Analysis of Annual report with respect to compliance with AASB


Executive Summary:


This is an individual assignment in which I need to demonstrate the understanding of accounting standards and the theoretical and philosophical approaches which is related to more complex accounting problems. The focus has been made on how company executive’s compensation and employee benefits have been addressed in corporate reporting with the revision in conceptual framework. Here I need to take the annual reports of two listed companies under ASX and required to make analysis of the above mentioned topic in this light. For this we need to make research and compare the selected companies’ annual reports which provide the support for compliance with the AASB requirements and compliance to accounting conceptual framework which has been used in preparation and presentation of the annual reports.

Table of Contents









Introduction:

To make analysis here I have selected two companies one from telecommunication sector. In this report I have made the detailed analysis of annual reports to understand the compliance with the AASB and accounting conceptual theory and framework related to director’s compensation and employee benefits and how it has been demonstrated in the annual reports prepared. The first company is TPG Telecom Limited and second is Telstra Corporation Limited.

Annual Reports analysis:

The basic accounting standard applicable to all the company’s annual report is AASB 101related to preparation and presentation of the financial statements of the organization, so every organization’s financial statements must be adhered to requirement of AASB 101. Other than this standard I have also analyzed the annual reports with respect to compliance with AASB 119 and AASB 1028 which are related to employee benefits, and AASB 124 and AASB 1046 also being analyzed so far as applicable to the company and compliance has been made with respect to it.
Employees have been considered as the special part of an organization and it is an asset of the organization which cannot measured easily in terms of numeric values and that is why it is not being shown on the face of financial statements. Since, the beginning of accounting this concept has been followed and for making accounting of all the benefits paid to an employee being shown under the separate head on the face of financial statements. There are various standard and accounting approaches has been issued by accounting bodies for making reporting of the benefits paid to employees, how retirement benefits to be recognized in financial statements and any special disclosure requirement as a part of duties of organization.

Requirement of AASB 119 related to employee benefits:

AASB 119 has been issued with an objective to make accounting and disclosure for employee benefits, and as per basic requirement this standard requires to recognize a liability as and when an employee has provided the service in exchange for employee benefits which is to be paid in future and recognition of an expense as and when the entity consumes the economic benefits which is arising from services provided by an employee in exchange for employee benefits. This standard has been revised and the revised form is being applicable for the reporting periods beginning on or after 1st January 2013. There are certain changes have been made in the parameters related to recognition, measurement and presentation with respect to employee benefits. And the period from which the revised form of AASB 119 has been applied; needs to be disclosed in accounting policy as well as the quantitative impact of those changes. Additionally, the transitional provisions requires for restatement of earliest prior period. There are certain specific requirements which need to be compliance with:
§  Immediate recognition of all actuarial gains and losses in other comprehensive income:
As per this requirement an organization is required to re-measure actuarial gains and losses which needs to be recognized in other comprehensive income based on the changes which are resulted from experience adjustments and changes took place in actuarial assumptions which now needs to be recognized immediately in other comprehensive income. 
§  Presentation of defined benefit costs: Following components are required to be presented under the head of defined benefit plans-
(a)    Service cost recognized in profit and loss
(b)   Net interest related to net defined benefit assets or liability which is to be recognized in profit and loss; and
(c)    Re-measurement of the net defined benefit assets and liability which needs to be recognized in other comprehensive income.
§  Additional disclosures requirement for defined benefit plans:
With the amendments in the in this standard additional disclosures requirements has been defined as under:
(a)    A narrative descriptions of the defined benefit plans and characteristics of the plans and risk associated with it
(b)   Reconciliation of the numerical calculations and disclosures of the amounts in the financial statements arising from the defined benefits plans
(c)    Sensitivity analysis related to actuarial an assumption which affects the timing, amount and uncertainty in relation of the future cash flows.
§  Changes related to measurement of timing and recognition of the termination benefits:
Under the revised statement of AASB 119R, the termination benefits which are recognized at the earlier of when the entity recognizes related restructuring costs and when the entity can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits.

