8.3 Receivables – before the adoption of ASU 2016-13

Virtually every reporting entity holds receivables, though their nature varies depending on the characteristics of the business. Accordingly, the guidance governing the receivables will also vary. This section addresses presentation and disclosure considerations for the following topics:

New guidance

Upon adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, the presentation and disclosure of receivables will change significantly. ASU 2016-13 introduces a new model for recognizing credit losses on financial instruments based on an estimate of current expected credit losses. The ASU also provides updated guidance regarding the impairment of available-for-sale debt securities and includes additional disclosure requirements.

Additionally, ASU 2022-02 eliminates the accounting guidance for TDRs in ASC 310-40, Receivables - Troubled Debt Restructurings by Creditors, but introduces new disclosure requirements for loan modifications with borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The elimination of TDRs can only be applied by entities that have adopted the CECL model introduced by ASU 2016-13. For entities that have not adopted ASU 2016-13, the TDR guidance remains applicable until they adopt ASU 2016-13.

The new presentation and disclosure guidance in ASU 2016-13 and ASU 2022-02 have not been reflected in this chapter but are included in LI 12.

8.3.1 Accounts and notes receivable and financing receivables

The term “accounts and notes receivable” is used in S-X 5-02 and is generally consistent with the “financing receivable” terminology used in US GAAP. Financing receivables are contractual rights to receive cash either on demand or on fixed or determinable dates; they are recognized as assets on the balance sheet. Examples of financing receivables include trade accounts receivable, notes receivable, credit card receivables, loans, and certain receivables relating to a lessor’s rights to payments from a lease.

8.3.1.1 Presentation requirements

ASC 310-10-45-2 permits loans or trade receivables to be presented as aggregate amounts. However, major categories of loans or trade receivables should be presented separately either on the balance sheet or in the footnotes. Receivables that are held for sale should be presented separately on the balance sheet from other receivables.

Unearned discounts (other than cash or quantity discounts), finance charges, or prepaid interest should be reflected as deductions from the related receivable. An allowance for doubtful accounts also should be shown as a reduction of the related receivable.

Notes and accounts receivable from officers, employees, or affiliated companies are required to be disclosed separately on the balance sheet. Additionally, ASC 310-10-45-14 requires notes received as equity contributions to be presented in equity. As noted in ASC 505-10-45-2, reporting such a note as an asset is generally not appropriate.

S-X 5-02 requires SEC registrants to separately disclose receivables from customers (trade), related parties, underwriters, promoters, and employees (other than related parties) that arose in a manner other than the ordinary course of business; other receivables; and receivables held for sale (reported at lower of cost or fair value).

In addition, if the aggregate amount of notes receivable exceeds 10% of the aggregate amount of receivables, SEC registrants must separately disclose accounts receivable and notes receivable either on the balance sheet or in a footnote.

8.3.1.2 Disclosure requirements

ASC 310-10-50-2 specifies the information required to be addressed in an accounting policy footnote for all loans and trade receivables.

  1. The basis for accounting for loans and trade receivables
  2. The method used in determining the lower of cost or fair value of nonmortgage loans held for sale (that is, aggregate or individual asset basis)
  3. The classification and method of accounting for interest-only strips, loans, other receivables, or retained interests in securitizations that can be contractually prepaid or otherwise settled in a way that the holder would not recover substantially all of its recorded investment
  4. The method for recognizing interest income on loan and trade receivables, including a statement about the entity’s policy for treatment of related fees and costs, including the method of amortizing net deferred fees or costs.

Additionally, ASC 310-10-50-4 requires reporting entities to disclose the allowance for credit losses (i.e., allowance for doubtful accounts), unearned income, unamortized premiums and discounts, and net unamortized deferred fees and costs in their financial statements. In addition, reporting entities should disclose their policy for writing off uncollectible trade accounts receivable (excluding credit card receivables) that have a contractual maturity of one year or less, and arose from the sale of goods or services.

Receivables are generally considered to be financial assets, and as such, reporting entities are required to comply with the fair value disclosure requirements of ASC 825, Financial Instruments (see FSP 20). However, as noted in ASC 310-10-50-26, reporting entities do not need to provide the fair value disclosures for trade receivables due in one year or less.

