ACCOUNTING STANDARDS

 Classification of Entities in detail:

Corporate Entities: For the purpose of applicability of AS, companies are categorized as follows:

Small and Medium Companies (SMCs): SMCs are companies that satisfy the following conditions:

a) Equity and debt securities of the company are not listed or are not in the process of listing of any stock exchange, whether in India or outside India

b) Company is not a bank or financial institution or insurance company

c) Company’s turnover (excluding other income) does not exceed Rs. 50 crores in the immediately preceding accounting year

d) Company does not have borrowing (including public deposits) exceeding Rs. 10 crores at any time during the immediately preceding accounting year and

e) Company is not a holding company or subsidiary of a non-SMC.

Partial Exemption:

Certain relaxations are provided with respect to the following AS:

AS 17- Segment Reporting

AS 15- Employee Benefits

AS 19- Leases

AS 20- Earnings Per Share (EPS)

AS 29- Provisions, contingent liabilities, and contingent assets

Full Exemption

AS 3- Cash Flow Statements, shall not apply to SMCs if it is a Person Company (OPC), dormant company, and Small company.

Non-SMCs: All the accounting standards are applicable to Non-SMCs.

Non-Corporate Entities: Non-corporate entities are entities other than companies (as defined in the Companies Act, 2013). It includes

1. Cooperative society and charitable entity if they carry on any commercial, industrial or business activities (even if a very small portion), in such cases AS will apply to its entire activity (whether charitable or otherwise)

 2. Partnership firms and sole proprietary concerns

3. Societies registered under Societies Registration Act, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), and Association of Person (AOP).

Non-corporate entities are not under any obligatory requirement to follow accounting standards, but if such entities are required to get its financial statements attested, it will be the duty of a member of the institute (CA in practice) to examine whether AS has been complied with. So indirectly, non-corporate entities are also required to follow accounting standards on the basis of the level in which it falls.

Levels of non-corporate entities are discussed below:

Level

Conditions

Accounting Standards applicable

Level I

•Entities whose equity or debt instruments are listed or are in process of listing on any stock exchange (in or outside India)

•Banks (including co-operative banks), financial institutions or entities carrying on Insurance business

•All commercial, industrial or business reporting entities having:

Ø Borrowings > 10 crores (at any time during immediately preceding accounting year)

Ø Turnover > 50 crores (during preceding accounting year)

• Holding or subsidiary entities of any of the above.

All the accounting standards are applicable to Level I entities. However, AS 21, 23, and 27 will apply based on the regulatory requirements.

Level II

• Other than Level I entities if they fall under the following limit.

• All commercial, industrial, or business reporting entities having:

Ø Borrowings > 1 crore (at any time during immediately preceding accounting year)

Ø Turnover > 10 crores (during preceding accounting year)

 • Holding or subsidiary entities of any of the above.

Fully applicable AS

All accounting standards are applicable to Level II entities except AS 3, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27 and those discussed below

AS applicable but certain relaxations regarding disclosure requirement

AS 19 – Leases

AS 20– Earning Per Share

AS 29 – Provisions, contingent liabilities, and contingent assets

Level III

•  All non-corporate entities other than Level I and Level II.

Same exemptions as mentioned in level II above.