Category
Disclosure
209 subtopics across 8 areas.
Presentation54
- 205-10Overall205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 205-10 sets the pervasive scope for the Presentation of Financial Statements Topic (applying to both business entities and NFPs) and governs comparative financial statements. It explains that presenting statements for a series of periods is more meaningful than a single period, lists the elements of a full set of financial statements, and requires that prior-period figures actually be comparable, with any change in presentation basis or reclassification explained.
- 205-20Discontinued Operations205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 205-20 governs when a disposal must be reported as a discontinued operation and how it is presented and disclosed. A disposal of a component (or group of components) qualifies only if it represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on the entity's operations and financial results, triggered when the component is classified as held for sale, disposed of by sale, or disposed of other than by sale (e.g., abandonment or spinoff) (205-20-45-1B). Results of discontinued operations, net of tax, are presented as a separate component of income for current and prior periods, held-for-sale assets and liabilities are presented separately (not offset) on the balance sheet, and extensive note disclosures are required.
- 205-30Liquidation Basis of Accounting205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 205-30 tells an entity when it must abandon going-concern accounting and switch to the liquidation basis, how to measure assets and liabilities under that basis, and what to disclose. The trigger is that liquidation is "imminent" (205-30-25-1 and 25-2), unless the liquidation follows a plan specified in the entity's governing documents at inception. Under the liquidation basis, assets are measured at the estimated cash or other consideration expected to be collected, previously unrecognized items such as trademarks are recognized, expected disposal costs and income/expenses through the end of liquidation are accrued (undiscounted), and the entity presents a statement of net assets in liquidation and a statement of changes in net assets in liquidation.
- 205-40Going Concern205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 205-40 requires management of every entity, in connection with preparing annual and interim financial statements, to evaluate whether conditions and events considered in the aggregate raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued (or are available to be issued). Substantial doubt exists when it is probable the entity will be unable to meet its obligations as they become due in that lookforward period, assessed initially without regard to unimplemented management plans. Depending on whether management's plans alleviate that doubt, prescribed note disclosures — including an express "substantial doubt" statement when doubt is not alleviated — are required.
- 205-946Financial Services—Investment Companies205 Presentation of Financial Statements
This subtopic governs how investment companies present the statement of changes in net assets and financial highlights. The statement of changes in net assets must separately show operations (net investment income, realized gains/losses, change in unrealized appreciation), net equalization credits/debits, distributions to shareholders (with tax return of capital separate), and capital share transactions. Financial highlights—per-share data, expense and net investment income ratios, total return (or since-inception IRR for certain limited-life funds), and capital commitment data—must be presented as a separate schedule or in the notes for each class of common shares.
- 205-958Not-for-Profit Entities205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 958-205 governs the presentation of a not-for-profit entity's general-purpose financial statements. A complete set consists of a statement of financial position, a statement of activities, a statement of cash flows, and notes (958-205-45-4), with net assets classified in two minimum classes—net assets with donor restrictions and net assets without donor restrictions (958-205-45-2(b)). It also prescribes when donor restrictions expire, how endowment funds (including those under UPMIFA) are classified, and the required endowment and underwater endowment disclosures.
- 205-960Plan Accounting—Defined Benefit Pension Plans205 Presentation of Financial Statements
This Subtopic governs the form and content of the annual financial statements of a defined benefit pension plan. The overriding objective is to provide information useful in assessing the plan's present and future ability to pay benefits when due, with content focused on plan participants' needs (960-205-10-1 through 10-2). Annual statements must present net assets available for benefits, changes in those net assets, the actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits, and the significant factors causing the year-to-year change in that actuarial present value (960-205-45-1).
- 205-962Plan Accounting—Defined Contribution Pension Plans205 Presentation of Financial Statements
This subtopic governs how a defined contribution pension plan presents its GAAP financial statements. On the accrual basis, the plan must present a statement of net assets available for benefits at plan year-end and a statement of changes in net assets available for benefits for the year, showing total assets, total liabilities, and net assets available for benefits, plus specified minimum categories of changes (net appreciation/depreciation in fair value, investment income, employer/participant/other contributions, benefits paid, insurance contract purchases, and administrative expenses). It also lists required note disclosures about the plan agreement, amendments, contribution basis, tax status, forfeitures, and similar matters.
- 205-965Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans205 Presentation of Financial Statements
ASC 965-205 (indexed here as 205-965) prescribes the financial statement presentation for health and welfare benefit plans. Defined benefit plans must present, on the accrual basis, a statement of net assets available for benefits, a statement of changes in net assets available for benefits, information about the plan's benefit obligations, and the significant factors causing year-to-year changes in those obligations; defined contribution plans present only the two net-asset statements because the obligation is limited to participants' account balances. It also governs how retiree health benefits funded through a 401(h) account in the sponsor's defined benefit pension plan are reported in the health and welfare plan's financial statements, plus an extensive list of required note disclosures.
- 205-972Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations205 Presentation of Financial Statements
This Subtopic governs how common interest realty associations (CIRAs)—condominium and homeowners associations and cooperatives—present their financial statements, emphasizing fund reporting that segregates the operating fund from the fund for future major repairs and replacements. A full GAAP presentation requires a balance sheet, statement of revenues and expenses, statement of changes in fund balances (or members' equity under nonfund reporting), statement of cash flows, and notes; cooperatives instead present a statement of operations and statement of changes in shareholders' equity.
- 210-10Overall210 Balance Sheet
ASC 210-10 provides the general guidance for classifying assets and liabilities as current or noncurrent on a classified balance sheet (statement of financial position), permitting ready determination of working capital. Current assets are cash and other resources expected to be realized in cash or consumed within one year or the operating cycle, whichever is longer; current liabilities are obligations whose liquidation is expected to require use of current assets within that same period. The guidance applies to all entities, but only when an entity chooses to present a classified balance sheet (210-10-15-3).
- 210-20Offsetting210 Balance Sheet
ASC 210-20 states the general principle that offsetting assets and liabilities on the balance sheet is improper unless a right of setoff exists, and sets the four conditions for a right of setoff (210-20-45-1): two parties owe each other determinable amounts, the reporting party has the right to set off, intends to set off, and the right is enforceable at law (including in bankruptcy). It also provides a narrow exception permitting (but not requiring) offsetting of payables and receivables under same-counterparty, same-settlement-date repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements accounted for as collateralized borrowings that meet all conditions in 210-20-45-11, and it imposes extensive netting disclosures for derivatives, repos/reverse repos, and securities borrowing/lending subject to enforceable master netting arrangements.
- 210-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending210 Balance Sheet
This Subtopic governs how depository and lending institutions offset and combine amounts on the balance sheet. Its core rules: unearned premiums and unpaid claims on credit life and credit accident and health insurance issued to finance customers are deducted from finance receivables in consolidation (or the net amount presented with adequate note disclosure), while unpaid claims on property and level term life insurance—and credit coverage on receivables owned by unrelated entities—must be presented as liabilities. Reciprocal balances with another financial institution are offset only if they will be offset in the process of collection or payment, and restrictions on cash balances must be disclosed.
- 210-946Financial Services—Investment Companies210 Balance Sheet
This subtopic governs how an investment company presents its financial position — either a statement of assets and liabilities or a statement of net assets — and the schedule (or condensed schedule) of investments that accompanies it. It sets bright-line disclosure thresholds (1 percent of net assets for registered/other investment companies; 5 percent for nonregistered investment partnerships), special presentation rules for multiple-class, master-feeder, and fund-of-funds structures, and requires contract-value reporting for fully benefit-responsive investment contracts held by qualified defined contribution plan trusts.
- 210-958Not-for-Profit Entities210 Balance Sheet
This subtopic governs the not-for-profit statement of financial position (the NFP equivalent of a balance sheet). At a minimum the statement must report totals for assets, liabilities, net assets, net assets with donor restrictions, and net assets without donor restrictions, focusing on the entity as a whole (958-210-45-1). It also requires liquidity-related presentation and disclosure, including qualitative information about how the NFP manages liquid resources and quantitative information about financial assets available for general expenditures within one year (958-210-50-1A).
- 215-10Overall215 Statement of Shareholder Equity
ASC 215-10 is a placeholder ("link") subtopic for the statement of shareholder equity. It contains no substantive recognition or measurement rules; its only content directs users to Topic 505 for disclosure guidance on the items that make up shareholders' equity.
- 220-10Overall220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-10 governs how an entity presents comprehensive income — net income plus other comprehensive income (OCI) — in a full set of general-purpose financial statements. Comprehensive income must be reported either in a single continuous statement or in two separate but consecutive statements (net income first, then OCI beginning with net income), with totals for net income, OCI, and comprehensive income (220-10-45-1 through 45-1B). The Subtopic addresses only presentation and disclosure; it does not specify when to recognize or how to measure the items making up comprehensive income (220-10-25-1; 220-10-30-1).
- 220-20Unusual or Infrequently Occurring Items220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-20 governs how an entity presents and discloses material events or transactions that are unusual in nature, infrequent in occurrence, or both. Such items must be reported as a separate component of income from continuing operations, with their nature and financial effects either shown on the face of the income statement or disclosed in the notes (220-20-45-1; 220-20-50-1). They may not be presented net of tax on the face of the income statement, and their per-share effects may not be shown there.
- 220-30Business Interruption Insurance220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-30 governs how an entity presents and discloses recoveries under business interruption insurance — insurance covering lost gross margin, a portion of fixed charges and expenses related to that lost margin, and extra expenses incurred to mitigate the interruption loss. The core rule is permissive on presentation: an entity may choose any classification of the recoveries in the statement of operations so long as it is not contrary to existing GAAP (220-30-45-1). In exchange for that flexibility, the Subtopic mandates note disclosure of the event and the amount and location of recoveries recognized.
- 220-40Expense Disaggregation Disclosures220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-40 (added by ASU 2024-03) requires public business entities to disaggregate, in a tabular note disclosure, each "relevant expense caption" presented on the face of the income statement in continuing operations into prescribed natural expense categories: purchases of inventory, employee compensation, depreciation, intangible asset amortization, and DD&A of oil-and-gas/other depletion (220-40-50-6). Other GAAP-required expense, gain, and loss items must be pulled into the same table (220-40-50-21 through 50-22), expense reimbursements must be addressed (50-26 through 50-29), and any residual must be shown as "other items" with a qualitative description of its composition (50-30). Entities must also disclose total selling expenses and, annually, how they define selling expenses (50-35 through 50-36).
- 220-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-932 is a short "pointer" subtopic that addresses income statement presentation for oil- and gas-producing activities. It contains no substantive incremental rules of its own: it adopts the scope of ASC 932-10-15 and directs readers to the industry disclosure requirements in 932-235-50-21 through 50-28 and to the illustrative results-of-operations example in 932-235-55-5.
- 220-946Financial Services—Investment Companies220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
This subtopic governs the form and content of the statement of operations (income statement) for investment companies. The statement must show investment income less expenses to arrive at net investment income, then net realized gains/losses and the change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation on investments and foreign currency, summing to the net increase or decrease in net assets resulting from operations. Special presentation rules apply to multiple-class funds, master-feeder structures, and funds of funds.
- 220-954Health Care Entities220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
This Subtopic governs how not-for-profit, business-oriented health care entities present their statement of operations and statement of changes in net assets. Its central requirement is a clearly labeled "performance indicator" (e.g., revenues over expenses) reported in a statement that also shows total changes in net assets without donor restrictions, with a specified list of items — such as equity transfers, donor-restricted contributions, other comprehensive income items, and unrealized gains/losses on non-trading debt securities — required to be reported outside that indicator.
- 220-958Not-for-Profit Entities220 Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income
ASC 220-958 governs the not-for-profit statement of activities — the NFP substitute for a business entity's income statement. It requires the statement to focus on the entity as a whole and report the change in total net assets, the change in net assets with donor restrictions, and the change in net assets without donor restrictions, with revenues, expenses, gains, losses, and reclassifications classified among those net asset classes. It addresses how to report these elements (including gross versus net display, investment return net of investment expenses, and optional intermediate measures of operations), but not when to recognize or how to measure them.
- 225-20Unusual or Infrequently Occurring Items225 Income Statement
ASC 225-20 formerly governed the reporting of extraordinary items (events both unusual in nature and infrequent in occurrence) and unusual or infrequently occurring items in the income statement. Every paragraph has been superseded: ASU 2015-01 eliminated the extraordinary item concept and its separate net-of-tax presentation below income from continuing operations, and Maintenance Update 2017-19 removed the remaining shell paragraphs after the transition period ended. Presentation and disclosure of material unusual or infrequently occurring items now resides in ASC 220-20 (Income Statement—Unusual or Infrequently Occurring Items).
- 225-30Business Interruption Insurance225 Income Statement
ASC 225-30 formerly addressed how to present and disclose business interruption insurance recoveries in the income statement. All of its content (Sections 05, 15, 45, and 50) was superseded by Maintenance Update 2017-19, so the subtopic is now an empty shell with no operative guidance. Entities receiving business interruption insurance proceeds must look to other guidance, such as the successor guidance in ASC 220-30 and general gain contingency rules.
- 225-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas225 Income Statement
ASC 225-932 was the income statement subtopic addressing oil and gas extractive activities, but every paragraph in it (Sections 05, 15, 50, and 55) was superseded by Maintenance Update 2017-19. As a result the subtopic contains no operative guidance; readers must look to ASC 932 (Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas) and ASC 220 for income statement presentation and disclosure requirements.
- 230-10Overall230 Statement of 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).
- 230-946Financial Services—Investment Companies230 Statement of Cash Flows
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.
- 230-958Not-for-Profit Entities230 Statement of Cash Flows
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.
- 235-10Overall235 Notes to Financial Statements
ASC 235-10 requires an entity whose financial statements purport to present fairly financial position, cash flows, and results of operations in accordance with GAAP to include a description of all significant accounting policies as an integral part of those statements (235-10-50-1). "Accounting policies" are the specific accounting principles and the methods of applying them that management judges most appropriate in the circumstances (235-10-05-3). The disclosure must cover principles and methods that materially affect the financial statements, especially selections among acceptable alternatives, industry-peculiar methods, and unusual or innovative applications of GAAP (235-10-50-3).