ASC 310-10-50-6 through ASC 310-10-50-7A require accounting policy disclosures by class of financing receivables, except for the following types of financing receivables, as detailed in ASC 310-10-50-5A and ASC 310-10-50-5B:

The accounting policy disclosures should include the following:

Excerpt from ASC 310-10-50-6

  1. The policy for placing financing receivables, if applicable, on nonaccrual status (or discontinuing accrual of interest)
  2. The policy for recording payments received on nonaccrual financing receivables, if applicable
  3. The policy for resuming accrual of interest
  4. Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2010-20
  5. The policy for determining past due or delinquency status.

As required by ASC 310-10-50-7 and ASC 310-10-50-7A, reporting entities should disclose the amount of financing receivables on nonaccrual status and the amounts that are 90 days or more past due and still accruing, as of each balance sheet date. They should also disclose the aging for financing receivables that are past due at the end of the reporting period.

Reporting entities may have credit exposure related to off-balance-sheet loan commitments, standby letters of credit, certain financial guarantees, and other similar instruments (other than those within the scope of ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging). In addition to the disclosures required by ASC 450, Contingencies (see FSP 23), reporting entities should also describe the accounting policies and methods used to estimate its liabilities related to off-balance-sheet credit exposures and related charges. The disclosure should discuss factors that influenced management’s judgment and the risk elements relevant to their financial instruments.

Reporting entities are also required by ASC 310-10-50-29 to disclose quantitative and qualitative information by class that indicates the credit quality of their financing receivables. This information should include all of the following:

In addition, if reporting entities disclose internal risk ratings, they should provide qualitative information on how those ratings relate to the risk of loss.

Allowance for credit losses related to financing receivables

The disclosure requirements discussed in this section apply to financing receivables, except for the receivables listed in ASC 310-10-50-7B (e.g., certain trade accounts receivable, receivables measured at fair value with changes in fair value reported in earnings, receivables measured at lower of cost or fair value, and participant loans in defined contribution pension plans), and a lessor’s net investment in leveraged leases.

ASC 310 requires reporting entities to disclose information about financing receivables’ allowance for credit losses at a portfolio segment level.

  1. A description of the entity’s accounting policies and methodology used to estimate the allowance for credit losses, including all of the following:
    1. A description of the factors that influenced management’s judgment, including both of the following:
      1. Historical losses
      2. Existing economic conditions.
      1. The balance in the allowance at the beginning and end of each period
      2. Current period provision
      3. Direct write-downs charged against the allowance
      4. Recoveries of amounts previously charged off.

      In order to disaggregate the information required by items (g) and (h) on the basis of the impairment methodology, ASC 310-10-50-11C requires reporting entities to separately disclose:

      • Amounts collectively evaluated for impairment (determined under ASC 450-20)
      • Amounts individually evaluated for impairment (determined under ASC 310-10-35)
      • Amounts related to loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality (determined under ASC 310-30)

      In addition, ASC 210-10-45-13 requires reporting entities to deduct asset valuation allowances for losses from the assets or group of assets to which the allowances relate. ASC 310-10-50-14 requires reporting entities to include appropriate disclosure of asset valuation allowances in the footnotes.

      Finally, if loan products have contractual terms that expose the reporting entities to risks and uncertainties, the disclosure requirements of ASC 275, Risks and Uncertainties, may be required. See FSP 24 for discussion of disclosure requirements associated with risks and uncertainties.

      Impaired loans ASC 310-10-35-16 defines impaired loans.

      Excerpt from ASC 310-10-35-16

      A loan is impaired when, based on current information and events, it is probable that a creditor will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the contractual terms of the loan agreement.

      Sometimes a financing receivable may meet the definition of an impaired loan. In these situations, ASC 310-10-50-14A requires reporting entities to disclose both the accounting policy and the amounts of such loans. In addition, the following disclosures are required for partially charged off loans. These disclosures are not applicable to fully charged off loans since both the recovered investment and allowance for credit losses will equal zero.

      1. As of the date of each statement of financial position presented:
        1. Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2010-20
        2. Subparagraph superseded by Accounting Standards Update No. 2010-20
        3. The recorded investment in the impaired loans and both of the following:
          1. The amount of that recorded investment for which there is a related allowance for credit losses determined in accordance with Section 310-10-35 and the amount of that allowance
          2. The amount of that recorded investment for which there is no related allowance for credit losses determined in accordance with Section 310-10-35.
          1. The average recorded investment in the impaired loans
          2. The related amount of interest income recognized during the time within that period that the loans were impaired
          3. The amount of interest income recognized using a cash-basis method of accounting during the time within that period that the loans were impaired, if practicable.

