract costs (asset in balance sheet);
o Credit Employees (or suppliers or whatever is relevant)
Use of paints:
o Debit Contract costs (asset in balance sheet)
o Credit Inventories
At 31 December 20X1, ABC needs to amortize the contract costs based on progress towards
completion.
As the progress is measured by input method (incurred costs), all costs incurred to date are
amortized.
However if different method is used to measure the progress to completion, then the company
can amortize the cost based on the progress percentage.
In this case, at 31 December 20X1:
Debit Cost of construction in profit or loss: CU 1 mil.
Credit Contract costs: CU 1 mil.
Let’s recognize the revenue from “remaining” services (all except for windows).
We measured these revenues at CU 1.5 mil.Using the progress towards completion (please see
above).
Journal entry is:
Debit Contract asset: CU 1.5 mil.
Credit Revenue from construction project: CU 1.5 mil.
Finally, we need to account for the progress payment of CU 8 mil made by the customer at the
year-end:
Debit Trade receivables (bank account, cash…): CU 8 mil.
Credit Contract assets: 8 mil.
Let’s check the contract asset now. Its balance at 31 December 20X1 is:
Contract arose at revenue recognition (6+1.5): CU 7.5 mil.
Less progress payment by the customer: CU 8 mil.
The balance: CU -0.5 mil..
As the contract asset is negative at the end of 31 December 20X1, it became a contract
liability and it should be presented within liabilities in the statement of financial position.
I personally prefer to see contract liabilities at the year-end, not contract assets, because:
We have no credit risk as we have no performance completed to date which is not paid by
the customer, and
We don’t have to calculate expected credit loss and measure the impairment on contract
assets – hurray!
Finally…
This is basically the method you should follow when accounting for your construction contracts.
I tried to make this simple as possible, but I can’t cover every single situation here.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments or you can even consider
subscribing to our IFRS Helpline where I and my amazing team answer to your very specific
question, issues, help you apply IFRS or even implemented for the first time. Just write me an e-
mail if you’d like to get more information.
Thanks!