- 235-910Contractors—Construction235 Notes to Financial Statements
ASC 235-910 was the construction-contractor industry supplement to ASC 235 on notes to financial statements, which required disclosure of the accounting policies used for construction-type contracts. Every paragraph in the subtopic (05-1, 15-1, 50-1 and 50-2) was superseded by Maintenance Update No. 2019-01, so the subtopic now contains no operative guidance. Contractors instead look to the general accounting policy disclosure requirements of ASC 235-10 and to the revenue disclosures in ASC 606.
- 235-912Contractors—Federal Government235 Notes to Financial Statements
ASC 235-912 formerly provided accounting-policy disclosure guidance in the notes to financial statements for entities contracting with the federal government. All of its content (paragraphs 235-912-05-1, 15-1 and 50-1) was superseded by ASU 2014-09, the revenue recognition standard, so the subtopic now carries no operative guidance.
- 235-915Development Stage Entities235 Notes to Financial Statements
This subtopic formerly required development stage entities to disclose their accounting policies and their development stage status within the notes to the financial statements. Every paragraph in it (Sections 05, 15, and 50) was superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-10, which eliminated the development stage entity reporting concept from U.S. GAAP. As a result, there are no remaining requirements under ASC 235-915.
- 235-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas235 Notes to Financial Statements
ASC 932-235 sets the note and supplemental disclosure requirements for entities with oil- and gas-producing activities. All such entities must disclose their cost accounting method (successful efforts vs. full cost), how capitalized costs are disposed of, and information about exploratory well costs still capitalized pending determination of proved reserves. Publicly traded companies with significant oil and gas activities must additionally provide, as supplementary information with annual statements, proved reserve quantities and changes, capitalized costs, costs incurred, results of operations, the standardized measure of discounted future net cash flows, and changes in that measure.
- 235-946Financial Services—Investment Companies235 Notes to Financial Statements
This Subtopic sets the note disclosure requirements for investment companies with complex capital structures — multiple-class funds, master-feeder arrangements, and funds of funds. Multiple-class funds must describe each class, the income/expense and gain/loss allocation method, class-specific fee arrangements, capital share transactions by class, and sales charges paid to affiliates. Feeder funds must describe the master-feeder structure, their percentage ownership of the master, and the master's accounting policies affecting them, while funds of funds must describe the structure and the valuation policy based on investee-reported values.
- 235-972Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations235 Notes to Financial Statements
This Subtopic sets the note disclosure requirements unique to common interest realty associations (CIRAs) — condominiums, homeowners associations, cooperative housing corporations, and time-share associations. Beyond ordinary GAAP disclosures, a CIRA must describe its legal form and the entity it serves, developer services/subsidies and developer-owned units, the proposed use of special assessment funds, and any assessments used for undesignated purposes (235-972-50-1). It must also disclose its funding for future major repairs and replacements (235-972-50-2) and present cost estimates for those repairs and replacements as unaudited supplementary information (235-972-50-3).
- 250-10Overall250 Accounting Changes and Error Corrections
ASC 250-10 governs how entities report the three types of accounting changes (change in accounting principle, change in accounting estimate, change in reporting entity) and the correction of errors in previously issued financial statements. The default rule is retrospective application for changes in principle and changes in reporting entity, prospective treatment (current and future periods) for changes in estimate, and restatement for error corrections. A change in principle is permitted only if required by a Codification update or justified as preferable, and retrospective application may be limited only where it is "impracticable" under the narrow conditions in 250-10-45-9.
- 250-980Regulated Operations250 Accounting Changes and Error Corrections
This Subtopic applies the general accounting change and error correction rules of Topic 250 to entities with regulated operations that meet the criteria of paragraph 980-10-15-2 (so that costs designated for future recovery by the regulator are probable of recovery). Its core rule is that a change in accounting method that does not affect costs allowable for rate-making purposes is reported the same way an unregulated entity would report it, whereas a change that does affect allowable costs is generally implemented the way it is implemented for regulatory purposes. It also confirms that prior period adjustments are limited to error corrections and prior interim period adjustments of the current fiscal year, and that previously unaccrued estimated refunds are charged to income when the accrual criteria are first met.
- 255-10Overall255 Changing Prices
ASC 255-10 governs supplementary disclosure of the effects of changing prices (inflation) on financial statements. Business entities reporting in U.S. dollars under GAAP are *encouraged but not required* to disclose a five-year summary of current cost-constant purchasing power data — including income from continuing operations on a current cost basis, purchasing power gain or loss on net monetary items, and the inflation-adjusted change in the current cost of inventory and PP&E. The Subtopic also supplies the measurement rules for current cost and lower recoverable amount, the CPI-U restatement mechanics, the translate-restate vs. restate-translate methods for foreign functional currency operations, and guidance on classifying balance sheet items as monetary or nonmonetary.
- 255-912Contractors—Federal Government255 Changing Prices
ASC 255-912 tells federal government contractors how to classify certain contract-related balances when they voluntarily disclose supplementary information about the effects of changing prices under Subtopic 255-10. Its core rule is a set of monetary/nonmonetary classifications used to compute the purchasing power gain or loss on net monetary items: contract inventories and fixed-price contract advances and warranty obligations are nonmonetary, while accrued losses on contracts are monetary.
- 260-10Overall260 Earnings Per Share
ASC 260-10 governs the computation, presentation, and disclosure of basic and diluted earnings per share (EPS) by entities with publicly traded common stock or potential common stock (or entities in registration). Basic EPS divides income available to common stockholders (income less preferred dividends) by the weighted-average common shares outstanding (260-10-45-10 through 45-11); diluted EPS adds all dilutive potential common shares using the treasury stock method for options/warrants, the reverse treasury stock method for written puts and forward purchases, and the if-converted method for convertible securities, never assuming antidilutive conversions (260-10-45-16 through 45-45). The subtopic also covers the two-class method for participating securities, contingently issuable shares, down round features, and master limited partnership earnings per unit.
- 270-10Overall270 Interim Reporting
ASC 270-10 governs how GAAP is applied to interim financial information (monthly, quarterly, or other periods shorter than a year) and what must be disclosed. Its core rule is the "integral part" view: each interim period is viewed primarily as an integral part of an annual period, so results generally follow the accounting principles used in the latest annual financial statements, with specified modifications (e.g., inventory, LIFO liquidations, cost allocations, estimated annual effective tax rate). It also sets minimum disclosure requirements for publicly traded companies reporting summarized interim data, which ASU 2025-11 replaces with disclosure requirements keyed to interim financial statements and notes prepared in accordance with GAAP, including condensed statements.
- 270-740Income Taxes270 Interim Reporting
This subtopic governs how income tax expense (or benefit) is computed and presented in interim financial statements. The core rule is a hybrid model: tax on "ordinary income (or loss)" is measured by applying a best-estimate annual effective tax rate to year-to-date ordinary income, while items excluded from that rate — significant unusual or infrequently occurring items, discontinued operations, changes in tax law or rates on deferred taxes, changes in beginning-of-year valuation allowances, and certain share-based payment tax effects — are computed individually and recognized discretely in the interim period in which they occur (740-270-25-2; 740-270-30-11 through 30-13). Recognition of interim tax benefits from losses is limited to amounts expected to be realized during the year or recognizable as a deferred tax asset at year-end (740-270-25-9).
- 270-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas270 Interim Reporting
This Subtopic addresses interim reporting for oil- and gas-producing entities. Its core rule is that the extensive oil and gas disclosures required by Subtopic 932-235 (reserve quantity and standardized measure disclosures) need not be repeated in interim financial reports, but interim reports must disclose a major discovery or other favorable or adverse event that significantly changes the reserve information reported in the most recent annual financial report.
- 272-10Overall272 Limited Liability Entities
ASC 272-10 provides financial reporting and presentation guidance for U.S.-organized limited liability entities (LLCs and LLPs) that issue GAAP financial statements. It requires LLC statements to look like partnership statements — equity is labeled "members' equity," headings must clearly identify the entity as an LLC, and a complete set includes a statement of financial position, statement of operations, statement of cash flows, notes, and information on changes in members' equity. It also mandates disclosure of any limitation on members' liability, the classes of member interests and their rights, and a finite life date if applicable.
- 274-10Overall274 Personal Financial Statements
ASC 274-10 governs personal financial statements prepared for an individual, a married couple, or a family. The core rule is that assets are presented at their estimated current values and liabilities at their estimated current amounts on the accrual basis (274-10-25-1; 274-10-35-1), with a provision for estimated income taxes on the difference between those amounts and the related tax bases (274-10-35-15). The required statement is a statement of financial condition ending in net worth; a statement of changes in net worth and comparative statements are optional (274-10-45-4, 45-5).
- 275-10Overall275 Risks and Uncertainties
ASC 275-10 requires all entities to disclose, in the basic financial statements, information about risks and uncertainties existing at the balance sheet date in four areas: nature of operations (or, if principal operations have not commenced, current activities), the pervasive use of management estimates, certain significant estimates, and current vulnerability due to certain concentrations (275-10-50-1). The hallmark of the Subtopic is selectivity — disclosure is triggered only when specified screening criteria are met, generally when it is at least reasonably possible that a change or severe impact will occur in the near term and the effect would be material or severe (275-10-50-8; 275-10-50-16). It excludes risks from management/key personnel, proposed regulatory or accounting changes, internal control deficiencies, and acts of God, war, or sudden catastrophes (275-10-15-4).
- 275-912Contractors—Federal Government275 Risks and Uncertainties
This Subtopic requires federal government contractors to make incremental disclosures about the risks and uncertainties arising from the government's unilateral right to terminate contracts for its convenience. The effect of a termination is reflected in the period the termination occurs (or earlier if it is a subsequent event attributable to balance-sheet-date conditions), with only the reasonably estimable portions of a termination claim recognized and the remainder disclosed. Controversial or undeterminable claim elements are stated at amounts estimated to be collectible or excluded and disclosed.
- 280-10Overall280 Segment Reporting
ASC 280-10 requires public entities to disclose information about their operating segments using the "management approach" — segments are the components whose discrete financial results the chief operating decision maker (CODM) regularly reviews to allocate resources and assess performance (280-10-50-1). Operating segments that meet the 10 percent revenue, profit/loss, or asset thresholds (or are needed to reach the 75 percent of consolidated revenue floor) are reportable, and the entity must disclose segment profit or loss, assets, significant segment expenses, and reconciliations to consolidated amounts. All public entities, including single-reportable-segment entities, must also give entity-wide disclosures about products and services, geographic areas, and major customers.
- 280-908Airlines280 Segment Reporting
ASC 280-908 is the airlines-industry subtopic of the segment reporting topic, but it contains no substantive guidance — its Overview/Background, Scope, and Other Presentation Matters sections are all marked "Section not used." Airlines therefore apply the general segment reporting requirements of ASC 280-10 (operating segments, aggregation criteria, reportable segment thresholds, and entity-wide disclosures) without any airline-specific modification in this subtopic.
- 280-924Entertainment—Casinos280 Segment Reporting
This Subtopic applies segment reporting to casino entities. A nonpublic casino property that also contains a hotel, restaurant, parking garage and similar amenities is generally treated as a single industry segment, because allocating costs among the interdependent operations to measure each one's contribution to operating profit would be arbitrary and not meaningful. However, nonpublic casino entities that operate in multiple legal jurisdictions may have geographic segments and must report that geographic information (280-924-50-1).
- 280-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas280 Segment Reporting
ASC 280-932 is a short "pointer" subtopic that addresses segment reporting as it applies to oil and gas producing activities. It contains no substantive requirements of its own: its scope mirrors that of the oil and gas Overall Subtopic (932-10-15), and it directs preparers to the industry-specific segment disclosure requirements located with the other oil and gas disclosures in 932-235-50-22 through 50-23.
- 280-954Health Care Entities280 Segment Reporting
This industry subtopic applies the general segment reporting rules to investor-owned health care entities. Its single substantive rule is that, for purposes of the major-customer disclosures in paragraph 280-10-50-42, an insurer that merely pays for a patient's care is not the health care facility's "customer." The customer is identified by who decides which services to purchase and from which facility.
Assets35
- 305-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending305 Cash and Cash Equivalents
ASC 305-942 was the industry-specific guidance on cash and cash equivalents for depository and lending institutions (banks, savings institutions, credit unions). Every paragraph in the subtopic — scope, presentation, and disclosure — was superseded by Maintenance Update 2017-21, so the subtopic contains no operative guidance. Entities in this industry now apply the general guidance in ASC 305 and, for restricted/reserve balances and cash flow classification, ASC 942-305 and ASC 230.
- 310-10Overall310 Receivables
ASC 310-10 is the Overall subtopic for receivables, providing general guidance on recognizing, measuring, presenting, and disclosing loans and trade receivables (including factoring, loan syndications, standby commitments to purchase loans, purchased credit card portfolios, and secured loans), plus a separate set of Subsections on acquisition, development, and construction (ADC) arrangements. Receivables held for the foreseeable future are carried at amortized cost basis (with credit losses under Topic 326), while nonmortgage loans held for sale are carried at the lower of amortized cost basis or fair value through a valuation allowance. The ADC Subsections tell a lender whether an arrangement in which it participates in expected residual profit is a loan, a real estate investment, or a real estate joint venture; most of the old impairment/TDR guidance in this subtopic was superseded by ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2022-02, leaving modification disclosures behind.
- 310-40Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors310 Receivables
ASC 310-40 formerly contained the creditor's accounting for troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) — the definition of a TDR, measurement of impairment on restructured loans, accounting for assets or equity interests received in satisfaction of a receivable, and TDR-specific disclosures. Every operative paragraph has been superseded, principally by ASU 2022-02 (which eliminated the TDR model for creditors that have adopted ASC 326), with earlier deletions by ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2014-09. The subtopic is now an empty shell: creditors account for modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty under ASC 326 and ASC 310-10 instead.
