IAS 20

IAS Standard 20

Accounting for Government Grants and

Disclosure of Government Assistance
In April 2001 the International Accounting Standards Board adopted IAS 20 Accounting for
Government Grants and Disclosure of Government Assistance, which had originally been issued by
the International Accounting Standards Committee in April 1983.
Other Standards have made minor consequential amendments to IAS 20. They include
IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement (issued May 2011), Presentation of Items of Other Comprehensive
Income (Amendments to IAS 1) (issued June 2011), IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (Hedge
Accounting and amendments to IFRS 9, IFRS 7 and IAS 39) (issued November 2013) and
IFRS 9 Financial Instruments (issued July 2014).

IFRS Foundation

A999

IAS 20

CONTENTS
from paragraph

INTERNATIONAL ACCOUNTING STANDARD 20

ACCOUNTING FOR GOVERNMENT GRANTS AND
DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE
SCOPE

DEFINITIONS

GOVERNMENT GRANTS

Non-monetary government grants

23

Presentation of grants related to assets

24

Presentation of grants related to income

29

Repayment of government grants

32

GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE

34

DISCLOSURE

39

TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS

40

EFFECTIVE DATE

41

FOR THE ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENT LISTED BELOW, SEE PART B OF THIS EDITION
BASIS FOR CONCLUSIONS

A1000

IFRS Foundation

IAS 20

International Accounting Standard 20 Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of

Government Assistance (IAS 20) is set out in paragraphs 148. All the paragraphs have equal
authority but retain the IASC format of the Standard when it was adopted by the IASB.
IAS 20 should be read in the context of the Basis for Conclusions, the Preface to
International Financial Reporting Standards and the Conceptual Framework for Financial
Reporting. IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors provides a basis
for selecting and applying accounting policies in the absence of explicit guidance.

IFRS Foundation

A1001

IAS 20

International Accounting Standard 20

Accounting for Government Grants and Disclosure of
Government Assistance1
Scope
1

This Standard shall be applied in accounting for, and in the disclosure of,
government grants and in the disclosure of other forms of government
assistance.

This Standard does not deal with:

(a)

the special problems arising in accounting for government grants in

financial statements reflecting the effects of changing prices or in
supplementary information of a similar nature.

(b)

government assistance that is provided for an entity in the form of

benefits that are available in determining taxable profit or tax loss, or
are determined or limited on the basis of income tax liability. Examples
of such benefits are income tax holidays, investment tax credits,
accelerated depreciation allowances and reduced income tax rates.

(c)

government participation in the ownership of the entity.

(d)

government grants covered by IAS 41 Agriculture.

Definitions
3

The following terms are used in this Standard with the meanings
specified:

Government refers to government, government agencies and similar

bodies whether local, national or international.
Government assistance is action by government designed to provide an
economic benefit specific to an entity or range of entities qualifying
under certain criteria. Government assistance for the purpose of this
Standard does not include benefits provided only indirectly through
action affecting general trading conditions, such as the provision of
infrastructure in development areas or the imposition of trading
constraints on competitors.
Government grants are assistance by government in the form of transfers
of resources to an entity in return for past or future compliance with
certain conditions relating to the operating activities of the entity. They
exclude those forms of government assistance which cannot reasonably

As part of Improvements to IFRSs issued in May 2008 the Board amended terminology used in this
Standard to be consistent with other IFRSs as follows: (a) taxable income was amended to taxable
profit or tax loss, (b) recognised as income/expense was amended to recognised in profit or loss,
(c) credited directly to shareholders interests/equity was amended to recognised outside profit or
loss, and (d) revision to an accounting estimate was amended to change in accounting estimate.

