Cash flows

ASC 230-10 governs the statement of cash flows, which every entity presenting both financial position and results of operations must provide for each period results of operations are presented (230-10-15-3). It requires cash receipts and payments to be classified as operating, investing, or financing activities and requires the statement to explain the change in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents (230-10-45-4, 45-10, 45-24). Operating cash flows may be presented by the direct method (encouraged) or the indirect method, but a business entity must reconcile net income to net cash flow from operating activities either way (230-10-45-25, 45-28, 45-29).

This subtopic tells an entity with foreign currency transactions or foreign operations how to translate cash flows in the statement of cash flows. Foreign currency cash flows are reported at the reporting currency equivalent using the exchange rates in effect at the time of the cash flows (a weighted-average rate may be used if the result is substantially the same). The effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash held in foreign currencies is shown as a separate part of the reconciliation of the change in total cash for the period.

ASC 230-915 formerly required a development stage entity to present inception-to-date (cumulative) amounts in its statement of cash flows in addition to the amounts for the current period. Every paragraph in the subtopic (230-915-05-1, 15-1, and 45-1) was superseded by ASU 2014-10, which eliminated the development stage entity reporting concept from U.S. GAAP. As a result, entities formerly in the development stage now prepare a statement of cash flows under ASC 230 exactly like any other entity, with no cumulative-since-inception column.

This Subtopic tells broadcasters how to classify cash paid for program license rights in the statement of cash flows. Under 230-920-45-1, cash outflows to obtain rights under a license agreement for program material are operating activities, and the amortization of the capitalized license costs is included in the reconciliation of net income to net cash flows from operating activities.

This Subtopic tells film production and distribution entities how to classify certain film-related cash flows in the statement of cash flows. Cash outflows for film costs, participation costs, exploitation costs, and manufacturing costs are operating activities—not investing—even though film costs are capitalized as assets. Amortization of film costs is added back in the reconciliation of net income to net cash flows from operating activities.

This Subtopic tailors the statement of cash flows to banks, savings institutions, and credit unions. Its core rule is a net-reporting exception: these institutions need not report gross cash receipts and payments for deposits placed with or withdrawn from other financial institutions, time deposits accepted and repaid, and loans made to customers and principal collections on those loans (230-942-45-1). It also requires that principal payments received under sales-type and direct financing leases be classified as investing activities (230-942-45-4) and provides a full direct-method illustration in Section 55.

This subtopic applies the statement of cash flows requirements to investment companies and points to the narrow exemption that lets certain investment companies omit the statement entirely. It also identifies noncash investing and financing activities peculiar to investment companies — notably reinvested dividends and distributions — that must be disclosed.

This subtopic provides implementation guidance for how not-for-profit entities (NFPs) prepare a statement of cash flows under Topic 230. It addresses when otherwise-qualifying short-term investments cannot be treated as cash equivalents because of donor restrictions, how donor-restricted contributions for long-term purposes must be reclassified as financing inflows, and how agency transactions, noncash contributions, and collection items are reported.

This Subtopic addresses how a real estate entity classifies cash payments to purchase real estate in the statement of cash flows. Real estate is generally a productive asset, so its purchase is an investing cash outflow; but if a developer acquires real estate specifically for resale (to be subdivided, improved, and sold in lots), the payment is an operating cash flow because the property is akin to inventory.

This subtopic governs how entities engaged in real estate time-sharing activities classify cash flows related to time-sharing notes receivable. The core rule is that all changes in time-sharing notes receivable — including cash received from selling those notes — are reported as operating activities in the statement of cash flows (230-978-45-1), rather than as investing or financing activities.

ASC 305-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Cash and Cash Equivalents topic, but its substantive content has been removed — the scope, overview, and implementation guidance paragraphs were superseded by Maintenance Update 2017-21 and ASU 2012-04. As a result, 305-10 today functions largely as a placeholder heading; the operative guidance on cash and cash equivalents lives elsewhere, principally in ASC 230 (definition and presentation of cash equivalents, restricted cash) and ASC 210 (balance sheet classification).

ASC 405-912 tells federal government contractors how to present and disclose liabilities arising from terminated contracts and from progress/advance payments. Termination loans (even if government-guaranteed) are third-party liabilities shown as current liabilities with cross-reference to the related claim; unliquidated advance payments on a terminated contract are deducted from the claim receivable. Progress and advance payments accounted for as borrowings under 912-310-25-7 are reported as cash received from financing activities.

ASC 852-10 governs financial reporting by entities that have filed a Chapter 11 petition and expect to reorganize as going concerns, plus their reporting upon emergence under a confirmed plan. During the case, GAAP continues to apply but the statements must separate reorganization-related transactions from ongoing operations: prepetition liabilities subject to compromise are segregated on the balance sheet at expected allowed amounts, and reorganization items are shown separately in the income statement and cash flow statement. On emergence, an entity adopts fresh-start reporting only if reorganization value is less than postpetition liabilities plus allowed claims and pre-confirmation voting shareholders receive less than 50% of the emerging entity's voting shares.