- 310-910Contractors—Construction310 Receivables
ASC 310-910 was the industry-specific guidance on receivables of construction contractors (classification and disclosure of contract receivables, retainage, and unbilled amounts). Every paragraph in the subtopic has been superseded — the presentation and disclosure paragraphs by ASU 2014-09 (the revenue standard) and the remainder by Maintenance Update No. 2019-01. As a result, the subtopic now contains no substantive guidance; contract asset, contract receivable, and retainage questions for contractors are addressed under ASC 606 (and ASC 326 for credit losses).
- 310-912Contractors—Federal Government310 Receivables
This Subtopic tells federal government contractors how to recognize, present, and disclose receivables arising from government contracts. Its core rules: unbilled costs and fees under cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts are receivables or contract assets (not advances or inventory); progress payments are applied first against unbilled receivables (or accounted for as financing if the government obtains only a secured interest); and a terminated contract converts contract inventory into a termination claim receivable classified as a current asset.
- 310-958Not-for-Profit Entities310 Receivables
This subtopic governs contributions (promises to give) receivable — a receivable unique to not-for-profit entities — focusing on subsequent measurement, presentation, and disclosure after initial recognition under 958-605. Unconditional promises are recognized as an asset and revenue when received (with verifiable documentation), measured initially under 958-605-30-4 through 30-8, and thereafter either at fair value under the 825-10 fair value option or under the change-in-value rules in Section 35 (interest accretion is contribution revenue; decreases in expected assets are bad debt expense/loss; increases generally are not recognized except as recovery of previously recognized bad debts).
- 310-965Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans310 Receivables
This Subtopic governs receivables of health and welfare benefit plans, principally contributions receivable from employers and amounts due from insurance entities. Employer contributions are recognized only when supported by a formal commitment (e.g., a governing-body resolution, an established pattern of post-year-end funding, a tax deduction, or the employer's own recorded payable), and contributions receivable must carry an allowance for estimated uncollectible amounts. Deposits with insurance entities or service providers and premium stabilization reserves remain plan assets until applied against premiums or claims, and experience-rating refunds are recorded when probable and reasonably estimable.
- 310-976Real Estate—Retail Land310 Receivables
This subtopic governs the measurement, derecognition, and disclosure of receivables arising from retail land sales. Its core rule is that an allowance for contract cancellations must be provided for receivables not expected to be collected because of cancellation, estimated from historical collection data drawn from a representative, current sample covering an adequate period (310-976-35-1). Cancelled contract receivable balances are charged in full against that allowance (310-976-40-1), and specified receivable disclosures are required (310-976-50-1).
- 310-978Real Estate—Time-Sharing Activities310 Receivables
This Subtopic governs the accounting for notes receivable arising from time-sharing interval sales, which are typically seller-financed recourse promissory notes with 5- to 10-year terms. It requires uncollectibility (of both principal and interest) to be measured on actual collection experience rather than on proceeds from receivable sales or securitizations, and requires an allowance for credit losses estimated each reporting period (at least quarterly) under Subtopic 326-20. It also prescribes specific disclosures about note maturities, interest rates, and allowance activity, including receivables sold with recourse.
- 320-10Overall320 Investments—Debt Securities
ASC 320-10 governs the accounting and reporting for all investments in debt securities (post-ASU 2016-01, equity securities moved to Topic 321). At acquisition an entity must classify each debt security as trading, available-for-sale, or held-to-maturity (320-10-25-1) and document that classification (320-10-25-2); trading and AFS securities are carried at fair value (unrealized gains/losses in earnings and OCI, respectively) while HTM securities are carried at amortized cost (320-10-35-1). The Subtopic's core tension is the restrictive "positive intent and ability to hold to maturity" standard, the narrow list of sales/transfers that do not "taint" the HTM portfolio, and the required category disclosures.
- 320-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending320 Investments—Debt Securities
This industry Subtopic supplements ASC 320-10 for depository and financial institutions (banks, thrifts, savings banks, credit unions, finance companies, insurance entities), addressing how they measure and disclose investments in debt and equity securities. Its core content is disclosure: securities must be broken out by prescribed major security types and by at least four maturity groupings, collateral pledged must be disclosed, and the accounting policy (including basis for classification) explained. It also confirms that amortization or accretion of debt securities generally runs from the purchase date to maturity, and that bank regulators' general divestiture authority does not by itself defeat held-to-maturity classification.
- 320-944Financial Services—Insurance320 Investments—Debt Securities
ASC 320-944 was the insurance-industry ("Financial Services—Insurance") incremental guidance layered onto Investments—Debt Securities. Every paragraph in this subtopic (05-1, 15-1, 15-2, 25-1, 50-1, 50-2) has been superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-01, so the subtopic contains no operative guidance. Insurance entities now follow the general guidance in ASC 320 for debt securities and ASC 321 for equity securities.
- 320-958Not-for-Profit Entities320 Investments—Debt Securities
This Subtopic (codified as 958-320) governs how not-for-profit entities account for investments in debt securities and sets disclosure rules for most NFP investments. The core rule is simple and different from the business-entity model: all debt securities held by an NFP are carried at fair value in the statement of financial position, with no held-to-maturity, trading, or available-for-sale classification. Purchased securities are initially measured at acquisition cost (excluding brokerage and other transaction fees); contributed securities and those received in agency transactions are initially measured at fair value.
- 320-965Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans320 Investments—Debt Securities
ASC 320-965 tells health and welfare benefit plans how to account for their investments in debt and equity securities. Such securities are reported at fair value less costs to sell (if significant) at the financial statement date, and purchases and sales are ordinarily recorded on a trade-date basis. Settlement-date accounting is permitted only if the fair value did not change significantly between trade date and financial statement date and the transactions do not significantly affect the composition of plan assets available for benefits.
- 321-958Not-for-Profit Entities321 Investments—Equity Securities
This subtopic (codified as 958-321) sets the incremental rules for how not-for-profit entities account for investments in equity securities and other ownership interests, layering on top of the general guidance in Topic 321. Equity securities purchased are initially measured at acquisition cost excluding brokerage and transaction fees; those received as contributions or through agency transactions are initially measured at fair value, with subsequent measurement following Topic 321. Investments held by an NFP as agent with little or no discretion over use of the income and gains are reported as agency transactions—changes in assets and liabilities, not changes in net assets.
- 323-740Income Taxes—Proportional Amortization Method323 Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures
ASC 323-740 provides standalone guidance on the proportional amortization method for equity investments in flow-through limited liability entities made primarily to receive income tax credits and other income tax benefits (e.g., LIHTC and other tax credit programs). If the conditions in 323-740-25-1 are met and the method is elected on a tax-credit-program-by-tax-credit-program basis (323-740-25-4), the investor amortizes the initial cost of the investment in proportion to the income tax credits and other income tax benefits allocated to it, and reports that amortization within income tax expense (benefit) (323-740-35-2; 323-740-45-2).
- 323-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas323 Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures
This Subtopic applies equity method and joint venture accounting to the oil and gas industry. Its core point is that joint interest (joint venture) operations, in which working interest owners retain an undivided interest in a jointly operated property run by a designated operator, are usually reflected by including the investor's proportional share of the revenues, expenses, and assets directly in its financial statements rather than by a one-line equity method presentation.
- 325-30Investments in Insurance Contracts325 Investments—Other
ASC 325-30 governs investments in life insurance contracts held by entities that are the owner or beneficiary (e.g., corporate-owned or bank-owned life insurance), and, in separate Subsections, investments in life settlement contracts purchased from policy owners. The general rule is that a life insurance policy is reported as an asset measured at "the amount that could be realized under the insurance contract" at the balance sheet date, determined policy-by-policy (or certificate-by-certificate) and reflecting probable contractual limitations. For life settlement contracts, an investor makes an irrevocable, instrument-by-instrument election between the investment method (cost plus capitalized premiums and direct external costs, subject to impairment) and the fair value method (remeasured each period through earnings).
- 325-958Not-for-Profit Entities325 Investments—Other
ASC 325-958 governs how not-for-profit entities account for "other investments"—those that are neither debt nor equity securities, derivatives, equity-method or consolidated investees, nor investments held by a financially interrelated entity—such as real estate, non-security mortgage notes, and oil and gas interests. Purchased other investments are initially measured at acquisition cost (including transaction fees) and contributed or agency-acquired ones at fair value. Subsequent measurement depends on the type of NFP: higher education institutions and voluntary health and welfare entities may elect carrying value or fair value, while other NFPs elect fair value or the lower of cost or fair value, applied consistently to all other investments.
- 325-960Plan Accounting—Defined Benefit Pension Plans325 Investments—Other
ASC 325-960 (paralleling 960-325) governs how a defined benefit pension plan accounts for and reports its investments and insurance contracts. The core rule is that plan investments—equity and debt securities, real estate, and other assets other than insurance contracts—are presented at fair value at the reporting date, with purchases and sales generally recorded on a trade-date basis; insurance contracts are presented the same way as in the plan's ERISA filing (fair value or contract value). Extensive disclosure is required by general type of investment, including the plan's interest in a master trust.
- 325-962Plan Accounting—Defined Contribution Pension Plans325 Investments—Other
ASC 962-325 governs how a defined contribution pension plan reports its investments and insurance contracts. The core rule is that plan investments (including derivatives) are reported at fair value under Topic 820, with two exceptions: fully benefit-responsive investment contracts are reported at contract value, and insurance contracts as defined in Subtopic 944-20 are presented the same way as in the plan's ERISA Form 5500 filing (fair value or contract value). It also prescribes trade-date recording, presentation of investments by general type, master trust disclosures, and disclosures about benefit-responsive contracts.
- 325-965Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans325 Investments—Other
ASC 325-965 (parallel to 965-325) governs how health and welfare benefit plans measure, present, and disclose their investments and insurance contracts. The core rule is that plan investments are reported at fair value less costs to sell, if significant, at the financial statement date, except that insurance contracts are presented as reported in the plan's ERISA Form 5500 filing (fair value or contract value) and fully benefit-responsive investment contracts of defined contribution plans are measured at contract value. Presentation is by general type of investment, with specified disclosures for benefit-responsive contracts and for plan interests in master trusts.
- 326-20Measured at Amortized Cost326 Financial Instruments—Credit Losses
ASC 326-20 is the CECL (current expected credit loss) model for financial assets measured at amortized cost, net investments in leases, off-balance-sheet credit exposures, and reinsurance recoverables. At every reporting date an entity records an allowance (a valuation account deducted from amortized cost) equal to management's current estimate of all credit losses expected over the contractual term, based on past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts, with a reversion to historical loss information beyond the forecastable period (326-20-30-1, 30-6, 30-9). Assets are pooled when they share similar risk characteristics and evaluated individually only when they do not (326-20-30-2).
- 326-30Available-for-Sale Debt Securities326 Financial Instruments—Credit Losses
ASC 326-30 governs measurement of credit losses on debt securities classified as available-for-sale (AFS), including loans meeting the definition of debt securities classified as AFS. Unlike the pooled CECL model in 326-20, impairment is assessed at the individual security level: when fair value is below amortized cost, the entity determines how much of the decline is credit-related by comparing the present value of expected cash flows with amortized cost, records that amount as an allowance for credit losses (capped at the amount fair value is below amortized cost), and puts the remaining decline in other comprehensive income. If the entity intends to sell or more likely than not must sell before recovery, the allowance is written off and the security is written down to fair value through earnings.
- 330-905Agriculture330 Inventory
ASC 330-905 applies Inventory guidance to the agricultural industry, covering producers (growing crops, developing animals, harvested crops, livestock held for sale, secondary products), pooling cooperatives, and cooperative patrons. Direct and indirect costs of growing crops are accumulated until harvest, with pre-planting costs deferred and post-harvest cultural costs estimated and accrued to the harvested crop. Harvested crops and animals held for sale may be carried at net realizable value if they have a reliable, readily determinable market price, insignificant and predictable disposal costs, and immediate availability for delivery; otherwise Subtopic 330-10 measurement applies.
- 330-912Contractors—Federal Government330 Inventory
This Subtopic gives government contractors narrow guidance on inventory affected by contracts terminated for the convenience of the government, plus disclosure of the accounting policy for costs included in contract inventory. If inventory whose costs are in the termination claim is later reacquired by the contractor, the reacquisition value is recorded as a purchase; in "no-cost settlements," where the contractor waives its claim, no sale transaction arises and retained inventory is accounted for under ordinary inventory methods rather than as a purchase.
- 330-976Real Estate—Retail Land330 Inventory
This Subtopic sets the inventory-related disclosure requirements for entities engaged in retail land sales operations, focusing on future expenditures for land improvements. Entities must disclose the estimated total costs and timing of improvement expenditures for major selling areas for each of the five years after the balance sheet date, plus any recorded obligations for improvements (330-976-50-1).
- 340-980Regulated Operations340 Other Assets and Deferred Costs
This subtopic governs when a rate-regulated entity may capitalize incurred costs as regulatory assets (deferred costs) and, in particular, how to account for phase-in plans — rate-making arrangements that defer part of the rate increase caused by placing a newly completed plant in service in order to avoid a "rate spike." A cost is capitalized only if it is probable that future revenue at least equal to the cost will result from including it in allowable costs and that revenue is intended to recover the previously incurred cost rather than fund similar future costs (980-340-25-1). Amounts deferred under a phase-in plan may be capitalized only for plants completed or substantially constructed before January 1, 1988, and only if the plan meets four strict criteria (980-340-25-3).
- 350-20Goodwill350 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other
ASC 350-20 governs the accounting for goodwill after its initial recognition (initial recognition/measurement is in 805-30, 805-60, or 958-805) and prohibits capitalizing internally developed goodwill. Under the general model, goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level, with an optional qualitative "more likely than not" screen; if the quantitative test shows the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, a loss is recognized for that excess, capped at the goodwill allocated to the unit. Private companies and not-for-profit entities may elect accounting alternatives to amortize goodwill over 10 years or less and to test only upon a triggering event, and/or to evaluate triggering events only as of the end of each reporting period.