Analyze the TPG Telecom Limited annual report:

If we analyze the annual report of TPG Telecom Limited total employee benefits expenses recognized in income statement is $139.1 million for financial year 2015 which is increased by 34% compare to financial year 2014. And total employee benefits disclosed on the face of consolidated statement of financial position is $14.4 million in financial year 2015 under the current liabilities and $2.0 million under the head non-current liabilities.
If we analyze the notes to accounts prepared for these disclosures, the liabilities related for employee benefits which are expected to be settled within next 12 months of the reporting dates which represents the present obligations which is resulting from the employees services provided up to the reporting date and such amount has been calculated as undiscounted amounts based on the remuneration of the employees that the group expects to pay.
The other non-current employee benefits has been measured based on the long-term service of the future benefits that employee have earned in return for their services in relation of current and prior periods. Such amounts has been calculated based on the expected increase in the remunerations of the employees based on the on-costs and expected settlements dates and such amounts has been discounted using the corporate bonds as on the balance sheet date.
The performance rights plans (Employees defined benefits plans) in which detailed explanations has been given about the plan, the number of employees getting the benefits of plan, how the scheme has been designed under this plan and how such share-based payments reserve has been created under this plan.
The disclosure of the superannuation plan reflects that the contributions for such plan has been recognized as an expense in the income statement on an accrual basis and amount contributed under such plan has been disclosed under this note.

Analyze the Telstra Corporation Limited annual report:


If we analyze the notes to the financial statements prepares the detailed disclosures has been made related to employee benefits expenses and employee benefit plan related provisions has been disclosed in details as under:
(a)    The worker’s compensation liabilities provision has been made based on the present value of these estimated liabilities which is computed based on the actuarial value compensation. It has been also mentioned that present value has been calculated by using the appropriate rates in relation to the risks specific to the liability with a similar due date.
(b)   The provisions made under the head employee benefits related to wages, salaries, annual leave and other current liabilities at the nominal  amounts on the accrual basis. It has been mentioned that under that note; the calculation related to employee benefits has been made based on the remuneration rates at the current settlement dates which also include the related costs.
(c)    Notes for defined contribution plans mentioned that the plan is limited to making the contributions in accordance with the minimum statutory requirements. It has been clearly mentioned that the group have no any legal or any kind of constructive obligation to pay additional contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all employee benefits relating to current and past employee services. The contributions made to this plans are recorded as an expenses on the face of income statement and a liability under this head has been recognized as and when a future payment has become payable for the services provided by the employees.
(d)   The correspondence notes prepared for defined benefits plans includes various schemes and a detailed notes has been prepared containing all the related provisions of the scheme. The Telstra Superannuation scheme has been designed specifically for employees post employment period where the liability has been calculated based on the fair value of the plan assets is less than the present value of the defined benefit obligations, the net deficit is recognized as a liability.

Difference in disclosure of both the organization:

So, we make the analysis of annual reports of the companies we find that compliance with respect to AASB 119 has been identified more clearly in most of the cases, however the disclosure and presentation found in the annual report of Telstra Corporation Limited is much better compare to TPG telecom limited in which the detailed information has been given related to all the amount recognized in the financial statements. Other than that both the companies are in telecommunication industry as both the companies are in same industry the requirements with respect to following of accounting standard and compliance to accounting statutory framework is equally applicable to both the organization. Telstra Corporation limited believes in timely adoption of all the accounting standard applicable to the organization and any amendments occur in the accounting standard has been disclosed in detail in the notes to accounts prepared in support of the financial statements. Hence Telstra Corporation Limited adopted all the accounting standard and amendment in accounting standard for preparation of financial statement for the year 2015. Based on the analysis of annual reports of Telstra Corporation Limited is can be concluded that the report issued by the Auditor of Telstra is in line and based in the presentation of all the information in financial statements. However if we analyze the annual report of TPG Telecom Limited then; it is very clear that Alumina not following some of the AASB and amendment in AASB for preparation of annual report of the organization.

Conclusions:

The different accounting bodies are working on the current issued faced by the organization and based on mature analysis they issue the some norms and conditions in form of accounting standard to make the financial statement comparable for stakeholders who are using this financial statements for various purposes which gives the credibility and confidence to stakeholders that the information provided under the annual reports are true and has been verified and checked by auditors of the company before approving the same. So, compliance with respect to AASB issued by the Australian Accounting body is requires for all the companies which have covered under its jurisdiction. Basically, the applicability of all AASB has been decided based on the form of organization and in which tier it has been covered.

Recommendations:

It is the responsibilities of management of every organization to make compliance with the specific accounting framework and relevant accounting policies and practices for which standard has been issued by the relevant accounting bodies. AASB issued by Australian accounting standard board are issued to standardize and harmonies financial statement of all the organization within the countries. However difference has been found with respect to compliance of such standard and accounting policies so, in order to achieve the objective of harmonization of financial statement it is necessary for every organization to make full compliance with AASB whether it is related to employee benefits or other transactions of the company in measurement, recognition and disclosure in annual report.

 



References:


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