quasi-reorganization

ASC 740-852 gives incremental income tax guidance for entities emerging from Chapter 11 that qualify for fresh-start reporting and for entities that effect a quasi-reorganization. Under fresh-start reporting, deferred taxes follow ordinary GAAP, and tax benefits of preconfirmation NOL carryforwards and deductible temporary differences recognized later (by releasing the valuation allowance) reduce income tax expense. After a quasi-reorganization, by contrast, subsequently recognized tax benefits of deductible temporary differences and carryforwards that existed at the quasi-reorganization date are credited directly to contributed capital, not income.

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.