- 350-30General Intangibles Other Than Goodwill350 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other
ASC 350-30 governs the accounting for intangible assets other than goodwill — their recognition when acquired individually or in an asset group, the expensing of internally developed intangibles that are not specifically identifiable, and, for all intangibles (including those from a business combination), their subsequent measurement, impairment, presentation, and disclosure. The core rule is that accounting after acquisition turns on useful life: finite-lived intangibles are amortized over their useful life (residual value presumed zero) and tested for impairment under Subtopic 360-10, while indefinite-lived intangibles are not amortized and are tested for impairment at least annually by comparing fair value with carrying amount.
- 350-60Crypto Assets350 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other
ASC 350-60 governs the subsequent measurement, presentation, and disclosure of in-scope crypto assets (e.g., bitcoin-type fungible tokens). The core rule is that such assets are measured at fair value on the balance sheet with remeasurement gains and losses recognized in net income (350-60-35-1), replacing the old indefinite-lived intangible impairment-only model. Initial measurement, recognition, and derecognition remain governed by other GAAP (350-60-05-2).
- 350-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas350 Intangibles—Goodwill and Other
This Subtopic carves oil- and gas-producing entities out of the general intangible asset balance sheet classification and disclosure rules for their drilling and mineral rights. Because the oil and gas accounting framework turns on the level of established reserves rather than on whether an asset is tangible or intangible, the scope exception in 350-10-15-4(b) extends to the disclosure provisions, with disclosure instead governed by Section 932-235-50. Entities may voluntarily provide additional information about drilling and mineral rights but may not analogize this exception to other items in 350-10-15-4.
- 360-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending360 Property, Plant, and Equipment
This Subtopic addresses how depository and lending institutions (banks, savings institutions, credit unions) present property, plant, and equipment in their financial statements. Premises and equipment are generally reported as a single balance sheet caption, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization, with the accumulated amount shown on the face of the balance sheet or in the notes. Net gains or losses on disposition of premises and equipment go into noninterest income or noninterest expense rather than a separate line.
- 360-958Not-for-Profit Entities360 Property, Plant, and Equipment
This subtopic governs long-lived tangible assets held by not-for-profit entities, including contributed property, plant, and equipment and collection items. Its core rules are that all NFPs must recognize depreciation on long-lived tangible assets (360-958-35-1), that contributed PP&E is recognized under the Contributions Received Subsections of 958-605 with initial measurement including all costs to place the asset in use (360-958-30-1), and that an NFP holding a "collection" may elect one of three policies—full capitalization, prospective capitalization, or no capitalization—but capitalizing selected items is precluded (360-958-25-3).
- 360-972Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations360 Property, Plant, and Equipment
This Subtopic tells common interest realty associations (CIRAs) — cooperatives, condominium associations, and homeowners associations — when to recognize common real and personal property as assets, how to measure it, and what to disclose. Cooperatives recognize all common real property because they hold title and can dispose of it and keep the proceeds; other CIRAs generally do not recognize real property directly associated with the units, and recognize property not directly associated with the units only if they have title or other evidence of ownership plus disposal discretion or significant cash-flow generation. Recognized property is measured at cost (or fair value if acquired in a nonmonetary transaction such as a developer transfer) and depreciated over estimated useful lives.
Liabilities28
- 405-20Extinguishments of Liabilities405 Liabilities
ASC 405-20 governs when a debtor may derecognize a liability because it has been extinguished. Under 405-20-40-1, extinguishment occurs if and only if the debtor pays the creditor (cash, other financial assets, goods or services, or reacquisition of its own debt securities) and is relieved of the obligation, or the debtor is legally released as primary obligor judicially or by the creditor. The Subtopic also contains special derecognition (breakage) rules for liabilities from prepaid stored-value products and excludes debt conversions and troubled debt restructurings (see 470-20 and 470-60).
- 405-40Obligations Resulting from Joint and Several Liability Arrangements405 Liabilities
ASC 405-40 governs how an entity recognizes, measures, and discloses obligations arising from joint and several liability arrangements when the total amount of the obligation is fixed at the reporting date (e.g., debt with co-obligors, settled litigation shared with other defendants). The core measurement rule is that the reporting entity records the amount it agreed to pay under its arrangement with co-obligors plus any additional amount it expects to pay on behalf of those co-obligors. Scope excludes obligations already covered by Topics 410, 450, 460, 715, and 740.
- 405-50Liabilities—Supplier Finance Programs405 Liabilities
ASC 405-50 is a disclosure-only subtopic requiring the buyer in a supplier finance program (also called reverse factoring, payables finance, or structured payables) to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about the program. A supplier finance program exists when the buyer agrees with a finance provider or intermediary, confirms supplier invoices as valid to that party, and the supplier can request early payment from a party other than the buyer (405-50-15-2). The subtopic does not address recognition, measurement, or balance sheet presentation of the obligation, or the accounting by other parties (405-50-10-2).
- 405-910Contractors—Construction405 Liabilities
ASC 405-910 formerly provided liability guidance (offsetting/presentation and disclosure of advances, billings, and related contractor obligations) for construction contractors. Every paragraph in the subtopic — Sections 05, 15, 45, and 50 — was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). As a result, the subtopic contains no operative guidance; contract liabilities of construction contractors are now addressed under ASC 606 (and contract costs under ASC 340-40).
- 405-912Contractors—Federal Government405 Liabilities
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.
- 405-926Entertainment—Films405 Liabilities
ASC 405-926 governs how film production and distribution entities accrue participation costs — amounts owed to third parties such as actors and writers — and costs of insignificant post-release changes to a film. Participation costs are accrued using the individual-film-forecast-computation method (current period actual revenue over estimated remaining unrecognized ultimate revenue at the beginning of the fiscal year), but only when it is probable an entity will sacrifice assets to settle the obligation, and never for less than amounts currently payable. If the recorded participation liability exceeds estimated unpaid ultimate participation costs, the excess reduces unamortized film costs first, then goes to income.
- 405-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending405 Liabilities
This Subtopic governs how depository and lending institutions recognize, measure, present, and disclose deposit liabilities and short-sale obligations. Deposit liabilities are recognized when deposits are received (not when funds are collected), with deposit float recorded as both an asset and a liability, and credit unions must present member share/savings accounts unequivocally as liabilities. Short sales ("securities sold, not yet purchased") are reported as liabilities measured at fair value through income, with interest on short positions accrued as interest expense.
- 405-954Health Care Entities405 Liabilities
This Subtopic governs recognition and disclosure of liabilities unique to health care entities, principally accrued health care costs under capitation and other risk-bearing payor contracts. Providers that bear risk for referrals and outside services must accrue a liability for unpaid claims, including incurred but not reported (IBNR) claims, and must accrue health care costs as services are rendered, including services required beyond the premium period and post-termination costs. It also clarifies that entering into a Medicare fraud settlement that requires five years of future compliance audits is not itself the obligating event, so no liability is recognized for those future audits.
- 405-958Not-for-Profit Entities405 Liabilities
This Subtopic addresses how a not-for-profit entity accounts for its own liabilities, principally unconditional promises to give (grants/pledges the NFP makes to others). It fixes the discount rate used in a present-value measurement at initial recognition (no revision unless the fair value option under 825-10 is elected), requires discount amortization to be reported in the same functional expense classification as the original promise, and requires a maturity schedule disclosure. It also cross-references guidance for donated assets transferred to intermediaries/agents and for refundable membership interests of social and country clubs.
- 410-30Environmental Obligations410 Asset Retirement and Environmental Obligations
ASC 410-30 governs accounting for environmental remediation liabilities — obligations to clean up pollution arising from past acts under Superfund (CERCLA), RCRA corrective-action provisions, or analogous state/non-U.S. laws. Applied site by site, it uses the loss contingency model of ASC 450-20: accrue when it is probable a liability has been incurred (litigation/claim asserted or probably will be, and an unfavorable outcome probable) and the amount (or a minimum in a range) is reasonably estimable, measured as the entity's allocable share of the joint and several liability plus amounts other PRPs won't pay. Remediation costs are generally expensed as a component of operating income, with narrow capitalization exceptions and separate recognition of probable third-party recoveries as assets.
- 420-10Overall420 Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations
ASC 420-10 governs when and how an entity recognizes and measures liabilities for costs of exit or disposal activities (restructurings), including one-time involuntary employee termination benefits, costs to terminate non-lease contracts, and other associated costs such as facility closures and employee relocation. The core rule is that a liability is recognized only when it is incurred — i.e., when a present obligation exists — and measured initially at fair value; a mere commitment to an exit or disposal plan is not the requisite past event (420-10-25-1 through 25-2, 420-10-30-1). Ongoing termination-benefit arrangements, pension/OPEB special termination benefits, deferred compensation, stock compensation, and asset retirement obligations are excluded and handled under other Topics (420-10-15-5 through 15-6).
- 440-10Overall440 Commitments
ASC 440-10 is the general "Commitments" subtopic: it requires disclosure of certain contractual commitments (unused letters of credit, pledged assets, cumulative preferred dividends in arrears, plant acquisition commitments, obligations to reduce debt, maintain working capital, or restrict dividends) that are not otherwise more explicitly addressed elsewhere in the Codification. Its Unconditional Purchase Obligations Subsections require disclosure of off-balance-sheet take-or-pay and throughput contracts that are noncancelable, were negotiated as part of arranging financing for the supplier's facility, and have a remaining term over one year. The Topic is largely a disclosure standard—recognition of such obligations is governed by other Topics (842, 815, 330).
- 440-920Entertainment—Broadcasters440 Commitments
This Subtopic governs disclosure by broadcasters of program license agreements that have been signed (executed) but that do not yet qualify for recognition as an asset and liability on the balance sheet. The single rule is that such executory license commitments must be disclosed in the notes, even though they are not recorded, because the recognition conditions in 920-350-25-2 have not been met.
- 440-928Entertainment—Music440 Commitments
This Subtopic sets the disclosure requirement for commitments in the music industry. An entity must disclose commitments to pay artist advances in future years and any guarantees obligating it to pay royalties in the future (440-928-50-1). It contains no recognition or measurement guidance—only disclosure.
- 440-952Franchisors440 Commitments
ASC 440-952 was the franchisor-specific extension of the Commitments topic, but every substantive paragraph (05-1 overview, 15-1 scope, and 50-1 disclosure) was superseded by Maintenance Update 2017-09. The subtopic therefore contains no remaining guidance; franchisor commitment and disclosure requirements now fall under the general Commitments guidance in ASC 440-10 and, for franchise revenue, ASC 606.
- 440-954Health Care Entities440 Commitments
This subtopic governs the commitment of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) to provide future services and the use of facilities to current residents under continuing-care contracts. The CCRC must recalculate that obligation annually and, if advance fees plus periodic fees are insufficient to cover the cost of future services and facilities, record a liability measured actuarially at the present value of future net cash flows, less deferred revenue (contract liability), plus depreciation of facilities to be charged to those contracts and any unamortized incremental costs of obtaining a contract. Extensive note disclosure about the contracts, liability, discount rate, escrow requirements, and refund policy is required.
- 450-10Overall450 Contingencies
ASC 450-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Contingencies Topic; it sets the pervasive scope, definitions, and cross-references for gain and loss contingencies addressed in 450-20 and 450-30. A contingency exists when an existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involves uncertainty that will be resolved by a future event confirming the acquisition of an asset, reduction of a liability, loss or impairment of an asset, or incurrence of a liability (450-10-05-5). Critically, the mere use of an estimate does not create a contingency (450-10-05-6), and the Topic does not apply to recognition and initial measurement of contingency-related assets and liabilities measured at fair value in a business combination, NFP acquisition, or joint venture formation (450-10-15-2A).
- 450-20Loss Contingencies450 Contingencies
ASC 450-20 governs when a loss contingency must be accrued as a charge to income and when it must instead be disclosed. A loss is accrued only if, based on information available before the financial statements are issued, it is probable that an asset was impaired or a liability incurred at the balance sheet date and the amount of loss is reasonably estimable (450-20-25-2). If the estimate is a range, the best estimate in the range is accrued, or the minimum of the range if no amount is better than any other (450-20-30-1); if accrual criteria are not met but a loss is at least reasonably possible, disclosure of the nature of the contingency and an estimate of possible loss (or a statement that none can be made) is required (450-20-50-3 through 50-4).
- 450-30Gain Contingencies450 Contingencies
ASC 450-30 governs gain contingencies — existing conditions or situations involving uncertainty that may result in a future gain to the entity. The core rule is asymmetric to loss contingencies: a gain contingency usually should not be reflected in the financial statements, because doing so might recognize revenue before it is realized (450-30-25-1). Instead, adequate disclosure is required, worded carefully so as not to imply that realization is more likely than it is (450-30-50-1).
- 450-954Health Care Entities450 Contingencies
This subtopic applies Topic 450 loss-contingency principles to health care entities, principally medical malpractice claims, prepaid health care contract losses, and preferred provider "stop-loss" guarantees. Malpractice liabilities must be accrued when the incidents giving rise to the claims occur — including losses from incidents probable of having occurred but not yet reported — based on best estimates of ultimate claim costs, and may not be presented net of anticipated insurance recoveries. Losses on prepaid health care contracts are recognized when it is probable that expected future health care and maintenance costs on a group of existing contracts will exceed anticipated future premiums and stop-loss recoveries.
- 450-958Not-for-Profit Entities450 Contingencies
This Subtopic applies the general loss contingency model of Topic 450 to not-for-profit entities. It identifies two NFP-specific triggers — noncompliance with donor-imposed restrictions on contributed assets and problems with (or absence of a determination letter for) tax-exempt status — that may require accrual of a loss contingency under Subtopic 450-20 and disclosure under Section 450-20-50.