A1002

IFRS Foundation

IAS 20
have a value placed upon them and transactions with government which
cannot be distinguished from the normal trading transactions of the
entity.2

Grants related to assets are government grants whose primary condition

is that an entity qualifying for them should purchase, construct or
otherwise acquire long-term assets. Subsidiary conditions may also be
attached restricting the type or location of the assets or the periods
during which they are to be acquired or held.
Grants related to income are government grants other than those related
to assets.
Forgivable loans are loans which the lender undertakes to waive
repayment of under certain prescribed conditions.
Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to
transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants
at the measurement date. (See IFRS 13 Fair Value Measurement.)
4

Government assistance takes many forms varying both in the nature of the
assistance given and in the conditions which are usually attached to it.
The purpose of the assistance may be to encourage an entity to embark on a
course of action which it would not normally have taken if the assistance was
not provided.

The receipt of government assistance by an entity may be significant for the

preparation of the financial statements for two reasons. Firstly, if resources have
been transferred, an appropriate method of accounting for the transfer must be
found. Secondly, it is desirable to give an indication of the extent to which the
entity has benefited from such assistance during the reporting period.
This facilitates comparison of an entitys financial statements with those of prior
periods and with those of other entities.

Government grants are sometimes called by other names such as subsidies,

subventions, or premiums.

Government grants
7

Government grants, including non-monetary grants at fair value, shall

not be recognised until there is reasonable assurance that:
(a)

the entity will comply with the conditions attaching to them; and

(b)

the grants will be received.

A government grant is not recognised until there is reasonable assurance that

the entity will comply with the conditions attaching to it, and that the grant
will be received. Receipt of a grant does not of itself provide conclusive evidence
that the conditions attaching to the grant have been or will be fulfilled.

See also SIC-10 Government AssistanceNo Specific Relation to Operating Activities.

IFRS Foundation

A1003

IAS 20
9

The manner in which a grant is received does not affect the accounting method
to be adopted in regard to the grant. Thus a grant is accounted for in the same
manner whether it is received in cash or as a reduction of a liability to the
government.

10

A forgivable loan from government is treated as a government grant when there

is reasonable assurance that the entity will meet the terms for forgiveness of the
loan.

10A

The benefit of a government loan at a below-market rate of interest is treated as

a government grant. The loan shall be recognised and measured in accordance
with IFRS 9 Financial Instruments. The benefit of the below-market rate of interest
shall be measured as the difference between the initial carrying value of the loan
determined in accordance with IFRS 9 and the proceeds received. The benefit is
accounted for in accordance with this Standard. The entity shall consider the
conditions and obligations that have been, or must be, met when identifying the
costs for which the benefit of the loan is intended to compensate.

11

Once a government grant is recognised, any related contingent liability or

contingent asset is treated in accordance with IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent
Liabilities and Contingent Assets.

12

Government grants shall be recognised in profit or loss on a systematic

basis over the periods in which the entity recognises as expenses the
related costs for which the grants are intended to compensate.

13

There are two broad approaches to the accounting for government grants: the
capital approach, under which a grant is recognised outside profit or loss, and
the income approach, under which a grant is recognised in profit or loss over
one or more periods.

14

Those in support of the capital approach argue as follows:

15

A1004

(a)

government grants are a financing device and should be dealt with as

such in the statement of financial position rather than be recognised in
profit or loss to offset the items of expense that they finance. Because no
repayment is expected, such grants should be recognised outside profit
or loss.

(b)

it is inappropriate to recognise government grants in profit or loss,

because they are not earned but represent an incentive provided by
government without related costs.

Arguments in support of the income approach are as follows:

(a)

because government grants are receipts from a source other than

shareholders, they should not be recognised directly in equity but should
be recognised in profit or loss in appropriate periods.

(b)

government grants are rarely gratuitous. The entity earns them through
compliance with their conditions and meeting the envisaged obligations.
They should therefore be recognised in profit or loss over the periods in
which the entity recognises as expenses the related costs for which the
grant is intended to compensate.

IFRS Foundation

IAS 20
(c)

because income and other taxes are expenses, it is logical to deal also
with government grants, which are an extension of fiscal policies, in
profit or loss.

