allowance for funds used during construction

This Subtopic tells regulated entities (utilities) how to account for property, plant, and equipment in three situations: plant abandonments, disallowances of costs of recently completed plants, and capitalization of an allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC). When abandonment becomes probable, the asset's cost comes out of construction work-in-process or plant-in-service and a separate new asset is recorded — at full cost if a full return on investment is likely to be provided, or at the present value of expected future recovery revenues (discounted at the entity's incremental borrowing rate) if partial or no return is likely, with the shortfall and any probable, estimable disallowance recognized as a loss. When it becomes probable that part of the cost of a recently completed plant will be disallowed for rate-making purposes and the amount is reasonably estimable, that amount is deducted from the plant's reported cost and recognized as a loss.

This subtopic applies ASC 740 to entities whose rates are regulated and that meet the criteria in 980-10-15-2. It prohibits net-of-tax accounting, requires a deferred tax liability for tax benefits flowed through to customers and for the equity component of the allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC), and requires deferred taxes to be adjusted for enacted changes in tax law or rates. When it is probable that a regulator will allow recovery from (or require refund to) customers of those future tax amounts, the entity recognizes a separate regulatory asset or liability, which is itself a temporary difference generating additional deferred tax.

This Subtopic governs how entities with regulated operations account for the financing cost of construction — the allowance for funds used during construction (AFUDC), which includes both a computed interest component and a designated cost of equity funds. When a regulator requires such capitalization, the rate-making amount (not the amount computed under Subtopic 835-20) is capitalized for financial reporting purposes, but only if subsequent inclusion in allowable costs for rate-making purposes is probable. The credit is reported in the income statement as other income, a reduction of interest expense, or both.