IASB Clarifies Accounting for Deferred Tax on Leases and Decommissioning Obligations

IASB Clarifies Accounting for Deferred Tax on Leases and Decommissioning Obligations

IAS 12 Income Taxes

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued targeted amendments to International Accounting Standard (IAS) 12, the IFRS Standard on income taxes, to specify how companies should account for deferred tax on transactions such as leases and decommissioning obligations.

IAS 12, Income Taxes, specifies how a company accounts for income tax, including deferred tax, which represents tax payable or recoverable in the future.

Exemption from Recognition of Deferred Taxes

In specified circumstances, companies are exempt from recognizing deferred tax when they recognize assets or liabilities for the first time. Previously, there had been some uncertainty about whether the exemption applied to transactions such as leases and decommissioning obligations—transactions for which companies recognize both an asset and a liability. 

The amendments clarify that the exemption does not apply, and that companies are required to recognize deferred tax, on such transactions. The aim of the amendments is to reduce diversity in the reporting of deferred tax on leases and decommissioning obligations.

Effective Date

The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2023, with early application permitted. 

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