          As discussed in ASC 310-10-50-11B(c), reporting entities should disclose the activity in the total allowance for credit losses related to loans for each period presented, including the balance in the allowance at the beginning and end of each period, additions charged to operations, direct write-downs charged against the allowance, and recoveries of amounts previously charged off.

          Finally, as discussed in ASC 310-10-50-19, when a change in present value attributable to the passage of time is recorded as interest income, disclosure of the amount of the change is required.

          Creditor disclosures of troubled debt restructurings

          ASC 310-40 requires a creditor to disclose the amount of commitments, if any, it has made to lend additional funds to debtors whose receivables to the creditor have been modified in a troubled debt restructuring (TDR).

          However, for impaired loans that have been previously restructured in a modification determined to be a TDR when subsequently there is an additional modification of terms, the disclosures required by ASC 310-10-50-15(a) and ASC 310-10-50-15(c) may not be required in years after the subsequent restructuring if both of the following conditions exist:

          • The interest rate in the subsequent restructuring agreement is greater than or equal to the rate the creditor was willing to accept for a new loan with comparable risk at the time of the subsequent restructuring and no concessions have been granted
          • The loan would not meet the requirements for a TDR based on the terms of the subsequent restructuring agreement (i.e., the borrower is no longer experiencing financial difficulty and no concession was granted)

          This disclosure exception should be applied consistently for all subsequently restructured loans in a TDR.

          ASC 310-10-50-31 through ASC 310-10-50-34 also provide disclosure requirements for a creditor’s troubled debt restructuring of financing receivables, including a creditor’s modification of a lease receivable that meets the definition of a troubled debt restructuring. This guidance is not applicable to certain receivables listed in ASC 310-10-50-32 (i.e., certain trade accounts receivable, receivables measured at fair value with changes in fair value reported in earnings, receivables measured at lower of amortized cost basis or fair value, and participant loans in defined contribution pension plans).

          For all income statement periods presented, reporting entities must disclose the following for any troubled debt restructurings of financing receivables occurring during the period:

          • Qualitative and quantitative information, by class, including how the receivable was modified and the modification’s financial effects
          • Qualitative information, by portfolio segment, discussing how such modifications factor into the determination of the allowance for credit losses

          If there was a payment default during the period on any financing receivables that were modified as a troubled debt restructuring within the previous twelve months, reporting entities should also disclose the following for each income statement presented:

          • Qualitative and quantitative information, by class, indicating the types and amount of financing receivables that defaulted
          • Qualitative information, by portfolio segment, discussing how such defaults factor into the determination of the allowance for credit losses
          Loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality

          A reporting entity may purchase loans with deteriorated credit quality. ASC 310-30 provides specific disclosure requirements for these types of loans.

          For such loans, ASC 310-30-50-1 requires reporting entities to describe in their footnotes how prepayments are considered when determining contractual cash flows and cash flows expected to be collected. In addition, ASC 310-30-50-2 requires additional disclosures.

          1. Separately for both those loans that are accounted for as debt securities and those loans that are not accounted for as debt securities, all of the following.
            1. The outstanding balance (see paragraph 310-30-50-3) and related carrying amount at the beginning and end of the period
            2. The amount of accretable yield at the beginning and end of the period, reconciled for additions, accretion, disposals of loans, and reclassifications to or from nonaccretable difference during the period
            3. For loans acquired during the period, the contractually required payments receivable, cash flows expected to be collected, and fair value at the acquisition date
            4. For those loans within the scope of this Subtopic for which the income recognition model in this Subtopic is not applied in accordance with paragraph 310-30-35-3, the carrying amount at the acquisition date for loans acquired during the period and the carrying amount of all loans at the end of the period.
            1. The amount of both of the following:
              1. Any expense recognized pursuant to paragraph 310-30-35-10(a)
              2. Any reductions of the allowance recognized pursuant to paragraph 310-30-35-10(b)(1) for each period for which an income statement is presented.