- 460-10Overall460 Guarantees
ASC 460-10 requires a guarantor to recognize a liability at the inception of a guarantee for the noncontingent "stand-ready" obligation it undertakes, generally measured at the fair value of the guarantee (with the premium received as a practical expedient), even if payment under the guarantee is not probable. It also imposes extensive disclosures about each guarantee (nature, term, triggering events, maximum potential undiscounted future payments, carrying amount, recourse and collateral) even when the likelihood of payment is remote. Separate Product Warranties Subsections apply ASC 450-20 loss-accrual conditions to warranty obligations and require a tabular rollforward of the aggregate product warranty liability.
- 470-10Overall470 Debt
ASC 470-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Debt topic and governs a borrower's balance sheet classification (current vs. noncurrent) of specific obligations: short-term obligations expected to be refinanced, due-on-demand loans, callable debt and covenant violations, revolving credit agreements with lock-box arrangements and subjective acceleration clauses, increasing-rate debt, sales of future revenue, and indexed debt. Core rules: callable and demand obligations are current unless a waiver/cure exception applies (470-10-45-10 through 45-11), and a short-term obligation may be excluded from current liabilities only if the entity intends to refinance long term and demonstrates ability via post-balance-sheet issuance of long-term debt/equity or a qualifying financing agreement (470-10-45-14). It also sets debt-versus-deferred-income classification for proceeds from sales of future revenue and disclosure requirements for maturities, unused lines of credit, and refinancings.
- 470-20Debt with Conversion and Other Options470 Debt
ASC 470-20 governs the issuer's accounting for debt with detachable warrants, convertible debt instruments, interest forfeited on conversion, induced conversions, conversions triggered by the issuer's call, and own-share lending arrangements entered into in contemplation of a convertible debt offering. After ASU 2020-06 eliminated the cash conversion and beneficial conversion feature models, the default rule is that convertible debt is accounted for in its entirety as a liability with no proceeds allocated to the conversion feature (470-20-25-12), unless the feature must be bifurcated as a derivative under 815-15 or the debt was issued at a substantial premium (470-20-25-13). Proceeds of debt issued with detachable warrants, by contrast, are allocated between the debt and the warrants based on relative fair values (470-20-25-2).
- 470-30Participating Mortgage Loans470 Debt
ASC 470-30 governs how a *borrower* accounts for a participating mortgage loan — a mortgage in which the lender is entitled to share in appreciation in the fair value of the mortgaged real estate project, in its results of operations, or both. If the lender participates in fair value appreciation, the borrower recognizes a participation liability at the fair value of the participation feature at loan inception with an offsetting debt discount, remeasures the liability to current fair value each reporting period (adjusting the discount), and amortizes the discount to interest expense using the interest method. Participations in results of operations are charged to interest expense in the period incurred with a credit to the participation liability.
- 470-60Troubled Debt Restructurings by Debtors470 Debt
ASC 470-60 governs how a debtor accounts for a troubled debt restructuring (TDR) — a restructuring in which the creditor, for economic or legal reasons related to the debtor's financial difficulties, grants a concession it would not otherwise consider (470-60-15-5). Settlements by transfer of assets or grant of an equity interest are measured at fair value, with a gain on restructuring equal to the excess of the payable's carrying amount over that fair value (470-60-35-2, 35-4). Pure modifications of terms are accounted for prospectively with no change in carrying amount and a new effective interest rate, unless total future cash payments (including contingent amounts) are less than the carrying amount, in which case the debtor writes down the payable and recognizes a gain (470-60-35-5 through 35-7).
- 470-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending470 Debt
This Subtopic gives industry-specific presentation and disclosure rules for the borrowings and long-term obligations of depository and lending institutions. Significant categories of borrowings must appear as separate balance sheet line items (or one line with note detail of components), mortgage transfers treated as secured borrowings under Topic 860 must be shown as debt separately from advances, other notes payable and subordinated debt, and notes must describe the principal terms of each debt agreement. Fair value estimates of deposit liabilities must exclude core deposit intangibles.
- 470-944Financial Services—Insurance470 Debt
This subtopic governs how an insurance entity that issues surplus notes (also called certificates of contribution, surplus debentures, or capital notes) accounts for them under GAAP. The core rule is that surplus notes are debt, not equity: they are presented as liabilities and interest is accrued over the note's life even though the domiciliary state insurance commissioner must approve each principal and interest payment (470-944-25-1, 35-1, 45-1).
Equity6
- 505-10Overall505 Equity
ASC 505-10 is the residual "Overall" subtopic for equity — it covers equity matters not addressed in the other Equity subtopics (stock dividends/splits, treasury stock, spinoffs) or in other Topics such as 480 and 815. Its core rules are that transactions in an entity's own capital stock (and quasi-reorganization adjustments and transfers to/from appropriated retained earnings) never affect net income, that additional paid-in capital may not be used to relieve income of charges, and that notes received for stock are generally shown as a deduction from equity rather than as an asset. It also imposes extensive disclosures on the rights and privileges of outstanding securities, convertible preferred stock, redemption requirements, and liquidation preferences.
- 505-30Treasury Stock505 Equity
ASC 505-30 governs how an entity accounts for repurchases of its own outstanding common stock (treasury stock) and the later constructive or actual retirement or resale of those shares. The core rule is that treasury stock transactions are capital transactions: no gain or loss may be recognized in income or charged directly to retained earnings as profit, and differences between repurchase and resale/par amounts are allocated among additional paid-in capital and retained earnings. When shares are bought at a price differing from open-market price (e.g., from a specific shareholder), only the fair value of the shares is treasury stock cost and the excess is allocated to the other rights or privileges obtained and accounted for by their substance.
- 505-905Agriculture505 Equity
This Subtopic governs how entities in the agricultural industry — principally agricultural cooperatives — classify and present equity. Its core rule is that cooperative earnings are split between patronage source earnings (from transactions with or for patrons) and nonpatronage earnings, and that allocated equities such as retained patronage allocations and per-unit retains are presented as equity when they have no fixed maturity date and are subordinated to all debt. Unallocated nonpatronage earnings are classified as retained earnings, and allocated equities become current liabilities only when the board formally acts to revolve them.
- 505-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending505 Equity
This Subtopic prescribes the note disclosures a bank, savings institution, credit union, foreign bank branch, or holding company must make about regulatory capital. At a minimum, the entity must describe the capital adequacy and prompt corrective action requirements, the actual/possible effects of noncompliance, whether it is in compliance (with required and actual capital ratios and amounts for each balance sheet date), and the prompt corrective action category it was assigned at its most recent notification (942-505-50-1). Noncompliance may, with other factors, raise substantial doubt about going concern.
- 505-944Financial Services—Insurance505 Equity
This Subtopic sets the equity-related disclosure requirements for insurance entities, focusing on statutory capital and surplus and how statutory accounting practices constrain dividends. Entities must disclose statutory capital and surplus, the amount needed to meet regulatory requirements, and restrictions on retained earnings available for dividends (505-944-50-1). When state-prescribed or permitted statutory accounting practices differ from NAIC statutory accounting practices and produce a significantly different statutory surplus or risk-based capital, the entity must describe the practice and quantify its monetary effect on statutory surplus (505-944-50-2 through 50-3).
- 505-946Financial Services—Investment Companies505 Equity
This Subtopic governs equity transactions and reporting for investment companies, focusing on capital share transactions and distributions to shareholders. It requires per-class disclosure of net asset value per share and the components of the net change in net assets from capital share transactions, along with tax-basis components of dividends paid. Return of capital is determined only at the fund level, not per class.
Revenue5
- 605-28Milestone Method605 Revenue Recognition
ASC 605-28 formerly provided the "milestone method" of revenue recognition, an accounting policy election that allowed a vendor in a research-and-development arrangement to recognize contingent milestone consideration in its entirety in the period the milestone was achieved, if the milestone was deemed substantive. Every paragraph of this subtopic — scope, recognition, disclosure, and transition — was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). Milestone-type contingent consideration is now accounted for as variable consideration under ASC 606, subject to the constraint on variable consideration.
- 605-954Health Care Entities605 Revenue Recognition
After ASU 2014-09 superseded most of its content, ASC 605-954 retains only two pieces of health care recognition guidance: charity care and distributions from financially interrelated fundraising (recipient) entities. Charity care is never recognized as revenue, and distributions from a related fundraising foundation are generally a reduction of the health care entity's interest in that recipient entity rather than contribution revenue. Revenue from contracts with patients and other customers is now governed by Topic 606.
- 605-958Not-for-Profit Entities605 Revenue Recognition
ASC 958-605 governs revenue recognition by not-for-profit entities, principally contributions received. Its core rules are (1) distinguishing contributions (no commensurate value to the resource provider) from exchange transactions accounted for under Topic 606, (2) recognizing unconditional contributions as revenue or gains at fair value when received while conditional contributions (a barrier plus a right of return/release) are deferred as refundable advances until the barrier is substantially met, and (3) classifying contributions as with or without donor restrictions. It also covers agency-type transfers where an NFP recipient acts as intermediary, agent, or trustee for a donor and a specified third-party beneficiary.
- 606-10Overall606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
ASC 606-10 is the general revenue recognition model for contracts with customers: revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services in an amount reflecting the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled. It is applied through five steps — identify the contract, identify the performance obligations, determine the transaction price, allocate that price to the performance obligations, and recognize revenue as each obligation is satisfied when the customer obtains control (606-10-05-4). It also sets the scope exclusions (leases, insurance, financial instruments, guarantees, certain nonmonetary exchanges), balance sheet presentation of contract assets/liabilities and receivables, and a broad disclosure package.
- 606-952Franchisors606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
This subtopic gives franchisors that are not public business entities a practical expedient for identifying performance obligations under Topic 606. Rather than applying the general distinct analysis to the franchise license, a private franchisor may treat listed pre-opening services (site selection, facility assistance, training, manuals, bookkeeping/IT/advisory, quality control) as distinct from the franchise license, and may further elect as an accounting policy to treat all such pre-opening services as a single performance obligation. The expedient affects only step 2 of the model; allocation of transaction price and timing of recognition still follow Topic 606.
Expenses23
- 712-10Overall712 Compensation—Nonretirement Postemployment Benefits
ASC 712-10 governs employer accounting for nonretirement postemployment benefits — special and contractual termination benefits and other postemployment benefits (severance, salary continuation, disability, continued health coverage) paid to former or inactive employees after employment but before retirement and not paid through a pension or other postretirement plan. Special termination benefits are accrued when employees accept the offer and the amount is reasonably estimable; contractual termination benefits are accrued when it is probable employees will be entitled to them and the amount is reasonably estimable. Other postemployment benefits are accrued under Subtopic 710-10 if they accumulate or vest, and otherwise under the loss contingency model of paragraph 450-20-25-2.
- 715-10Overall715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-10 is the Overall subtopic that sets the objectives and pervasive scope for employer accounting for pension, other postretirement, and certain special or contractual termination benefits. Its core premise is that a benefit plan is an exchange of deferred compensation for employee service, so the employer's obligation is incurred as services are rendered and cost is recognized over the employee service periods. Because the original content was built on an expense recognition model, most operative guidance sits in the Subsequent Measurement Sections of Subtopics 715-20, 715-30, 715-60, 715-70, and 715-80.
- 715-20Defined Benefit Plans—General715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-20 governs the presentation and disclosure requirements for single-employer defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit (OPEB) plans, and it confirms that a cash balance plan is a defined benefit plan. It requires employers to disclose, separately for pension and OPEB plans, reconciliations of the benefit obligation and plan assets, funded status and where it is recognized on the balance sheet, plan asset fair value information by class, weighted-average assumptions, expected future benefit payments and contributions, and amounts in AOCI not yet recognized in net periodic benefit cost. On the face of the income statement, only the service cost component goes with other compensation cost; all other components must be presented separately and outside any subtotal of income from operations.
- 715-70Defined Contribution Plans715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-70 governs employer accounting and disclosure for defined contribution pension and other postretirement benefit plans—plans that provide an individual account for each participant and benefits based only on contributions plus returns. The core rule is that net periodic cost equals the contribution called for in the period in which the employee renders service (715-70-35-1), with costs accrued during the service period if contributions relate to periods after retirement or termination. Plans with characteristics of both defined benefit and defined contribution plans must be accounted for based on their substance (715-70-15-2).
- 715-80Multiemployer Plans715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-80 governs an employer's accounting and disclosure for participation in multiemployer pension and other postretirement benefit plans — plans to which two or more unrelated employers contribute, usually under collective-bargaining agreements. The core rule is defined-contribution-like: the employer recognizes as net pension (or net periodic postretirement benefit) cost the required contribution for the period, including cash and the fair value of noncash contributions, and recognizes a liability only for unpaid required contributions (715-80-35-1). Extensive plan-by-plan disclosures (zone status, EIN, contributions, collective-bargaining agreement expirations, withdrawal exposure) are required so users can assess the distinctive risks of multiemployer participation.
- 715-912Contractors—Federal Government715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-912 is the industry-specific overlay applying retirement benefit accounting to government contractors. Its scope mirrors the Contractors—Federal Government Overall Subtopic (912-10-15), and its only substantive requirement is a disclosure consideration: contractors should consider disclosing the effect of the government's rights to any excess pension plan assets if a plan terminates.
- 715-958Not-for-Profit Entities715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
This Subtopic adapts Topic 715 (pension and other postretirement benefits) for not-for-profit entities, which do not report other comprehensive income. Everywhere Topic 715 would require net gains or losses, prior service costs or credits, and transition assets or obligations to run through OCI/AOCI, an NFP instead recognizes those amounts as changes in net assets without donor restrictions that have not yet been reclassified into net periodic benefit cost. Those amounts, and the non-service components of net periodic benefit cost, are presented in separate line items outside any intermediate measure of operations (or performance indicator for business-oriented health care NFPs).
