IAS 8 — Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors
IAS 8 is applied in selecting and applying accounting policies, accounting for changes in
estimates and reflecting corrections of prior period errors. The standard requires compliance
with any specific IFRS applying to a transaction, event or condition, and provides guidance on
developing accounting policies for other items that result in relevant and reliable information.
Changes in accounting policies and corrections of errors are generally retrospectively accounted
for, whereas changes in accounting estimates are generally accounted for on a prospective basis.
IAS 8 was reissued in December 2005, applies to annual periods beginning on or after 1 January
2005 and will be superseded by IAS 8 ‘Basis of Preparation of Financial Statements’ when an
entity applies IFRS 18 ‘Presentation and Disclosure in Financial Statements’ (effective for annual
periods beginning on or after 1 January 2027, with earlier application permitted).
Summary of IAS 8
Key definitions [IAS 8.5]
Accounting policies are the specific principles, bases, conventions, rules and practices
applied by an entity in preparing and presenting financial statements.
A change in accounting estimate is an adjustment of the carrying amount of an asset or
liability, or related expense, resulting from reassessing the expected future benefits and obligations
associated with that asset or liability.
International Financial Reporting Standards are standards and interpretations adopted by
the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). They comprise:
o International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs)
o International Accounting Standards (IASs)
o Interpretations developed by the International Financial Reporting Interpretations
Committee (IFRIC) or the former Standing Interpretations Committee (SIC) and approved by the IASB.
Materiality. Information is material if omitting, misstating or obscuring it could reasonably be
expected to influence decisions that the primary users of general purpose financial statements make on
the basis of those financial statements, which provide financial information about a specific reporting
entity.*
Prior period errors are omissions from, and misstatements in, an entity's financial statements
for one or more prior periods arising from a failure to use, or misuse of, reliable information that was
available and could reasonably be expected to have been obtained and taken into account in preparing
those statements. Such errors result from mathematical mistakes, mistakes in applying accounting
policies, oversights or misinterpretations of facts, and fraud.
* Clarified by Definition of Material (Amendments to IAS 1 and IAS 8), effective 1 January 2020.
Selection and application of accounting policies
When a Standard or an Interpretation specifically applies to a transaction, other event or condition, the
accounting policy or policies applied to that item must be determined by applying the Standard or
Interpretation and considering any relevant Implementation Guidance issued by the IASB for the
Standard or Interpretation. [IAS 8.7]
In the absence of a Standard or an Interpretation that specifically applies to a transaction, other event or
condition, management must use its judgement in developing and applying an accounting policy that
results in information that is relevant and reliable. [IAS 8.10]. In making that judgement, management
must refer to, and consider the applicability of, the following sources in descending order:
the requirements and guidance in IASB standards and interpretations dealing with similar and
related issues; and
the definitions, recognition criteria and measurement concepts for assets, liabilities, income and
expenses in the Framework. [IAS 8.11]
Management may also consider the most recent pronouncements of other standard-setting bodies that
use a similar conceptual framework to develop accounting standards, other accounting literature and
accepted industry practices, to the extent that these do not conflict with the sources in paragraph 11. [IAS
8.12]
Consistency of accounting policies
An entity shall select and apply its accounting policies consistently for similar transactions, other events
and conditions, unless a Standard or an Interpretation specifically requires or permits categorisation of
items for which different policies may be appropriate. If a Standard or an Interpretation requires or
permits such categorisation, an appropriate accounting policy shall be selected and applied consistently
to each category. [IAS 8.13]
Changes in accounting policies
An entity is permitted to change an accounting policy only if the change:
is required by a standard or interpretation; or
results in the financial statements providing reliable and more relevant information about the
effects of transactions, other events or conditions on the entity's financial position, financial performance,
or cash flows. [IAS 8.14]
Note that changes in accounting policies do not include applying an accounting policy to a kind of
transaction or event that did not occur previously or were immaterial. [IAS 8.16]
If a change in accounting policy is required by a new IASB standard or interpretation, the change is
accounted for as required by that new pronouncement or, if the new pronouncement does not include
specific transition provisions, then the change in accounting policy is applied retrospectively. [IAS 8.19]
Retrospective application means adjusting the opening balance of each affected component of equity for
the earliest prior period presented and the other comparative amounts disclosed for each prior period
presented as if the new accounting policy had always been applied. [IAS 8.22]
However, if it is impracticable to determine either the period-specific effects or the cumulative
effect of the change for one or more prior periods presented, the entity shall apply the new accounting
policy to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities as at the beginning of the earliest period for which
retrospective application is practicable, which may be the current period, and shall make a corresponding
adjustment to the opening balance of each affected component of equity for that period. [IAS 8.24]
Also, if it is impracticable to determine the cumulative effect, at the beginning of the current
period, of applying a new accounting policy to all prior periods, the entity shall adjust the comparative
information to apply the new accounting policy prospectively from the earliest date practicable. [IAS 8.25]
Disclosures relating to changes in accounting policies
Disclosures relating to changes in accounting policy caused by a new standard or interpretation include:
[IAS 8.28]
the title of the standard or interpretation causing the change
the nature of the change in accounting policy
a description of the transitional provisions, including those that might have an effect on future
periods
for the current period and each prior period presented, to the extent practicable, the amount of
the adjustment:
o for each financial statement line item affected, and
o for basic and diluted earnings per share (only if the entity is applying IAS 33)
the amount of the adjustment relating to periods before those presented, to the extent
practicable
if retrospective application is impracticable, an explanation and description of how the change in
accounting policy was applied.
