costs to obtain a contract

ASC 340-20 formerly governed capitalized advertising costs (including direct-response advertising) — when such costs could be recorded as assets, how they were measured, amortized, tested for realizability, presented, and disclosed. Every paragraph in the subtopic (Sections 05, 15, 25, 30, 35, 45, 50, 55, and 60) has been superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). The subtopic therefore contains no operative guidance; advertising costs are now expensed as incurred (or the first time the advertising takes place) under ASC 720-35, and contract-related costs are addressed by ASC 340-40.

ASC 340-910 was the construction-contractor branch of the "Other Assets and Deferred Costs" topic, addressing precontract and other deferred costs incurred by construction contractors. Every substantive paragraph (05-1, 15-1, and 50-1) was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (the revenue recognition standard), so the subtopic is now an empty shell with no operative guidance. Costs to obtain and fulfill a contract with a customer are now accounted for under ASC 340-40.

ASC 340-952 formerly contained the franchisor-specific guidance on deferred costs (for example, direct and indirect costs of franchise sales). Every paragraph in the subtopic — Sections 05, 15, and 25 — was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). Franchisors now account for costs of obtaining and fulfilling franchise contracts under ASC 340-40 and recognize franchise revenue under ASC 606 (including the industry guidance in ASC 952-606).

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 Every paragraph in the subtopic has been superseded — the recognition, presentation and other guidance by Maintenance Update 2017-09 and the disclosure paragraph by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with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.

This subtopic governs how a time-share seller accounts for other expenses of time-sharing activities — chiefly selling and marketing costs and subsidies of the owners association. The core rule is that all costs incurred to sell time-sharing intervals are expensed as incurred unless they qualify for capitalization as costs to obtain a contract under ASC 340-40-25-1 through 25-4, and seller payments of dues, maintenance fees, or subsidies of owners association losses are likewise expensed as incurred.