time-sharing intervals

This Subtopic governs deferred cost recognition for real estate time-sharing activities. The default rule is that all costs incurred to sell time-sharing intervals are expensed as incurred unless they qualify for capitalization as incremental costs of obtaining a contract under 340-40-25-1 through 25-4. Seller financing costs (e.g., loan origination costs) follow Subtopic 310-20, and incremental costs to rent units during holding periods are deferred and then expensed (or netted against inventory) when the rental occurs.

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.

This Subtopic tells a time-sharing developer-seller how to account for special-purpose entities (SPEs) it establishes in connection with selling time-sharing intervals. If the SPE structure is legally required by the jurisdiction in order to sell intervals to nonresident customers and the SPE holds no assets other than the time-sharing intervals and has no debt, the SPE is viewed as lacking economic substance and existing solely to facilitate sales; the seller then reports the unsold interests in the SPE as time-sharing inventory on its balance sheet rather than applying consolidation or equity/cost method accounting. All other SPEs are evaluated under the normal consolidation, VIE, and investment models.