- 715-980Regulated Operations715 Compensation—Retirement Benefits
ASC 715-980 tells rate-regulated entities how to account for the difference between net periodic pension cost (715-30) or net periodic postretirement benefit cost (715-60) and the amounts of those costs allowed for rate-making purposes. The regulator's actions create a regulatory asset (deferred cost whose recovery is probable) or a liability (unearned revenue collected for future costs), which changes only the timing of expense recognition, not the underlying 715-30/715-60 measurement. Deferral of 715-60 costs as a regulatory asset is permitted only if strict criteria about the rate order, five-year phase-in, roughly 20-year deferral-recovery period, and non-increasing rate escalation are met.
- 720-35Advertising Costs720 Other Expenses
ASC 720-35 governs how entities account for advertising costs in annual financial statements. The core rule: advertising costs are expensed either as incurred or the first time the advertising takes place, applied consistently as an accounting policy to similar kinds of advertising activities (720-35-25-1); no advertising asset is capitalized, though sales materials may be treated as prepaid supplies and cooperative-advertising obligations must be accrued when the related revenue is recognized. The notes must disclose the policy elected and total advertising expense for each income statement presented (720-35-50-1).
- 720-926Entertainment—Films720 Other Expenses
This Subtopic governs how film production and distribution entities account for certain costs incurred to develop and market a film, including overall deal costs and exploitation costs. Costs of overall deals that cannot be identified with specific projects are charged to expense as incurred over the related time period (720-926-25-1), advertising costs follow Subtopic 720-35 (720-926-25-2), and all other exploitation costs, including marketing costs, are expensed as incurred (720-926-25-3).
- 720-952Franchisors720 Other Expenses
ASC 720-952 was the franchisor-specific guidance on other expenses (franchise costs such as direct and indirect costs of franchise sales and continuing franchise services). Every paragraph in the subtopic has been superseded — the recognition, presentation and other guidance by Maintenance Update 2017-09 and the disclosure paragraph by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). As a result, the subtopic contains no operative guidance today; franchisor cost accounting is addressed under ASC 606 and ASC 340-40.
- 720-954Health Care Entities720 Other Expenses
ASC 720-954 governs how health care entities account for insurance-related and other operating expenses, principally retrospectively rated insurance policies, claims-made policies, malpractice loss accruals, multiprovider captive insurance arrangements, and stop-loss insurance. The core rules turn on whose loss experience drives the premium: if the entity's own experience, the minimum premium is expensed over the coverage period and recoveries are deferred until estimated losses exceed the stipulated maximum premium; if a group's experience, additional premiums or refunds are accrued based on group experience to date, including asserted and unasserted, reported and unreported claims.
- 720-958Not-for-Profit Entities720 Other Expenses
ASC 720-958 (cross-referenced as 958-720) governs how not-for-profit entities report expenses: by functional classification (program services and supporting activities such as management and general, fundraising, and membership development) and by natural classification, with a required analysis linking the two. It also sets the purpose/audience/content criteria that must all be met before joint costs of an activity that includes fundraising may be allocated to program or management and general rather than charged entirely to fundraising, and requires a recipient NFP to recognize services received from personnel of an affiliate that the affiliate does not charge for.
- 720-974Real Estate—Real Estate Investment Trusts720 Other Expenses
This subtopic governs how a real estate investment trust (REIT) accounts for "operating support" received from its external adviser — arrangements designed to guarantee the REIT a certain return, such as buying loans or property above fair value, debt forgiveness, advisory fee reductions, compensating balances, or cash payments. The REIT must adjust any transferred assets or liabilities to fair value at the transaction date and recognize the support effectively obtained as income or as a reduction of advisory fees. The effect of these transactions must be reported separately in the income statement and fully disclosed as a related party relationship.
- 730-10Overall730 Research and Development
ASC 730-10 governs the identification and accounting for research and development (R&D) costs. The core rule is that R&D costs within scope are charged to expense when incurred (730-10-25-1), because future benefits are too uncertain and unmeasurable to support asset recognition (730-10-05-2 through 05-3). The subtopic also defines which activities count as R&D, which cost elements are R&D costs, and requires disclosure of total R&D expense for each income statement period.
- 730-20Research and Development Arrangements730 Research and Development
ASC 730-20 governs how an entity accounts for arrangements in which other parties (often a limited partnership of investors) fund the entity's research and development. The central question is the substance of the entity's obligation: whether the entity has merely contracted to perform R&D services for others, or has in substance incurred a liability to repay the funding parties. Substance governs over form, so payments labeled royalties or option/purchase prices may in fact be settlement of a borrowing, the purchase price of an asset, or true royalties.
- 740-30Other Considerations or Special Areas740 Income Taxes
ASC 740-30 governs the limited exceptions to comprehensive deferred tax recognition for temporary differences (outside basis differences) arising from investments in subsidiaries and corporate joint ventures, principally undistributed earnings. The starting presumption is that all undistributed earnings of a subsidiary will be transferred to the parent and thus create a taxable temporary difference (740-30-25-3), but that presumption can be overcome by the "indefinite reversal criteria" for foreign subsidiaries/foreign corporate joint ventures essentially permanent in duration and for pre-December 16, 1992 domestic undistributed earnings (740-30-25-17 and 25-18). Deferred tax assets for excess outside tax basis are recognized only if it is apparent the difference will reverse in the foreseeable future (740-30-25-9).
- 740-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas740 Income Taxes
This subtopic covers income tax accounting peculiar to oil- and gas-producing activities. Its core rules: the tax benefit of statutory depletion in excess of cost depletion is recognized only in the period the excess is deducted on the tax return (no deferred tax asset before then), and the likelihood that future statutory depletion will reduce or eliminate future taxable income must be weighed in the more-likely-than-not realizability assessment for deferred tax assets. It also notes that costs such as intangible drilling and development costs and geological and geophysical costs are deducted for tax purposes in periods different from when they are expensed or amortized for book purposes, creating temporary differences.
- 740-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending740 Income Taxes
This subtopic applies Topic 740 to stock and mutual savings and loan associations and mutual savings banks, whose tax bad-debt reserve deductions differ from book bad-debt experience. Its core rule is an exception to comprehensive deferred tax recognition: no deferred tax liability is recognized for the tax bad-debt reserve that arose in tax years beginning before December 31, 1987 (the base-year amount), while a deferred tax liability must be recognized for reserve amounts in excess of the base year. Related valuation allowance, measurement, and disclosure requirements are specified.
- 740-944Financial Services—Insurance740 Income Taxes
This Subtopic applies Topic 740's income tax model to insurance entities. Deferred tax liabilities and assets are recognized for temporary differences generally, but a life insurance entity does not provide deferred taxes on taxable temporary differences related to policyholders' surplus arising in fiscal years beginning on or before December 15, 1992 — unless a known or expected reduction in that surplus makes tax payment likely, in which case the attributable tax is accrued currently. Disclosure of unrecognized deferred tax liabilities under the Topic 740 exceptions is required.
- 740-946Financial Services—Investment Companies740 Income Taxes
This subtopic gives investment companies the income tax accounting and reporting rules unique to their industry. Its core rules are narrow: any provision for deferred income taxes on unrealized appreciation must be charged against the unrealized gains account (946-740-35-1) and disclosed as such in the statement of operations (946-740-50-1). Implementation guidance addresses regulated investment companies' post-October capital and foreign currency loss deferrals and how they factor into deferred tax disclosures.
- 740-954Health Care Entities740 Income Taxes
This subtopic is a very short industry-specific overlay to ASC 740 that applies only to not-for-profit, business-oriented health care entities. Its single substantive rule is a disclosure requirement: a tax-exempt health care entity must disclose its tax-exempt status (740-954-50-1). It adds no recognition or measurement guidance beyond the general income tax model.
- 740-972Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations740 Income Taxes
This Subtopic applies Topic 740's income tax guidance to common interest realty associations (CIRAs), such as homeowners' and condominium associations. Because a CIRA's income taxes generally do not relate to an excess of revenues over expenses, the tax provision may be presented among other operating expenses in the statement of revenues and expenses rather than as a separate below-the-line item. It also imposes CIRA-specific note disclosures about filing status, tax liability, and expiring credits.
Broad Transactions34
- 805-10Overall805 Business Combinations
ASC 805-10 is the Overall subtopic of Business Combinations: it sets the scope of the Topic and governs two of the four steps of the acquisition method — identifying the acquirer and determining the acquisition date — plus the definition of a business, the measurement period, and deciding what is (and is not) part of the business combination exchange. Every transaction meeting the definition of a business combination must be accounted for by the acquisition method (805-10-25-1); if the acquired set is not a business, it is an asset acquisition. It also sets the disclosure objectives and requirements enabling users to evaluate the nature and financial effects of a combination.
- 805-30Goodwill or Gain from Bargain Purchase, Including Consideration Transferred805 Business Combinations
ASC 805-30 covers the piece of the acquisition method that produces goodwill or a bargain purchase gain. Goodwill equals the excess of (a) consideration transferred at acquisition-date fair value plus the fair value of any noncontrolling interest plus the acquisition-date fair value of any previously held equity interest, over (b) the net of the acquisition-date amounts of identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed (805-30-30-1); if (b) exceeds (a), the acquirer must first reassess its identification and measurement of all items and then recognize the remaining excess as a gain in earnings. It also governs measurement of consideration transferred, including contingent consideration and share-based payment replacement awards.
- 805-60Joint Venture Formations805 Business Combinations
ASC 805-60 governs how a newly formed joint venture (or corporate joint venture) accounts for its own formation in its separate financial statements. The joint venture must establish a new basis of accounting at the formation date, recognizing and measuring identifiable assets, liabilities, and any noncontrolling interest under Subtopic 805-20, but without identifying an acquirer. Goodwill, if any, is the excess of the formation-date fair value of the joint venture as a whole over the net of the identifiable assets and liabilities recognized; any excess of net assets over that fair value is credited to additional paid-in capital rather than recognized as a bargain purchase gain.
- 805-944Financial Services—Insurance805 Business Combinations
ASC 805-944 tells insurance entities how to account for insurance and reinsurance contracts acquired in a business combination and how to account for demutualizations (or formation of a mutual insurance holding entity). Acquired insurance/reinsurance contracts are treated as new contracts, recognized at fair value but split into (a) amounts measured under the acquirer's own insurance accounting policies and (b) an intangible asset (or liability) for the residual, while the acquiree's classification as insurance versus deposit contract is carried forward. A demutualization is not itself a change in ownership requiring a new accounting basis; instead the entity computes a one-time actuarial calculation of maximum future closed-block earnings and records a policyholder dividend obligation whenever cumulative actual closed-block earnings exceed cumulative expected earnings.
- 805-954Health Care Entities805 Business Combinations
ASC 805-954 supplements Subtopic 958-805 for not-for-profit, business-oriented health care entities that combine with other NFPs, businesses, or nonprofit activities in a transaction meeting the definition of a merger of not-for-profit entities or an acquisition by a not-for-profit entity. Its incremental rules address classification of acquired debt securities, and—most importantly—whether particular acquisition-related amounts (contingent consideration remeasurements, the separate charge, inherent contributions, step-acquisition gains or losses) are reported within or outside the performance indicator. It also prescribes pro forma performance indicator disclosures for public health care entities.
- 805-958Not-for-Profit Entities805 Business Combinations
ASC 958-805 (indexed here as 805-958) governs combinations in which a not-for-profit entity is the reporting entity and combines with other NFPs, businesses, or nonprofit activities. If the participating governing boards cede control to a new NFP, the transaction is a merger accounted for under the carryover method (combine GAAP carrying amounts, no fresh start, no new assets); if one entity obtains control of the other, it is an acquisition accounted for under the acquisition method with NFP-specific rules for identifying the acquirer, goodwill, and inherent contributions.
- 808-10Overall808 Collaborative Arrangements
ASC 808-10 defines collaborative arrangements — contractual arrangements involving a joint operating activity between two or more active participants who are exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the endeavor's commercial success, and that are not primarily conducted through a separate legal entity. The Topic governs income statement presentation, classification, and disclosure, not recognition or measurement generally. Third-party transactions are reported gross or net based on the principal-versus-agent guidance in Topic 606, and payments between participants are accounted for under Topic 606 only when the counterparty is a customer for a distinct unit of account; otherwise presentation is by analogy or a reasonable, rational, consistently applied policy election.
- 810-10Overall810 Consolidation
ASC 810-10 sets out the pervasive framework for determining whether one reporting entity must consolidate another legal entity, and it is organized into three Subsections: General (voting interest model), Variable Interest Entities (VIE model), and Consolidation of Entities Controlled by Contract. Consolidation is required when a reporting entity has a "controlling financial interest" — usually ownership of a majority voting interest (or, for limited partnerships, a majority of kick-out rights through voting interests) under the General Subsections, or, for a VIE, both power over the activities that most significantly impact the VIE's economic performance and exposure to potentially significant losses/benefits. A reporting entity must first test whether the other entity is a VIE (810-10-15-14); only if it is not does the voting-interest or contractual-control analysis apply.
- 810-958Not-for-Profit Entities810 Consolidation
This subtopic governs when a not-for-profit entity (NFP) must, may, or may not consolidate another entity. Control plus an economic interest is the organizing principle: a majority voting interest or sole corporate membership in another NFP requires consolidation; control through a majority voting interest in the other NFP's board plus an economic interest also requires consolidation; control by other means (e.g., contract) plus an economic interest permits but does not require consolidation; and control or an economic interest alone precludes consolidation. It also covers consolidation of special-purpose-entity lessors, consolidation of for-profit limited partnerships by NFP general or limited partners, and presentation and disclosure of noncontrolling interests.
- 815-30Cash Flow Hedges815 Derivatives and Hedging
ASC 815-30 provides the incremental accounting for cash flow hedges — derivatives designated as hedging the variability in expected future cash flows of a forecasted transaction or of a recognized variable-cash-flow asset/liability. The entire change in fair value of the hedging instrument that is included in the assessment of effectiveness is recorded in other comprehensive income and reclassified into earnings in the same period(s) the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings, presented in the same income statement line item as the hedged item. The Subtopic also governs excluded components, quantitative effectiveness methods for interest rate hedges, and discontinuation/dedesignation (including immediate reclassification when the forecasted transaction is probable of not occurring).