16

It is fundamental to the income approach that government grants should be

recognised in profit or loss on a systematic basis over the periods in which the
entity recognises as expenses the related costs for which the grant is intended to
compensate. Recognition of government grants in profit or loss on a receipts
basis is not in accordance with the accrual accounting assumption (see IAS 1
Presentation of Financial Statements) and would be acceptable only if no basis existed
for allocating a grant to periods other than the one in which it was received.

17

In most cases the periods over which an entity recognises the costs or expenses
related to a government grant are readily ascertainable. Thus grants in
recognition of specific expenses are recognised in profit or loss in the same
period as the relevant expenses. Similarly, grants related to depreciable assets
are usually recognised in profit or loss over the periods and in the proportions in
which depreciation expense on those assets is recognised.

18

Grants related to non-depreciable assets may also require the fulfilment of

certain obligations and would then be recognised in profit or loss over the
periods that bear the cost of meeting the obligations. As an example, a grant of
land may be conditional upon the erection of a building on the site and it may
be appropriate to recognise the grant in profit or loss over the life of the
building.

19

Grants are sometimes received as part of a package of financial or fiscal aids to

which a number of conditions are attached. In such cases, care is needed in
identifying the conditions giving rise to costs and expenses which determine the
periods over which the grant will be earned. It may be appropriate to allocate
part of a grant on one basis and part on another.

20

A government grant that becomes receivable as compensation for

expenses or losses already incurred or for the purpose of giving
immediate financial support to the entity with no future related costs
shall be recognised in profit or loss of the period in which it becomes
receivable.

21

In some circumstances, a government grant may be awarded for the purpose of

giving immediate financial support to an entity rather than as an incentive to
undertake specific expenditures. Such grants may be confined to a particular
entity and may not be available to a whole class of beneficiaries. These
circumstances may warrant recognising a grant in profit or loss of the period in
which the entity qualifies to receive it, with disclosure to ensure that its effect is
clearly understood.

22

A government grant may become receivable by an entity as compensation for

expenses or losses incurred in a previous period. Such a grant is recognised in
profit or loss of the period in which it becomes receivable, with disclosure to
ensure that its effect is clearly understood.

IFRS Foundation

A1005

IAS 20

Non-monetary government grants

23

A government grant may take the form of a transfer of a non-monetary asset,

such as land or other resources, for the use of the entity. In these circumstances
it is usual to assess the fair value of the non-monetary asset and to account for
both grant and asset at that fair value. An alternative course that is sometimes
followed is to record both asset and grant at a nominal amount.

Presentation of grants related to assets

24

Government grants related to assets, including non-monetary grants at

fair value, shall be presented in the statement of financial position either
by setting up the grant as deferred income or by deducting the grant in
arriving at the carrying amount of the asset.

25

Two methods of presentation in financial statements of grants (or the

appropriate portions of grants) related to assets are regarded as acceptable
alternatives.

26

One method recognises the grant as deferred income that is recognised in profit
or loss on a systematic basis over the useful life of the asset.

27

The other method deducts the grant in calculating the carrying amount of the
asset. The grant is recognised in profit or loss over the life of a depreciable asset
as a reduced depreciation expense.

28

The purchase of assets and the receipt of related grants can cause major
movements in the cash flow of an entity. For this reason and in order to show
the gross investment in assets, such movements are often disclosed as separate
items in the statement of cash flows regardless of whether or not the grant is
deducted from the related asset for presentation purposes in the statement of
financial position.

Presentation of grants related to income

29

Grants related to income are presented as part of profit or loss, either separately
or under a general heading such as Other income; alternatively, they are
deducted in reporting the related expense.

29A

[Deleted]

30

Supporters of the first method claim that it is inappropriate to net income and
expense items and that separation of the grant from the expense facilitates
comparison with other expenses not affected by a grant. For the second method
it is argued that the expenses might well not have been incurred by the entity if
the grant had not been available and presentation of the expense without
offsetting the grant may therefore be misleading.

31

Both methods are regarded as acceptable for the presentation of grants related
to income. Disclosure of the grant may be necessary for a proper understanding
of the financial statements. Disclosure of the effect of the grants on any item of
income or expense which is required to be separately disclosed is usually
appropriate.

