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US GAAP versus IFRS - Foreign currency matters - Ernst & Young - United States

US GAAP versus IFRS

Foreign currency matters

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Similarities

ASC 830, Foreign Currency Matters, and IAS 21, The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates, are similar in their approach to foreign currency translation. Although the criteria to determine an entity's functional currency are different under US GAAP and IFRS, both ASC 830 and IAS 21 generally result in the same determination (i.e., the currency of the entity's primary economic environment).

In addition, although there are differences in accounting for foreign currency translation in hyperinflationary economies under ASC 830 and IAS 29, Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies, both sets of standards require the identification of hyperinflationary economies and generally consider the same economies to be hyperinflationary.

Both US GAAP and IFRS require foreign currency transactions to be remeasured into an entity's functional currency with amounts resulting from changes in exchange rates reported in income. Except for the translation of financial statements in hyperinflationary economies, the method used to translate financial statements from the functional currency to the reporting currency is the same.

In addition, both US GAAP and IFRS require remeasurement into the functional currency before translation into the reporting currency. Assets and liabilities are translated at the period-end rate and income statement amounts generally are translated at the average rate, with the exchange differences reported in equity. Both sets of standards also require certain foreign exchange effects related to net investments in foreign operations to be accumulated in shareholders' equity (i.e., the cumulative translation adjustment portion of other comprehensive income).

In general, these amounts are reflected in income when there is a sale, complete liquidation or abandonment of the foreign operation.

Significant differences


 US GAAPIFRS
Translation/functional currency of foreign operations in a hyperinflationary economy Local functional currency financial statements are remeasured as if the functional currency was the reporting currency (US dollar in the case of a US parent) with resulting exchange differences recognized in income.The functional currency must be maintained. However, local functional currency financial statement amounts not already measured at the current rate at the end of the reporting period (current and prior period) are indexed using a general price index (i.e., restated in terms of the measuring unit current at the balance sheet date with the resultant effects recognized in income), and are then translated to the reporting currency at the current rate.
Consolidation of foreign operationsA "bottom-up" approach is required in order to reflect the appropriate foreign currency effects and hedges in place. As such, an entity should be consolidated by the enterprise that controls the entity. Therefore, the "step-by-step" method of consolidation is used, whereby each entity is consolidated into its immediate parent until the ultimate parent has consolidated the financial statements of all the entities below it.The method of consolidation is not specified and, as a result, either the "direct" or the "step-by-step" method of consolidation is used. Under the "direct" method, each entity within the consolidated group is directly translated into the functional currency of the ultimate parent and then consolidated into the ultimate parent (i.e., the reporting entity) without regard to any intermediate parent. The choice of consolidation method used could affect the cumulative translation adjustments deferred within equity at intermediate levels, and therefore the recycling of such exchange rate differences upon disposal of an intermediate foreign operation.

Convergence

No further convergence is planned at this time.

In December 2011, the FASB proposed an EITF consensus that would require a parent that sells or transfers a group of assets that is a nonprofit activity or a business (other than a sale of in substance real estate or conveyance of oil and gas mineral rights) within a consolidated foreign entity to recognize a portion of the cumulative translation adjustment associated with the disposed group of assets in earnings.


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