- 815-932Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas815 Derivatives and Hedging
This subtopic addresses whether gas-balancing arrangements between working-interest partners in a gas well are derivative instruments under Topic 815. When one partner (the overtaker) takes more than its share of production, the undertaken partner has a right to make up the imbalance in kind, with gas from another well, or in cash; the terms of each arrangement must be analyzed against the definition of a derivative. Even where the arrangement is a derivative whose settlement price leaves it at a fair value of zero, the Section 815-10-50 disclosures still apply, and the option feature cannot use the normal purchases and normal sales exception.
- 815-954Health Care Entities815 Derivatives and Hedging
ASC 815-954 tells not-for-profit, business-oriented health care entities how to apply derivative and hedge accounting. The core rule is parity with for-profit entities: items that would hit a for-profit's income from continuing operations must hit the NFP health care entity's performance indicator, and items excluded (e.g., amounts in other comprehensive income) must be excluded from the performance indicator. Because these entities need not present a separate equity component, the guidance substitutes tailored disclosures about the accumulated derivative gain or loss excluded from the performance indicator.
- 818-30Environmental Credit Obligations818 Environmental Credits and Environmental Credit Obligations
ASC 818-30 governs when and how an entity recognizes, measures, presents, and discloses an environmental credit obligation — a liability to remit environmental credits (e.g., emissions allowances, renewable energy certificates) under a regulatory compliance program. A liability is recognized when events on or before the reporting date would require remitting credits assuming the reporting date were the end of the compliance period (818-30-25-1). The liability is split into a funded portion, measured at the carrying amount of compliance environmental credits on hand under Subtopic 818-20 costing methods (818-30-30-2), and an unfunded portion, measured at fair value of the needed credits unless the entity intends to settle in cash or with credits from an unconditional commitment or right (818-30-30-3).
- 820-10Overall820 Fair Value Measurement
ASC 820-10 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (an exit price), and provides a single framework for measuring it plus related disclosures. Fair value is a market-based, not entity-specific, measurement, determined in the principal (or, absent one, most advantageous) market using assumptions market participants would use, maximizing observable and minimizing unobservable inputs. Inputs are categorized in a three-level hierarchy (Level 1 quoted prices, Level 2 other observable inputs, Level 3 unobservable inputs), with the whole measurement classified at the lowest level input significant to it.
- 820-940Financial Services—Brokers and Dealers820 Fair Value Measurement
This industry Subtopic supplements ASC 820 for brokers and dealers in securities. It lists non-exhaustive factors broker-dealers have considered in determining the fair value of a financial instrument (issuer's financial standing, market liquidity, restrictions on salability, pending offerings or reorganizations, dealer pricing, recent trades, etc.) and requires specific disclosure when an instrument is carried below its quoted price.
- 825-10Overall825 Financial Instruments
ASC 825-10 provides the overall guidance for financial instruments, containing two sets of rules: the fair value option (FVO), which lets any entity irrevocably elect, at specified election dates, to measure eligible financial assets, financial liabilities, firm commitments, and written loan commitments at fair value with changes in earnings; and incremental disclosures about the fair value of financial instruments, concentrations of credit risk, and market risk. The FVO is elected instrument by instrument, only for an entire instrument (not specific risks or cash flows), and is intended to mitigate earnings volatility from measuring related assets and liabilities differently without applying hedge accounting.
- 825-20Registration Payment Arrangements825 Financial Instruments
ASC 825-20 governs registration payment arrangements — agreements in which an issuer must file/obtain effectiveness of a registration statement (or obtain/maintain a stock exchange listing) for financial instruments and must transfer cash or shares to the counterparty if it fails. The core rule is that the arrangement is a separate unit of account: the underlying financial instruments are recognized and measured under other GAAP (e.g., 815-10, 815-40, 835-30) ignoring the contingent obligation, while the contingent obligation itself is recognized and measured under the loss-contingency model in Subtopic 450-20. Extensive disclosures are required even if payment is remote.
- 825-942Financial Services—Depository and Lending825 Financial Instruments
This Subtopic sets the disclosure requirements for depository and lending institutions that hold financial instruments with off-balance-sheet credit risk — loan commitments, standby letters of credit, financial guarantees, loans sold with recourse, and similar instruments. For each such instrument an entity must disclose the face or contract amount, the nature and terms (including credit and market risk, cash requirements, and related accounting policy), and its collateral policies. Instruments within the scope of Topic 815 (derivatives) are excluded.
- 825-944Financial Services—Insurance825 Financial Instruments
This subtopic applies the financial instruments guidance to insurance entities, covering investment contracts and disclosures about concentrations of credit risk arising from reinsurance contracts. Amounts received under investment contracts are not revenue; they are recorded as liabilities and accounted for like interest-bearing or other financial instruments, with related deferred acquisition costs reported as an asset. Ceding entities must disclose credit risk concentrations for reinsurance recoverables and prepaid reinsurance premiums, and must disclose the carrying amount of securities deposited with state regulatory authorities.
- 830-20Foreign Currency Transactions830 Foreign Currency Matters
ASC 830-20 governs how an entity accounts for transactions denominated in a currency other than its functional currency (foreign currency transactions). At the transaction date, each asset, liability, revenue, expense, gain, or loss is recorded and measured in the functional currency using the exchange rate in effect at that date (830-20-25-1; 830-20-30-1); thereafter, balances denominated in a foreign currency are remeasured at each balance sheet date at the current rate (830-20-35-2), with the resulting transaction gains and losses generally included in net income. Narrow exceptions—economic hedges of a net investment in a foreign entity and long-term-investment-nature intra-entity balances—are reported like translation adjustments in other comprehensive income (830-20-35-3).
- 830-30Translation of Financial Statements830 Foreign Currency Matters
ASC 830-30 governs how a reporting entity translates the financial statements of a foreign entity whose functional currency is not the reporting currency, when those statements are consolidated, combined, or accounted for under the equity method. Assets and liabilities are translated at the balance sheet date rate and revenues, expenses, gains, and losses at the rates on the dates recognized; the resulting translation adjustments go to other comprehensive income (accumulated as the cumulative translation adjustment, or CTA) rather than net income. The CTA is released into earnings only upon sale or complete or substantially complete liquidation of the investment in the foreign entity.
- 830-946Financial Services—Investment Companies830 Foreign Currency Matters
This Subtopic tells investment companies how to compute and report foreign currency transaction gains and losses on foreign-currency-denominated securities, cash, forward contracts, receivables/payables, income, and expenses. Ongoing revaluation of unsettled foreign-currency items produces unrealized foreign currency gain or loss, which is reclassified to realized gain or loss upon settlement (830-946-45-1). Critically, a fund is permitted—but not required—to separately isolate the foreign currency component of realized and unrealized gains and losses on investments, and it must disclose whichever practice it follows (830-946-45-4; 830-946-50-1).
- 832-10Overall832 Government Assistance
ASC 832-10 governs government assistance received by business entities (not-for-profits and plans under Topics 960, 962, and 965 are excluded). In its current form it is a disclosure-only topic requiring annual disclosure of the nature, accounting policy, financial statement effects, and significant terms of transactions with a government accounted for by analogy to a grant or contribution model. ASU 2025-10 converts it into a full recognition and measurement model for "government grants," under which a grant is recognized only when it is probable the entity will comply with the grant's conditions and receive the grant (832-10-25-1), with grants related to assets recognized under either a deferred income approach or a cost accumulation approach and grants related to income recognized in earnings on a systematic and rational basis as the related costs are expensed.
- 835-20Capitalization of Interest835 Interest
ASC 835-20 requires interest cost incurred while a qualifying asset is being readied for its intended use to be capitalized as part of the asset's historical cost, on the theory that such interest is an avoidable cost caused by the acquisition. Qualifying assets include assets constructed for an entity's own use, discrete projects built for sale or lease, and equity-method investments in investees that have not yet begun planned principal operations; routinely mass-produced inventory, assets already in use or idle, and gift/grant-funded assets are excluded. The amount capitalized equals the capitalization rate (rate on specific new borrowing, then weighted average of other borrowings) applied to average accumulated expenditures, capped at total interest cost incurred in the period.
- 842-20Lessee842 Leases
ASC 842-20 governs how a lessee accounts for leases already classified as finance or operating leases under 842-10. At commencement the lessee recognizes a right-of-use asset and lease liability measured at the present value of unpaid lease payments (842-20-25-1; 30-1); thereafter finance leases produce separate amortization and interest (842-20-25-5), while operating leases produce a single straight-line lease cost (842-20-25-6). It also covers short-term lease policy elections, remeasurement, ROU asset impairment, leasehold improvements, subleases, terminations, and extensive presentation and disclosure requirements.
- 842-30Lessor842 Leases
ASC 842-30 governs how lessors account for leases already classified under 842-10 as sales-type, direct financing, or operating leases. For sales-type and direct financing leases the lessor derecognizes the underlying asset and recognizes a net investment in the lease (lease receivable plus unguaranteed residual asset, discounted at the rate implicit in the lease), with selling profit recognized immediately in a sales-type lease but deferred into the net investment in a direct financing lease; interest income then accretes at a constant periodic rate. For operating leases the lessor keeps the asset on its books and recognizes lease payments as income straight-line (or another systematic and rational basis) over the lease term, and a collectibility-not-probable assessment overrides normal recognition in all three models.
- 850-10Overall850 Related Party Disclosures
ASC 850-10 is a disclosure-only subtopic requiring financial statements to disclose material related party transactions and certain common control relationships. Disclosures cover the nature of the relationship, a description and dollar amounts of transactions for each income statement period, and amounts due to/from related parties at each balance sheet date. It provides no accounting or measurement guidance — recognition and measurement of related party transactions is addressed in other Topics.
- 850-972Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations850 Related Party Disclosures
This Subtopic applies the general related party disclosure requirements of Topic 850 to common interest realty associations (CIRAs), such as condominium and homeowners' associations. Its core point is that when board members, officers, or developers provide services to the association — for example insurance, maintenance, or management services — those transactions may require related party disclosure under Topic 850. Its scope follows that of Subtopic 972-10 (see 850-972-15-1).
- 852-10Overall852 Reorganizations
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.
- 852-20Quasi-Reorganizations852 Reorganizations
ASC 852-20 governs quasi-reorganizations ("readjustments"), a corporate readjustment procedure in which a corporation—without forming a new entity or entering court proceedings—restates its balance sheet to fair value, eliminates an accumulated deficit, and relieves current or future income of charges by charging them to additional paid-in capital. This is an express exception to the general rule in 852-20-25-2 that additional paid-in capital may not be used to relieve the income account. The Subtopic prescribes the conditions for the readjustment (full disclosure to and formal consent of shareholders, fair asset carrying amounts), the ordering of write-offs (retained earnings first, then APIC), and the post-readjustment dating of a new retained earnings account.
- 855-10Overall855 Subsequent Events
ASC 855-10 governs how entities account for and disclose events that occur after the balance sheet date but before the financial statements are issued or available to be issued. Events providing additional evidence about conditions that existed at the balance sheet date are "recognized subsequent events" and must be reflected in the financial statements (855-10-25-1); events reflecting conditions arising only after the balance sheet date are "nonrecognized" and are only disclosed if needed to keep the statements from being misleading (855-10-25-3; 855-10-50-2). It applies to all entities but yields to any other Codification Topic that addresses the same post-balance-sheet event (855-10-15-4).
- 860-10Overall860 Transfers and Servicing
ASC 860-10 is the Overall subtopic for Transfers and Servicing; it sets the scope for the whole topic and, critically, states the derecognition test for transferred financial assets. Under 860-10-40-5, a transfer of an entire financial asset, group of entire financial assets, or a participating interest is a sale if and only if (a) the assets are legally isolated from the transferor even in bankruptcy, (b) each transferee (or beneficial interest holder) can pledge or exchange what it received without a constraint that gives the transferor more than a trivial benefit, and (c) the transferor does not maintain effective control. If any condition fails, the transfer is accounted for as a secured borrowing under 860-30.
- 860-20Sales of Financial Assets860 Transfers and Servicing
ASC 860-20 tells a transferor what to record once a transfer of financial assets qualifies as a sale under 860-10-40-5, and what happens if the transferor later regains control. For a sale of entire financial assets, the transferor derecognizes the assets, recognizes at fair value all assets obtained and liabilities incurred (cash, servicing assets/liabilities, beneficial interests, options, forwards, swaps), and books the gain or loss in earnings; for a participating interest, the prior carrying amount is allocated between the interest sold and the interest retained on relative fair values. If a change in law or circumstance causes the transferor to regain control, it rerecognizes the assets and related liabilities at fair value as if it purchased them, with no gain or loss on its beneficial interests.
- 860-30Secured Borrowing and Collateral860 Transfers and Servicing
ASC 860-30 governs transfers of financial assets that fail the sale conditions and therefore must be accounted for as secured borrowings, plus the accounting for collateral pledged in such transactions. The transferor keeps the transferred asset on its balance sheet with no change in measurement basis (860-30-25-2), reclassifying it separately (e.g., "securities pledged to creditors") if the secured party may sell or repledge it (860-30-45-1). Cash collateral — and securities collateral the holder may sell or repledge — is treated as proceeds of a borrowing rather than as collateral, and is recognized as an asset by the recipient with a corresponding obligation to return it (860-30-25-3, 25-8).
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- 910-10Overall910 Contractors—Construction
ASC 910-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Contractors—Construction Topic, providing incremental industry-specific guidance for entities that perform construction-type contracts (work built or improved on tangible property to a customer's specifications, usually at the customer's job site under a unique, bid or negotiated contract). Most of its former revenue guidance was superseded by ASU 2014-09, so revenue recognition now follows Topic 606; what remains addresses small-tool depreciation, classification of retainages, proportionate gross presentation for construction joint ventures, and industry disclosures. Entities in scope must also comply with all other applicable GAAP not addressed here (910-10-15-1).
