Objectives of Research Projects

Disclosure Review—Intangibles, Share-based Payment, and Foreign Currency (last updated on November 14, 2017)
 

Project Objective

The objective of these projects is to review current disclosure requirements to improve the financial information in notes to financial statements about intangibles, share-based payment, and foreign currency.
 

Contact Information

Peter Proestakes
Assistant Director
pcproestakes@fasb.org


Financial Performance Reporting (last updated on November 14, 2017)
 

Project Objective

The objective of the Financial Performance Reporting project is to consider whether to require a measure of operations and whether and how to define a measure of operations for both Not-for-Profit Entities and business entities.
 

Contact Information

Lauren Mottley
Supervising Project Manager
lmottley@fasb.org


Hedge Accounting Phase 2 (last updated on October 3, 2018)
 

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to obtain stakeholders’ feedback that could bring further alignment of hedge accounting with risk management activities beyond the targeted improvements made to the hedge accounting model in Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities.
 

Contact Information

Jeff Gabello
Supervising Project Manager
jjgabello@fasb.org

David Challen
Practice Fellow
dchallen@fasb.org

Erin Cahill
Assistant Project Manager
dchallen@fasb.org


Income Taxes—Backwards Tracing (last updated on January 19, 2018)
 

Project Objective

GAAP generally prohibits backwards tracing, which is the process of recognizing the effects of changes in deferred tax amounts in the current year in the same line item in which the deferred tax amounts were originally recorded (for example, other comprehensive income) in prior years. The objective of the Backwards Tracing project is to consider whether changes should be made to the prohibition on backwards tracing. The project also may consider alternatives to backwards tracing. The staff will consider the cost and benefits of backwards tracing from both a preparer perspective and a financial statement user perspective.
 

Contact Information

Jenifer Wyss
Supervising Project Manager
jjwyss@fasb.org


Inventory and Cost of Sales (last updated on November 14, 2017)
 

Project Objective

The objective of the Inventory and Cost of Sales project is to improve the accounting for inventory and cost of sales and services, including:
  1. The objective of inventory costing in Topic 330, Inventory
  2. Multiple inventory costing methods (including industry-specific cost capitalization guidance) and impairment models
  3. Areas in which there is a lack of guidance.
The staff plans to seek stakeholders’ input to identify key issues and to outline potential alternative solutions for the Board’s consideration in deciding whether to add the project to its technical agenda.
 

Contact Information

Jeff Gabello
Supervising Project Manager
jjgabello@fasb.org


Recognition and Measurement of Revenue Contracts with Customers under Topic 805 (last updated on June 14, 2019)
 

Project Objective


The objective of this project is to solicit input in the form of a Discussion Paper including an Invitation to Comment (ITC) about measurement and other topics related to the Emerging Issues Task Force’s consensus-for-exposure that an entity would be required to use the Topic 606 performance obligation definition to determine whether an assumed contract liability from a revenue contract with a customer represents a liability assumed that is recognized in a business combination at the acquisition date.

On February 14, 2019 the FASB issued an Invitation to Comment, Measurement and Other Topics Related to Revenue Contracts with Customers under Topic 805. The comment letter deadline was April 30, 2019.
 
Download the Invitation to Comment, Measurement and Other Topics Related to Revenue Contracts with Customers under Topic 805. The ITC was issued concurrently with the related proposed Accounting Standards Update, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Revenue from Contracts with Customers—Recognizing an Assumed Liability (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force). Refer to the EITF Issue No. 18-A project page here for more information.
 

Contact Information

Ryan Carter
Project Manager
rjcarter@fasb.org


Targeted Improvements to the Statement of Cash Flows (last updated on March 30, 2018)
 

Project Objective

The objective of the Targeted Improvement to the Statement of Cash Flows project is to reduce existing diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics.
 

Contact Information

Joy Sy
Supervising Project Manager
jsy@fasb.org


Variable Interest Entity Related Party Guidance (last updated on May 17, 2018)
 

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to determine the frequency for which the VIE related party guidance in Topic 810 is applied to arrangements where related parties are under common control after considering the impact of the Board’s decisions to (1) provide a private company accounting alternative to allow private companies to not apply VIE guidance in certain circumstances and (2) amend the VIE guidance to require that indirect interests held through related parties in common control arrangements be considered on a proportional basis for determining whether fees paid to decision makers and service providers are variable interests.
 

Contact Information

Christopher Roberge
Senior Project Manager
ceroberge@fasb.org