Rules and Regulations. Publication of Staff Accounting Bulletin

Agency: Securities and Exchange Commission
Action: Publication of Staff Accounting Bulletin
Citation: FR Doc. 00-7839 · Release No. SAB 101A · 17 CFR 211

Summary

Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101 (“SAB 101”) was released on December 3, 1999 (64 FR 68936 December 9, 1999) and provides the staff's views in applying generally accepted accounting principles to selected revenue recognition issues. Since the issuance of SAB 101, the staff received requests from a number of groups asking for additional time to study the guidance. Many registrants have calendar year-ends and may need more time to perform a detailed review of the SAB since its issuance on December 3, 1999. This staff accounting bulletin delays the implementation date of SAB 101 for registrants with fiscal years that begin between December 16, 1999 and March 15, 2000. EFFECTIVE DATE: March 24, 2000.

Supplementary Information

The statements in the staff accounting bulletins are not rules or interpretations of the Commission, nor are they published as bearing the Commission's official approval. They represent interpretations and practices followed by the Division of Corporation Finance and the Office of the Chief Accountant in administering the disclosure requirements of the Federal securities laws. Dated: March 24, 2000. Margaret H. McFarland, Deputy Secretary. PART 211—[AMENDED] Accordingly, Part 211 of Title 17 of the Code of Federal Regulations is amended by adding Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101A to the table found in Subpart B. Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 101A The staff hereby amends Question 2 of Section B of Topic 13 of the Staff Accounting Bulletin Series. Topic 13: Revenue Recognition B. Disclosures. Question 1. Question 2. Question: Will the staff expect retroactive changes by registrants to comply with the accounting described in this bulletin? Interpretive Response: All registrants are expected to apply the accounting and disclosures described in this bulletin. The staff, however, will not object if registrants that have not applied this accounting do not restate prior financial statements provided they report a change in accounting principle in accordance with APB Opinion No. 20, Accounting Changes , no later than the first fiscal quarter of the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 1999, except that registrants with fiscal years that begin between December 16, 1999 and March 15, 2000 may report a change in accounting principle no later than their second fiscal quarter of the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 1999 in accordance with FASB Statement No. 3, Reporting Accounting Changes in Interim Financial Statements. In periods subsequent to transition, registrants should disclose the amount of revenue (if material to income before income taxes) recognized in those periods that was included in the cumulative effect adjustment. If a registrant files financial statements with the Commission before applying the guidance in this bulletin, disclosures similar to those described in Staff Accounting Bulletin Topic 11-M, Disclosure of the Impact that Recently Issued Accounting Standards Will Have on the Financial Statements of a Registrant When Adopted in a Future Period , should be provided. With regard to question 10 of Topic 13-A and Topic 8-A regarding income statement presentation, the staff would normally expect retroactive application to all periods presented unless the effect of applying the guidance herein is immaterial. However, if registrants have not previously complied with generally accepted accounting principles, for example, by recording revenue for products prior to delivery that did not comply with the applicable bill-and-hold guidance, those registrants should apply the guidance in APB Opinion No. 20 for the correction of an error. 1 In addition, registrants should be aware that the Commission may take enforcement action where a registrant in prior financial statements has violated the antifraud or disclosure provisions of the securities laws with respect to revenue recognition. 1 APB Opinion No. 20, ¶ 13 and ¶ 36-37 describe and provide the accounting and disclosure requirements applicable to the correction of an error in previously issued financial statements. Because the term “error” as used in APB Opinion No. 20 includes “oversight or misuse of facts that existed at the time that the financial statements were prepared,” that term includes both unintentional errors as well as intentional fraudulent financial reporting and misappropriation of assets as described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 82, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit . [FR Doc. 00-7839 Filed 3-29-00; 8:45 am]