Financial statements of subsequent periods need not repeat these disclosures.
Disclosures relating to voluntary changes in accounting policy include: [IAS 8.29]
the nature of the change in accounting policy
the reasons why applying the new accounting policy provides reliable and more relevant
information
for the current period and each prior period presented, to the extent practicable, the amount of
the adjustment:
o for each financial statement line item affected, and
o for basic and diluted earnings per share (only if the entity is applying IAS 33)
the amount of the adjustment relating to periods before those presented, to the extent
practicable
if retrospective application is impracticable, an explanation and description of how the change in
accounting policy was applied.
Financial statements of subsequent periods need not repeat these disclosures.
If an entity has not applied a new standard or interpretation that has been issued but is not yet effective,
the entity must disclose that fact and any and known or reasonably estimable information relevant to
assessing the possible impact that the new pronouncement will have in the year it is applied. [IAS 8.30]
Accounting estimates
An accounting policy may require items in financial statements to be measured at monetary amounts that
cannot be observed directly and must instead be estimated, i.e., measurement uncertainty is involved.
Consequently, an entity develops an accounting estimate to achieve the objective set out by the
accounting policy whereby judgements or assumptions are used based on the latest available, reliable
information. [IAS 8.32] In addition, an entity uses meas-urement techniques (encompassing estimation
and valuation techniques) and inputs to devel-op an accounting estimate. [IAS 8.32A] The standard lists
besides others a loss allowance for expected credit losses (applying IFRS 9) and a provision for warranty
obligations (applying IAS 37) as examples for accounting estimates. [IAS 8.32]
Changes in accounting estimates
The effect of a change in an accounting estimate shall be recognised prospectively by including it in profit
or loss in: [IAS 8.36]
the period of the change, if the change affects that period only, or
the period of the change and future periods, if the change affects both.
However, to the extent that a change in an accounting estimate gives rise to changes in assets and
liabilities, or relates to an item of equity, it is recognised by adjusting the carrying amount of the related
asset, liability, or equity item in the period of the change. [IAS 8.37]
Disclosures relating to changes in accounting estimates
Disclose:
the nature and amount of a change in an accounting estimate that has an effect in the current
period or is expected to have an effect in future periods
if the amount of the effect in future periods is not disclosed because estimating it is
impracticable, an entity shall disclose that fact. [IAS 8.39-40]
Errors
The general principle in IAS 8 is that an entity must correct all material prior period errors retrospectively
in the first set of financial statements authorised for issue after their discovery by: [IAS 8.42]
restating the comparative amounts for the prior period(s) presented in which the error occurred;
or
if the error occurred before the earliest prior period presented, restating the opening balances of
assets, liabilities and equity for the earliest prior period presented.
However, if it is impracticable to determine the period-specific effects of an error on comparative
information for one or more prior periods presented, the entity must restate the opening balances of
assets, liabilities, and equity for the earliest period for which retrospective restatement is practicable
(which may be the current period). [IAS 8.44]
Further, if it is impracticable to determine the cumulative effect, at the beginning of the current period, of
an error on all prior periods, the entity must restate the comparative information to correct the error
prospectively from the earliest date practicable. [IAS 8.45]
Disclosures relating to prior period errors
Disclosures relating to prior period errors include: [IAS 8.49]
the nature of the prior period error
for each prior period presented, to the extent practicable, the amount of the correction:
o for each financial statement line item affected, and
o for basic and diluted earnings per share (only if the entity is applying IAS 33)
the amount of the correction at the beginning of the earliest prior period presented
if retrospective restatement is impracticable, an explanation and description of how the error
has been corrected.
Financial statements of subsequent periods need not repeat these disclosures.
