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7.3 Loans and receivables—classification
Publication date: 31 Mar 2023
us IFRS & US GAAP guide
Classification is not driven by legal form under IFRS, whereas legal form drives the classification of debt instruments under US GAAP. The potential classification differences drive subsequent measurement differences under IFRS and US GAAP.
US GAAP | IFRS |
The classification and accounting treatment of loans and receivables generally depends on whether the asset in question meets the definition of a debt security under ASC 320. To meet the definition of a security under ASC 320, the asset is required to be of a type commonly available on securities exchanges or in markets, or, when represented by an instrument, is commonly recognized in any area in which it is issued or dealt in as a medium for investment. Loans and receivables are also evaluated for embedded derivative features, which could require separate fair value accounting.
Loans and receivables that are not within the scope of ASC 320 fall within the scope of other guidance, such as ASC 310, Receivables. These loans are generally:
| Classification under IFRS 9 of all debt investments – including debt securities, loans, and receivables – is based on a single model, which is driven by:
The business model determination is not made at the individual asset level; rather, it is performed at a higher level of aggregation. An entity can have different business models for different portfolios. Business practices, such as factoring, might affect the business model (and hence, classification and measurement). Under the SPPI test, an entity needs to determine whether the contractual cash flows of the financial asset represent solely payments of principal and interest. Contractual features that introduce exposure to risks or volatility unrelated to a basic lending arrangement, such as exposure to changes in equity or commodity prices, do not give rise to contractual cash flows that are SPPI.
The financial asset should be subsequently measured at amortized cost if both of the following conditions are met:
A financial asset should be subsequently measured at FVOCI if both of the following conditions are met:
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If the financial asset is measured at FVOCI, movements in fair value are recorded through OCI. However, interest income computed using the effective interest method, foreign exchange gains and losses, impairment losses, and gains and losses arising on derecognition of the asset, are recognized in profit or loss.
If the financial asset does not pass the business model assessment or SPPI test, it is measured at FVTPL. This is the residual measurement category under IFRS 9.
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