A1006

IFRS Foundation

IAS 20

Repayment of government grants

32

A government grant that becomes repayable shall be accounted for as a

change in accounting estimate (see IAS 8 Accounting Policies, Changes in
Accounting Estimates and Errors). Repayment of a grant related to
income shall be applied first against any unamortised deferred credit
recognised in respect of the grant. To the extent that the repayment
exceeds any such deferred credit, or when no deferred credit exists, the
repayment shall be recognised immediately in profit or loss. Repayment
of a grant related to an asset shall be recognised by increasing the
carrying amount of the asset or reducing the deferred income balance by
the amount repayable. The cumulative additional depreciation that
would have been recognised in profit or loss to date in the absence of the
grant shall be recognised immediately in profit or loss.

33

Circumstances giving rise to repayment of a grant related to an asset may

require consideration to be given to the possible impairment of the new
carrying amount of the asset.

Government assistance
34

Excluded from the definition of government grants in paragraph 3 are certain

forms of government assistance which cannot reasonably have a value placed
upon them and transactions with government which cannot be distinguished
from the normal trading transactions of the entity.

35

Examples of assistance that cannot reasonably have a value placed upon them
are free technical or marketing advice and the provision of guarantees. An
example of assistance that cannot be distinguished from the normal trading
transactions of the entity is a government procurement policy that is
responsible for a portion of the entitys sales. The existence of the benefit might
be unquestioned but any attempt to segregate the trading activities from
government assistance could well be arbitrary.

36

The significance of the benefit in the above examples may be such that
disclosure of the nature, extent and duration of the assistance is necessary in
order that the financial statements may not be misleading.

37

[Deleted]

38

In this Standard, government assistance does not include the provision of

infrastructure by improvement to the general transport and communication
network and the supply of improved facilities such as irrigation or water
reticulation which is available on an ongoing indeterminate basis for the benefit
of an entire local community.

Disclosure
39

The following matters shall be disclosed:

(a)

the accounting policy adopted for government grants, including

the methods of presentation adopted in the financial statements;

IFRS Foundation

A1007

IAS 20
(b)

the nature and extent of government grants recognised in the

financial statements and an indication of other forms of
government assistance from which the entity has directly
benefited; and

(c)

unfulfilled conditions and other contingencies attaching to

government assistance that has been recognised.

Transitional provisions
40

An entity adopting the Standard for the first time shall:

(a)

comply with the disclosure requirements, where appropriate; and

(b)

either:
(i)

adjust its financial statements for the change in accounting

policy in accordance with IAS 8; or

(ii)

apply the accounting provisions of the Standard only to

grants or portions of grants becoming receivable or
repayable after the effective date of the Standard.

Effective date
41

This Standard becomes operative for financial statements covering periods

beginning on or after 1 January 1984.

42

IAS 1 (as revised in 2007) amended the terminology used throughout IFRSs. In
addition it added paragraph 29A. An entity shall apply those amendments for
annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2009. If an entity applies IAS 1
(revised 2007) for an earlier period, the amendments shall be applied for that
earlier period.

43

Paragraph 37 was deleted and paragraph 10A added by Improvements to IFRSs

issued in May 2008. An entity shall apply those amendments prospectively to
government loans received in periods beginning on or after 1 January 2009.
Earlier application is permitted. If an entity applies the amendments for an
earlier period it shall disclose that fact.

44

[Deleted]

45

IFRS 13, issued in May 2011, amended the definition of fair value in paragraph 3.
An entity shall apply that amendment when it applies IFRS 13.

46

Presentation of Items of Other Comprehensive Income (Amendments to IAS 1), issued in

June 2011, amended paragraph 29 and deleted paragraph 29A. An entity shall
apply those amendments when it applies IAS 1 as amended in June 2011.

47

[Deleted]

48

IFRS 9, as issued in July 2014, amended paragraph 10A and deleted

paragraphs 44 and 47. An entity shall apply those amendments when it applies
IFRS 9.

A1008

IFRS Foundation