Show
September 04, 2022 September 04, 2022/
A subsequent event is an event that occurs after a reporting period, but before the financial statements for that period have been issued or are available to be issued. Depending on the situation, such events may or may not require disclosure in an organization's financial statements. The two types of subsequent events are noted below. Additional InformationAn event provides additional information about conditions in existence as of the balance sheet date, including estimates used to prepare the financial statements for that period. New EventsAn event provides new information about conditions that did not exist as of the balance sheet date. Subsequent Event ReportingGenerally accepted accounting principles state that the financial statements should include the effects of all subsequent events that provide additional information about conditions in existence as of the balance sheet date. This rule requires that all entities evaluate subsequent events through the date when financial statements are available to be issued, while a public company should continue to do so through the date when the financial statements are actually filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Examples of situations calling for the adjustment of financial statements are:
If there are subsequent events that provide new information about conditions that did not exist as of the balance sheet date, and for which the information arose before the financial statements were available to be issued or were issued, these events should not be recognized in the financial statements. Examples of situations that do not trigger an adjustment to the financial statements if they occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued or are available to be issued are:
A company should disclose the date through which there has been an evaluation of subsequent events, as well as either the date when the financial statements were issued or when they were available to be issued. There may be situations where the non-reporting of a subsequent event would result in misleading financial statements. If so, disclose the nature of the event and an estimate of its financial effect. If a business reissues its financial statements, disclose the dates through which it has evaluated subsequent events, both for the previously issued and revised financial statements. Consistency in Disclosing Subsequent EventsThe recognition of subsequent events in financial statements can be quite subjective in many instances. Given the amount of time required to revise financial statements at the last minute, it is worthwhile to strongly consider whether the circumstances of a subsequent event can be construed as not requiring the revision of financial statements. There is a danger in inconsistently applying the subsequent event rules, so that similar events do not always result in the same treatment of the financial statements. Consequently, it is best to adopt internal rules regarding which events will always lead to the revision of financial statements; these rules will likely require continual updating, as the business encounters new subsequent events that had not previously been incorporated into its rules. Example of a Subsequent Events DisclosureThe following is an example of a typical disclosure of a subsequent event: The following events and transactions occurred subsequent to December 31, 20XX:
September 04, 2022/
Amendments: Amending releases and related SEC approval orders Summary Table of Contents.01 An independent auditor's report ordinarily is issued in connection with historical financial statements that purport to present financial position at a stated date and results of operations and cash flows for a period ended on that date. However, events or transactions sometimes occur subsequent to the balance-sheet date, but prior to the issuance of the financial statements, that have a material effect on the financial statements and therefore require adjustment or disclosure in the statements. These occurrences hereinafter are referred to as "subsequent events." Note: When performing an integrated audit of financial statements and internal control over financial reporting, refer to paragraphs .93-.97 ofAS 2201, An Audit of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting That Is Integrated with An Audit of Financial Statements, which provide direction with respect to subsequent events in an audit of internal control over financial reporting. .02 Two types of subsequent events require consideration by management and evaluation by the independent auditor. .03 The first type consists of those events that provide additional evidence with respect to conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet and affect the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements. All information that becomes available prior to the issuance of the financial statements should be used by management in its evaluation of the conditions on which the estimates were based. The financial statements should be adjusted for any changes in estimates resulting from the use of such evidence. .04 Identifying events that require adjustment of the financial statements under the criteria stated above calls for the exercise of judgment and knowledge of the facts and circumstances. For example, a loss on an uncollectible trade account receivable as a result of a customer's deteriorating financial condition leading to bankruptcy subsequent to the balance-sheet date would be indicative of conditions existing at the balance-sheet date, thereby calling for adjustment of the financial statements before their issuance. On the other hand, a similar loss resulting from a customer's major casualty such as a fire or flood subsequent to the balance-sheet date would not be indicative of conditions existing at the balance-sheet date and adjustment of the financial statements would not be appropriate. The settlement of litigation for an amount different from the liability recorded in the accounts would require adjustment of the financial statements if the events, such as personal injury or patent infringement, that gave rise to the litigation had taken place prior to the balance-sheet date. .05 The second type consists of those events that provide evidence with respect to conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet being reported on but arose subsequent to that date. These events should not result in adjustment of the financial statements.1 Some of these events, however, may be of such a nature that disclosure of them is required to keep the financial statements from being misleading. Occasionally such an event may be so significant that disclosure can best be made by supplementing the historical financial statements with pro forma financial data giving effect to the event as if it had occurred on the date of the balance sheet. It may be desirable to present pro forma statements, usually a balance sheet only, in columnar form on the face of the historical statements. .06 Examples of events of the second type that require disclosure to the financial statements (but should not result in adjustment) are:
.07 Subsequent events affecting the realization of assets such as receivables and inventories or the settlement of estimated liabilities ordinarily will require adjustment of the financial statements (see paragraph .03) because such events typically represent the culmination of conditions that existed over a relatively long period of time. Subsequent events such as changes in the quoted market prices of securities ordinarily should not result in adjustment of the financial statements (see paragraph .05) because such changes typically reflect a concurrent evaluation of new conditions. .08 When financial statements are reissued, for example, in reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulatory agencies, events that require disclosure in the reissued financial statements to keep them from being misleading may have occurred subsequent to the original issuance of the financial statements. Events occurring between the time of original issuance and reissuance of financial statements should not result in adjustment of the financial statements2 unless the adjustment meets the criteria for the correction of an error or the criteria for prior period adjustments set forth in Opinions of the Accounting Principles Board.* Similarly, financial statements reissued in comparative form with financial statements of subsequent periods should not be adjusted for events occurring subsequent to the original issuance unless the adjustment meets the criteria stated above. .09 Occasionally, a subsequent event of the second type has such a material impact on the entity that the auditor may wish to include in his report an emphasis paragraph directing the reader's attention to the event and its effects. (See paragraph .19 of AS 3101, The Auditor's Report on an Audit of Financial Statements When the Auditor Expresses an Unqualified Opinion.) Auditing Procedures in the Subsequent Period.10 There is a period after the balance-sheet date with which the auditor must be concerned in completing various phases of his audit. This period is known as the "subsequent period" and is considered to extend to the date of the auditor's report. Its duration will depend upon the practical requirements of each audit and may vary from a relatively short period to one of several months. Also, all auditing procedures are not carried out at the same time and some phases of an audit will be performed during the subsequent period, whereas other phases will be substantially completed on or before the balance-sheet date. As an audit approaches completion, the auditor will be concentrating on the unresolved auditing and reporting matters and he is not expected to be conducting a continuing review of those matters to which he has previously applied auditing procedures and reached satisfaction. .11 Certain specific procedures are applied to transactions occurring after the balance-sheet date such as (a) the examination of data to assure that proper cutoffs have been made and (b) the examination of data which provide information to aid the auditor in his evaluation of the assets and liabilities as of the balance-sheet date. .12 In addition, the independent auditor should perform other auditing procedures with respect to the period after the balance-sheet date for the purpose of ascertaining the occurrence of subsequent events that may require adjustment or disclosure essential to a fair presentation of the financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. These procedures should be performed at or near the date of the auditor's report. The auditor generally should:
|