FASB Proposal Aims to Clarify Guidance on Accounting Acquirer in Business Combinations

Accounting Standards | October 31, 2024

FASB Proposal Aims to Clarify Guidance on Accounting Acquirer in Business Combinations

The determination of the accounting acquirer can significantly affect the carrying amounts of the combined entity’s assets and liabilities, which can affect the combined entity’s post-transaction net income.

Isaac M. O'Bannon

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has published a proposed Accounting Standards Update (ASU) intended to improve the requirements for identifying the accounting acquirer in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 805, Business Combinations.

The proposed ASU is based on a recommendation of the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF). Stakeholders are encouraged to review and provide input on the proposed ASU by December 16, 2024.

In a business combination, the determination of the accounting acquirer can significantly affect the carrying amounts of the combined entity’s assets and liabilities, which can affect the combined entity’s post-transaction net income. The proposed ASU would establish more consistent requirements for determining the accounting acquirer when a business is acquired in a transaction achieved by exchanging equity interests.

The proposal would more closely align the requirements for determining the accounting acquirer in the acquisition of a variable interest entity (VIE) with the current requirements that apply to transactions that do not involve a VIE.

The proposal is expected to enhance financial statement comparability by providing consistent requirements for economically similar transactions.

The proposed ASU, including information on how to submit comments, is available at www.fasb.org.

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Isaac M. O'Bannon

Isaac M. O'Bannon

Managing Editor

Isaac M. O'Bannon is the managing editor and digital content manager for CPA Practice Advisor (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com), drawing on two decades of experience covering the areas of professional accounting, taxation, business productivity and consumer technologies. . Prior to CPA Practice Advisor, O'Bannon was a consultant at firms in San Francisco, Denver and Tulsa, serving clients that included Logitech, Polycom, Hilti, Microsoft, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering and other technology leaders. He is a U.S. Navy groundforces veteran (never a SEAL). Email: isaac.obannon - @ - cpapracticeadvisor.com . Isaac OBannon 2019 Cropped Small Headshot