right of setoff

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).

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.

ASC 210-912 formerly provided balance sheet classification and disclosure guidance for contractors with the federal government (e.g., presentation of receivables, unbilled amounts, and advances/progress payments on government contracts). Every paragraph in the subtopic — Sections 05, 15, 45, and 50 — was superseded by ASU 2014-09 (Revenue from Contracts with Customers). The subtopic is now an empty shell with no operative guidance; contract asset and contract liability presentation for government contractors is governed by ASC 606 (and ASC 340-40 for related costs).

ASC 210-915 formerly provided balance sheet presentation guidance for development stage entities (entities devoting substantially all efforts to establishing a new business). Every paragraph in the subtopic — the overview (210-915-05-1), scope (210-915-15-1), and other presentation guidance (210-915-45-1) — was superseded by ASU 2014-10. As a result, there is no remaining incremental balance sheet presentation requirement for development stage entities; such entities follow the same guidance in ASC 210 as any other entity.

ASC 210-940 addresses how brokers and dealers offset and combine amounts presented in the balance sheet. It contains no independent offsetting rules; it simply directs preparers to the general offsetting guidance in Section 210-20-45 and adopts the scope of the Financial Services—Brokers and Dealers Overall Subtopic (940-10-15).

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.

This Subtopic addresses balance sheet presentation for insurance entities, focusing on when reinsurance-related balances may be offset. The core rule is that amounts payable to a policyholder and amounts recoverable from a reinsurer cannot be offset because the right of setoff under 210-20-45-1(b) requires amounts owed to and receivable from the *same* party. By contrast, balances arising between the ceding and assuming entities under a reinsurance contract may qualify for offsetting if the Subtopic 210-20 conditions are met.

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.

This subtopic governs how health care entities, including not-for-profit business-oriented health care entities, present their balance sheets. The general rule is a classified (current/noncurrent) balance sheet under Section 210-10-45, except that a continuing care retirement community may instead sequence assets by nearness of conversion to cash and liabilities by nearness of maturity. It also specifies that contractually limited (non-donor) assets stay in net assets without donor restrictions, that interfund balances are eliminated, and that restricted or segregated cash is excluded from current assets.

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).

ASC 310-944 tells insurance entities how to account for receivables: mortgage loans held as investments, reinsurance recoverables, and premium receivables on financial guarantee insurance contracts. Mortgage loans are recognized as assets at principal (or cost if bought at a discount/premium) and carried at amortized cost with an allowance for expected credit losses under Topic 326-20; reinsurance recoverables must be reported gross as assets (no netting against related liabilities absent a legal right of setoff). For financial guarantee contracts with installment premiums, the premium receivable is measured at the present value of premiums expected to be collected using a risk-free rate at inception, with the discount accreted to earnings.