FASB Receives Support For Proposed Tax Reform Guidance

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Written by Ron Wainwright | Posted in Tax Cuts Jobs Act

Numerous banking institutions, insurers, and financial trade organizations support the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) proposed response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In comment letters on Proposed Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-210, Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, groups like the American Bankers Association urged the FASB to approve its proposed amendment. Proposed ASU No. 2018-210 aims to reduce the accounting effects of complying with the new tax law and simplify financial statements for investors.

The FASB released the proposal after banks and insurance companies raised concerns over specific requirements introduced by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Under current accounting standards, companies must remeasure deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities to reflect the new corporate tax rate (21 percent), and the change in value must be presented in current earnings, even when the related deferred tax items are initially recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. To ease concerns, Proposed ASU No. 2018-210 would require for companies to reclassify the stranded effects from other comprehensive income to retained earnings. The reclassification amount would equal the initial amount charged to other comprehensive income minus and what would have been charged at the new corporate tax rate.

While its proposal received high praise from banks and insurance companies, the FASB also heard from concerned parties over the reclassification requirement. One Big Four firm suggested the provision could cause non-financial companies to disclose misleading information on their reports to shareholders. Additionally, the CFA Institute, a group representing securities analysts, believes that the change could mislead investors on a company’s financial situation.

The FASB reviewed the feedback received on the Proposed ASU No. 2018-210 at its meeting Wednesday and will draft a final ASU. The FASB expects to issue the final ASU by February 16.

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Ron Wainwright

Tax Partner in the Raleigh office of Cherry Bekaert LLP with 25 years of experience in the area of taxation. As a Certified Public Accountant, I serve a diverse client base including multi-national, public and closely held companies.

Prior to working at Cherry Bekaert, I was a tax partner with McGladrey for ten years along with a regional CPA firm and served in various National and Local leadership roles. Spent seven years in Washington, D.C. serving in a National Tax Role focusing on domestic and international tax issues, mergers and acquisitions and IRS Tax controversy matters.