- 910-20Contract Costs910 Contractors—Construction
ASC 910-20 governs how construction contractors account for contract costs, focusing on charging equipment and small tool costs to specific contracts. Equipment cost is allocated to contracts on a reasonable basis (time, hours of use, or mileage) using a "use rate" that considers equipment cost less salvage/rental, probable life, average idle time, and operating costs. It also requires disclosure of unapproved change orders and claims included in contract costs and of progress payments netted against contract costs.
- 912-20Contract Costs912 Contractors—Federal Government
ASC 912-20 governs how contractors with the federal government account for contract costs, including the requirement to follow Federal Acquisition Regulation cost principles when costs are analyzed in the procurement process. It addresses allocation of indirect costs, recording of subcontractor/vendor claims, accounting for terminations (convenience versus default), and restricts the use of program accounting. Losses from default terminations are treated as changes in accounting estimate in the current period, not as prior-period adjustments.
- 924-10Overall924 Entertainment—Casinos
ASC 924-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Entertainment—Casinos Topic, which collects the accounting and reporting standards unique to the gaming industry. It provides incremental, industry-specific guidance on gaming chips, promotional allowances, base jackpots, slot machines, income taxes, and geographic segment disclosure. Casinos must still apply all other generally applicable GAAP; this Topic only supplements it.
- 926-20Other Assets—Film Costs926 Entertainment—Films
ASC 926-20 governs how film production and distribution entities capitalize, amortize, impair, and disclose film costs, which must be reported as a separate asset on the balance sheet (926-20-25-1). Films predominantly monetized on their own are amortized by the individual-film-forecast-computation method — current-period revenue over remaining unrecognized ultimate revenue as of the beginning of the fiscal year (926-20-35-1) — while films in a film group are expensed based on a reasonably reliable estimate of the film's use (926-20-35-2). Unamortized film costs are written down to fair value when triggering events indicate impairment, and such write-downs may never be restored (926-20-35-13).
- 932-10Overall932 Extractive Activities—Oil and Gas
ASC 932-10 is the Overall subtopic of the oil and gas extractive activities Topic; it identifies which entities and activities fall within the industry guidance and supplies common industry definitions. It applies to all entities with oil- and gas-producing activities — the search for, acquisition of rights to, and construction/drilling/production activities needed to bring crude oil, natural gas, and synthetic-oil-source hydrocarbons to the surface (932-10-15-2A). The industry-specific Subtopics override the more general Codification Topics for the issues they address (932-10-05-3), and the Topic does not prohibit use of the full-cost method (932-10-15-4).
- 944-30Acquisition Costs944 Financial Services—Insurance
ASC 944-30 governs how insurance entities capitalize, amortize, present, and disclose acquisition costs (DAC) for short-duration contracts, long-duration contracts, investment contracts, and reinsurance, plus deferred sales inducements. Only costs "related directly to the successful acquisition" of new or renewal contracts may be capitalized (944-30-25-1A) — incremental direct costs, directly related compensation/fringe benefits for underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical and inspection, and sales force contract selling, plus certain other direct costs and qualifying direct-response advertising. Post-ASU 2018-12, long-duration DAC is amortized on a constant level basis over the expected contract term (944-30-35-3A), and the Internal Replacement Transactions Subsections determine whether a modified/replaced contract is "substantially unchanged" (continuation, DAC carried forward) or "substantially changed" (extinguishment, DAC written off).
- 944-40Claim Costs and Liabilities for Future Policy Benefits944 Financial Services—Insurance
ASC 944-40 governs how insurance entities recognize and measure claim costs and liabilities for future policy benefits, with separate subsections for short-duration contracts, long-duration contracts, reinsurance contracts, and financial guarantee insurance contracts. Its core rules are that liabilities for unpaid claims (including IBNR) and claim adjustment expenses are accrued when insured events occur, and that a liability for future policy benefits—the present value of future benefits and related expenses less the present value of future net premiums—is accrued when premium revenue is recognized. Post-ASU 2018-12, cash flow assumptions are updated at least annually with remeasurement gains/losses in net income, the discount rate is an upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income yield updated each reporting date through OCI, and market risk benefits are measured at fair value.
- 944-50Policyholder Dividends944 Financial Services—Insurance
ASC 944-50 governs how insurance entities account for and report policyholder dividends on participating insurance contracts. For participating contracts other than the long-duration participating life contracts described in 944-20-15-3, dividends are accrued (measured at an estimate of the amount to be paid, or recognized over the premium-paying period using anticipated/illustrated dividend scales), and any policyholders' share of net income that cannot be distributed to stockholders is charged to operations and credited to a participating policyholders' funds liability. For long-duration participating life contracts meeting 944-20-15-3, annual policyholder dividends are expensed based on amounts incurred for policies in force and reported separately in the statement of earnings.
- 944-60Premium Deficiency and Loss Recognition944 Financial Services—Insurance
ASC 944-60 tells insurance entities when and how to recognize a premium deficiency (loss recognition) on insurance contracts, with separate guidance for short-duration and long-duration contracts. For short-duration contracts, a deficiency exists when expected claim costs and claim adjustment expenses, expected policyholder dividends, unamortized acquisition costs, and maintenance costs exceed related unearned premiums; it is recognized first by writing off unamortized acquisition costs and then by accruing a liability for any excess (944-60-25-4 through 25-6). For long-duration contracts, if actual experience shows existing contract liabilities plus the present value of future gross premiums will not cover future benefits and settlement costs and recover unamortized present value of future profits, the deficiency is charged to income by reducing the present value of future profits or increasing the liability for future policy benefits (944-60-25-7 through 25-8).
- 946-10Overall946 Financial Services—Investment Companies
ASC 946-10 sets the scope of the Financial Services—Investment Companies Topic by defining which entities qualify as investment companies and therefore apply the Topic's specialized (fair value) accounting and reporting. Any entity regulated under the Investment Company Act of 1940 is automatically an investment company (946-10-15-4); all others must possess the two fundamental characteristics in 946-10-15-6 and are assessed against five typical characteristics in 946-10-15-7, applying judgment when a typical characteristic is absent. Status is determined at formation and reassessed only upon a change in purpose and design (or loss of 1940 Act regulation), with prescribed prospective or cumulative-effect accounting and disclosure for a change in status.
- 946-20Investment Company Activities946 Financial Services—Investment Companies
ASC 946-20 governs specific "investment company activities" — payments by affiliates to reimburse fund losses or cure investment-restriction violations, Rule 12b-1 distribution plans, expense limitation/waiver arrangements, offering costs, shareholder and distribution transactions, and related presentation and disclosure. Its core rules: affiliate payments and gains/losses on non-conforming investments are combined in one line within net realized/unrealized gains (losses) and quantified in the financial highlights (946-20-45-1; 946-20-50-2); a fund with an enhanced 12b-1 plan (or a board-contingent plan once the board commits) accrues a liability and expense for the distributor's excess distribution costs (946-20-25-3), while an excess of fees collected over distributor costs may never be booked as an asset (946-20-45-2). Offering costs are charged to paid-in capital for closed-end funds, partnerships and unit investment trusts, but deferred and amortized straight-line over 12 months for open-end funds and continuously offered closed-end funds (946-20-25-5 through 25-6; 35-5; 35-6).
- 948-10Overall948 Financial Services—Mortgage Banking
ASC 948-10 is the Overall subtopic for mortgage banking, providing background on the two core mortgage banking activities—originating/purchasing loans for sale to permanent investors and subsequently servicing those loans—and defining the Topic's scope. Its only substantive requirements are disclosures about minimum net worth (capital) requirements imposed by secondary market investors and state regulators, including whether the entity complies and the effects of noncompliance. The Topic supplies only incremental industry guidance; entities must also apply all other applicable GAAP.
- 952-10Overall952 Franchisors
ASC 952-10 provides incremental, industry-specific accounting and reporting guidance for franchisors — the parties that grant business rights (the franchise) to franchisees. After ASU 2014-09 removed the old franchise revenue recognition rules (now handled under ASC 606 and 340-40), what remains is chiefly guidance on franchising costs, presentation of franchisor-owned versus franchised outlet costs, and outlet/commitment disclosures. Franchisors must also apply all other applicable GAAP not contained in this Topic.
- 960-20Accumulated Plan Benefits960 Plan Accounting—Defined Benefit Pension Plans
ASC 960-20 governs how a defined benefit pension plan measures and reports the actuarial present value of accumulated plan benefits — the benefits reasonably expected to be paid in exchange for employee service rendered to the benefit information date. Benefits are attributed using the plan's own provisions where possible and otherwise pro rata over years of service to full vesting (vested-type benefits) or to expected separation (nonvested-type benefits), measured using pay and service history as of the benefit information date under an ongoing-plan assumption. The total must be segmented at minimum into vested benefits of participants currently receiving payments, other vested benefits, and nonvested benefits, and the significant factors causing the year-to-year change must be identified.
- 960-40Terminating Plans960 Plan Accounting—Defined Benefit Pension Plans
ASC 960-40 covers defined benefit pension plans that are terminating. Once liquidation of the plan is deemed imminent (as defined in 205-30-25-2), the plan's financial statements for periods ending after that determination — including the year-end statements even if the trigger occurred mid-year — must be prepared on the liquidation basis of accounting under Subtopic 205-30. Accumulated plan benefits are measured on that liquidation basis, with all benefits generally reported as vested, and the terminating-plan or wasting-trust circumstances must be disclosed in all subsequent plan financial statements.
- 962-40Terminating Plans962 Plan Accounting—Defined Contribution Pension Plans
ASC 962-40 governs the accounting and reporting by defined contribution pension plans that are terminating. Its core rule is that once liquidation of the plan is deemed imminent under ASC 205-30, the plan must prepare its financial statements—including year-end statements for a plan year in which imminence arose before year end—on the liquidation basis of accounting. The plan must also disclose the relevant circumstances in all subsequent financial statements once a termination decision is made or a wasting trust exists.
- 965-10Overall965 Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
ASC 965-10 is the Overall subtopic of the health and welfare benefit plan accounting Topic; it defines the scope and gives an overview of how such plans report. It applies to all entities that are defined benefit or defined contribution health and welfare benefit plans, describes how benefits may be delivered (insured contracts versus a self-funded trust such as a VEBA/501(c)(9) trust or 401(h) account), and flags that the insurance arrangement drives how assets and benefit obligations are accounted for. It also notes the ERISA reporting backdrop, including that many plans must file GAAP financial statements.
- 965-20Net Assets Available for Plan Benefits965 Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
ASC 965-20 governs the "net assets available for benefits" component of health and welfare benefit plan financial statements. It requires the plan to accrue non-benefit liabilities (e.g., securities purchased, income taxes payable, third-party administrator fees), record noncash contributions at fair value less costs to sell if significant, and present a statement of net assets available for benefits showing total assets, total liabilities, and net assets available for benefits. The companion statement of changes must show, in sufficient detail, the significant changes for the year, including contributions by source, net appreciation/depreciation in fair value, investment income, claims payments, premiums, and administrative expenses.
- 965-30Plan Benefit Obligations965 Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
ASC 965-30 governs how a health and welfare benefit plan measures and reports its own benefit obligations (as distinct from the sponsoring employer's obligations). Benefit obligations, measured at actuarial present value as of the plan's year end, comprise three classifications: (1) claims payable, claims incurred but not reported (IBNR), and premiums due to insurance entities; (2) accumulated eligibility credits and postemployment benefits; and (3) postretirement benefits split among retirees, participants fully eligible, and participants not yet fully eligible (965-30-35-1). Plans must also present the significant factors causing year-to-year changes in each classification.
- 965-40Terminating Plans965 Plan Accounting—Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
ASC 965-40 governs accounting and reporting by health and welfare benefit plans that are terminating. Once liquidation of the plan is deemed imminent under paragraph 205-30-25-2, the plan must prepare its financial statements using the liquidation basis of accounting under Subtopic 205-30, including for the year-end statements if imminence is determined before the plan year ends. Benefit obligations are measured on the liquidation basis rather than as actuarial present values, and the termination or wasting-trust circumstances must be disclosed in all subsequent plan financial statements.
- 972-10Overall972 Real Estate—Common Interest Realty Associations
ASC 972-10 is the Overall subtopic that sets the scope and background for accounting by common interest realty associations (CIRAs) — associations of owners such as homeowners associations, condominium associations, time-share associations, planned-unit developments, and cooperative housing corporations. It provides only incremental, industry-specific guidance; CIRAs must also follow all other applicable GAAP. Topic 972 is one of several real estate topics, each addressing a different real estate subindustry.
- 974-10Overall974 Real Estate—Real Estate Investment Trusts
ASC 974-10 is the Overall subtopic for Real Estate—Real Estate Investment Trusts, describing the structure and scope of the REIT Topic and pointing to its subtopics (equity method/joint ventures, other expenses, consolidation, interest, and leases). It provides only incremental industry-specific guidance: REITs must also follow all otherwise applicable GAAP. It applies to all REITs, whether or not they have elected the federal tax treatment that avoids corporate income tax by distributing at least 90 percent of taxable income to shareholders.
- 980-20Discontinuation of Rate-Regulated Accounting980 Regulated Operations
ASC 980-20 governs what happens when an entity's operations (or a separable portion of them) stop meeting the criteria in 980-10-15-2 for rate-regulated accounting — because of deregulation, a shift away from cost-based rate-making, or competition/rate resistance. On discontinuation, the entity eliminates from its balance sheet all regulatory assets and liabilities that entities in general could not recognize, but does not adjust the carrying amounts of plant, equipment, and inventory unless impaired under Subtopic 360-10. The net adjustment goes to income of the period of discontinuation, classified separately within income from continuing operations as an unusual or infrequently occurring item.