Treatment FAQ

what is the accounting treatment for discontinued operations?

by Lane Hill Sr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Discontinued operations must be recorded separately in compliance with the accounting regulatory standards, such as GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) GAAP GAAP, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, is a recognized set of rules and procedures that govern corporate accounting and financial or IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). The reason that discontinued operations are recorded separately from continuing operations (the product lines or business areas still ...

Key Takeaways. Discontinued operations is an accounting term for parts of a firm's operations that have been divested or shut down. They are reported on the income statement as a separate entry from continuing operations.

Full Answer

What is a discontinued operation in accounting?

Operations that are abandoned are classified as discontinued operations once they actually have been abandoned, not at the time when the management decision is made. The post-tax profit or loss of discontinued operations is presented as a single amount in the P/L and OCI.

Can a company report discontinued operations under GAAP?

Similarly to IFRS, a company is allowed to report discontinued operations under GAAP when two criteria are met. The criteria for GAAP require that firstly, the transaction used to shut down the divested business will eliminate the operations and cash flow of the business from the overall operations of the company.

Do you have to pay taxes on a discontinued operation?

However, often a discontinued operation was operating at a loss, so there may be some money realized from taxes at tax time. Keep in mind that these losses must be weighed against those departments or components of the business that are still in operation, which are most likely generating revenue.

How are the assets of a discontinued operation held for sale measured?

The assets and liabilities of a discontinued operation held for sale are to be measured in the same manner as other disposal groups that are held for sale (i.e., lower of the disposal group’s carrying value or fair value less cost to sell, as discussed in our Financial reporting developments (FRD) publication, Impairment or

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What is the accounting treatment for discontinued operations quizlet?

Accounting and reporting for discontinued operations is two-fold. First, the income statement for the current and prior two years are restated after excluding the effects of the discontinued operations from the line items that determine continuing income.

How should a discontinued operation be presented in the financial statements?

In the period(s) that a discontinued operation is classified as held for sale and for all prior periods presented, the assets and liabilities of the discontinued operation shall be presented separately in the asset and liability sections, respectively, of the statement of financial position.

How do you record loss from discontinued operations?

Add the profit or loss from the discontinued operation to the gain or loss on the disposal. Record this amount next to the "gains or losses from discontinued operations, including disposal" line. Calculate the tax-adjusted gain or loss from discontinued operations.

How do you report discontinued operations on an income statement?

Write “Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax” in the account column on the first line of the section. Write the amount of after-tax operating income or loss the discontinued component generated during the accounting period in the amount column.

Are discontinued operations included in revenue?

Taxation on Discontinued Operations As such, the gains or losses need to be reported for tax purposes. However, it is common that discontinued operations are no longer generating any revenue and are operating at a loss, hence its discontinuation.

How do you show discontinued operations on a balance sheet?

“In the period(s) that a discontinued operation is classified as held for sale and for all prior periods presented, the assets and liabilities of the discontinued operation shall be presented separately in the asset and liability sections, respectively, of the statement of financial position.”

Is Discontinued operations included in EPS?

This number is the company's earnings per share from the day-to-day operations of its business during the most recent complete fiscal year. It does not include discontinued operations, extraordinary items, and accounting changes.

Which accounting standard relates to discontinuing operations?

Paragraph 13 of the Indian Accounting Standard prohibits assets that will be abandoned from being classified as held for sale. However, if the assets to be abandoned are a major line of business or geographical area of operations, they are reported in discontinued operations at the date at which they are abandoned.

Is Discontinued operations an extraordinary item?

APB 30 required that discontinued operations be reported as a separate line item on the income statement, net of tax effects, but not as an extraordinary item.

Is discontinued operations net of tax?

On the income statement, the results of discontinued operations are reported separately (net of income tax) from continuing operations in both the current and comparative periods.

What items must be removed from continuing operations and reported separately for a discontinued operation?

All related revenues, expenses, gains, and losses must be removed from continuing operations.

What is discontinued operations?

Discontinued operations refers to the shutdown of a division within a company. For accounting purposes, all the gains and losses for that division must be reported separately on the company’s income statement. This is so that these amounts can be distinguished from those of continuing operations.

What does GAAP stand for?

GAAP stands for “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles”. GAAP is the accounting authority in the United States, defining accounting terms, assumptions and methods. GAAP sets policy for a wide array of topics, from assets and liabilities to foreign currency and financial statement presentation.

Can a discontinued business make a gain?

