Financial Statement Review

In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board released Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers, which clarifies how to properly account for deferred revenue in a business combination. This change was a long time coming after opposing views began to debate the proper treatment of deferred revenue after ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (also, ASC 606) went into effect.

On March 21, 2022, the US District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee ruled in favor of CIC Services, LLC (“CIC”) in their case against the IRS regarding Notice 2016-66 (the “Notice”). In CIC Services, LLC v. IRS (“CIC Services”), the ruling stated that IRS did not comply with the mandatory notice-and-comment requirements under the Administrative Procedures Act (“APA”) and the IRS’ issuance of the Notice was arbitrary and capricious as set forth under the APA.

The new lease accounting standard is here for private companies. The revised lease guidance was introduced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2016 as Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02 creating Topic 842, Leases, of the Accounting Standards Codification (Topic 842 or the Lease Standard). Topic 842 is intended to “increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements.”

In October 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board released Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers, which clarifies how to properly account for deferred revenue in a business combination. This change was a long time coming after opposing views began to debate the proper treatment of deferred revenue after ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) (also, ASC 606) went into effect.

There is no disputing that the intent of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Securities (CARES) Act of 2020 is to provide immediate and tangible economic relief to American workers, families and small businesses. What has been less clear since its passage in March 2020 is how the acceptance of funds available through various CARES Act programs could impact single audit requirements.

As was publicized earlier this month, FASB officially approved the deferral of the new lease accounting standard (ASC 842) for private companies for another year. The new effective date is for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, or 2021 for calendar year companies.

On Wednesday, FASB made the additional one-year deferral of the new Lease Accounting standard, as well as two others, official. These delays had long been sought by private companies as they attempted to implement the complex revised standards.