Welcoming the New Revenue Recognition Standard: Asc 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers Second Edition

Book excerpt: The New Revenue Recognition Standard is a joint bold move made by both the FASB and the IASB to give top-lines of companies, across industries, a common denominator. It is a move from the fair value measure of vendor-specific objective evidence ('VSOE') to measure revenue, to one which takes into account what consideration the entity really expects to be entitled to receive from a contract with a 'customer'. The new standard broadens the definition of revenue to include newer concepts like contract costs incurred for transferring a good/ service, material rights and gain and loss from the sale of non-financial assets. There is specific guidance around contract combinations and contract modifications. 'Transfer of control to a customer' is the axis of the new revenue recognition standard. As control usually transfers before risks and rewards usually do, entities may witness an acceleration in revenue recognition. Collaborative arrangements have come under the scanner as the collaborator may be acting as a 'customer'. ASU 2018-18 issued in November 2018 removes the bias that amidst a risk and benefits sharing atmosphere of a collaborative arrangement, control of an output of an ordinary activity of one collaborator could be transferred to another collaborator for a consideration. Distinct goods/ services are now determined based on whether they are both individually distinct and are distinct within the context of the contract. Individually distinct goods/ services are now determined based on the characteristics of the goods or services themselves, instead of the way in which the customer may use the goods or services. VSOE rules are past tense and a good/ service may be distinct even if VSOE could not be established earlier. This may lead an increase or decrease in performance obligations, leading to difference in timing of revenue recognition. Increased judgement is needed for demarcating between a sale/ lease/ financing, in estimating variable consideration after applying constraints and in the capitalization and amortization of contract costs-especially in case of a principal versus agent situation. More disclosures are required. Provision for loss on contracts may apply to entities as ASC 606 amends ASC 605 for those paragraphs instead of superseding them. The position under IFRS is different as with the superseding of IAS 11 Construction contracts, the non-onerous provision for loss on construction contracts has been done away with. ASU 2017-01 and ASU 2017-05 narrowing the definition of 'business' and defining an 'In Substance Nonfinancial asset', respectively, impact the new revenue recognition standard from the point of view of a sale of non-financial assets to a customer- where the interest in an entity does not fall under the new definition of business but within the definition of essentially a non-financial asset. IFRS 3 has also been amended for a new definition of business and that does bring US GAAP and IFRS closer. The new standard interacts with the new leases standard and there may be a pit stop at ASC 606 before an entity transitions to the new leases standard. This book brings you the impacts from an exotic mix of industries as varied as aerospace and defense, engineering, media and entertainment, airlines, pharmaceuticals, health care, early-stage life sciences, software, construction and real estate, retail and e-commerce, hospitality, telecommunications, shipping, automotive, outsourcing and investment companies and promises deep learning. The new revenue recognition standard affects more than just revenue and impacts the business processes and results in dual SOX testing during the transition phase. With all the shuffling around the timing of payments being linked to the satisfaction of performance obligations, managements should properly assess their normal operating cycles and working capital. With sufficient discussions and training, all managements will be able to do the 'heavy lifting'.