Yes and no. A discontinued operation may still make a gain or loss in the accounting period it ceased operations in. These gains or losses must be reported. However, often a discontinued operation was operating at a loss, so there may be some money realized from taxes at tax time.

What is the effect of the reorganization of a discontinued business?

Its primary effect is to tighten the requirements for treating the disposal of a component of a business as a discontinued operation. It also increases disclosure requirements for discontinued operations and for other disposals of significant components of a business that do not otherwise qualify for treatment as a discontinued operation.

What is SFAS 144?

SFAS 144 required that companies restate prior years’ financial statements for the impact of discontinued operations. Consistent with the above-described complaints, doing so was not only costly, it also reduced the usefulness of comparative financial statements.

What is ASU 2014-08?

In April 2014, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2014. Its primary effect is to tighten the requirements for treating the disposal of a component of a business as a discontinued operation. It also increases disclosure requirements for discontinued operations and for other disposals of significant components of a business that do not otherwise qualify for treatment as a discontinued operation. This article examines how changes in the accounting for discontinued operations have impacted reporting in the past and proposes how ASU 2014-08 may impact accounting for discontinued operations in the future.

What is abandoned operations?

Abandoned operations. Operations that are abandoned are classified as discontinued operations once they actually have been abandoned, not at the time when the management decision is made.

What happens when an entity ceases to classify a component of an entity as held for sale?

If an entity ceases to classify a component of an entity as held for sale, the results of operations of the component previously presented in discontinued operations are reclassified and included in income from continuing operations for all periods presented (IFRS 5.36).

What is discontinued operations?

Discontinued Operations are that part or portion of a company’s core product that no longer functions. Also, these parts are either held for sale or are already sold. For accounting purposes, a company reports these parts separately from the continuing operations on the income statement.

What happens when a company discontinues operations?

When a company discontinues operations, it has to report several items on the financial statements. Also, it is possible; the discontinued operation generates some revenue in the current year in which the company shuts it down or sells it.

What is IFRS reporting?

Under IFRS (International financial reporting standards), the criteria are slightly different. IFRS also lays down two criteria. First, the company must dispose of or report it as being held for sale. Second, the asset or part that the company wants to remove must be distinguishable as a separate business.

What happens after a company divests?

Second, after the company divests the part, it must not have any significant involvement with the operations. Under IFRS (International financial reporting standards), the criteria are slightly different.

Do companies have to disclose discontinued operations?

A company needs to follow strict accounting rules to disclose all crucial details regarding ceased operations. The company must also disclose its impact (if any) on the financial statements. It does not mean that discontinued operations may not generate any profits for a business.

Is XYZ a discontinued company?

In this case, XYZ will continue to get the majority of cash flows from the same store. So, even though there is a change in the ownership, XYZ shouldn’t classify it as a discontinued operation.

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Reasons For Discontinued Operations

  • Parts of a company’s business or product line will typically be classified as a discontinued operation if they are no longer operational, have been removed from the company, or have been, or will be sold (referred to as being “held for sale”). It is important to note that the discontinued o…
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Discontinued Operations Under IFRS

  • Under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), discontinued operations are reported when they meet two criteria. Specifically, it is addressed in IFRS 5. Firstly, the asset or business component in question needs to be already disposed of or reported as being held for sale. Secondly, the component needs to be identifiable as a separate business that is being rem…
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Taxation on Discontinued Operations

  • The issue of taxation with regards to discontinued operations can be rather complex. Discontinued operations often still make a gain or a loss in the accounting period in which it decided to cease operations. As such, the gains or losses need to be reported for tax purposes. However, it is common that discontinued operations are no longer generating any revenue and a…
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More Resources

  • CFI is the official provider of the Commercial Banking & Credit Analyst (CBCA)™certification program, designed to transform anyone into a world-class financial analyst. In order to help you become a world-class financial analyst and advance your career to your fullest potential, these additional resources will be very helpful: 1. IFRS vs. US GAAP 2. Stakeholder vs. Shareholder 3. A…
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What Are Discontinued Operations?

Example of Discontinued Operations

What Are The GAAP Rules For Discontinued Operations?

Are Discontinued Operations Taxed?

  • Yes and no. A discontinued operation may still make a gain or loss in the accounting period it ceased operations in. These gains or losses must be reported. However, often a discontinued operation was operating at a loss, so there may be some money realized from taxes at tax time. Keep in mind that these losses must be weighed against those departm...
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What Is Net Income from Discontinued Operations?

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