Statement No. 70
Accounting and Financial Reporting for Nonexchange Financial Guarantees
(Issued 04/13)
Some governments extend financial guarantees for the obligations of another government, a not-for-profit entity, or a private entity without directly receiving equal or approximately equal value in exchange (a nonexchange transaction). As a part of this nonexchange financial guarantee, a government commits to indemnify the holder of the obligation if the entity that issued the obligation does not fulfill its payment requirements. Also, some governments issue obligations that are guaranteed by other entities in a nonexchange transaction. The objective of this Statement is to improve accounting and financial reporting by state and local governments that extend and receive nonexchange financial guarantees.
This Statement requires a government that extends a nonexchange financial guarantee to recognize a liability when qualitative factors and historical data, if any, indicate that it is more likely than not that the government will be required to make a payment on the guarantee. The amount of the liability to be recognized should be the discounted present value of the best estimate of the future outflows related to the guarantee expected to be incurred. When there is no best estimate but a range of the estimated future outflows can be established, the amount of the liability to be recognized should be the discounted present value of the minimum amount within the range.
This Statement requires a government that has issued an obligation guaranteed in a nonexchange transaction to recognize revenue to the extent of the reduction in its guaranteed liabilities. This Statement also requires a government that is required to repay a guarantor for making a payment on a guaranteed obligation or legally assuming the guaranteed obligation to continue to recognize a liability until legally released as an obligor. When a government is released as an obligor, the government should recognize revenue as a result of being relieved of the obligation. This Statement also provides additional guidance for intra-entity nonexchange financial guarantees involving blended component units.
This Statement specifies the information required to be disclosed by governments that extend nonexchange financial guarantees. In addition, this Statement requires new information to be disclosed by governments that receive nonexchange financial guarantees.
The provisions of this Statement are effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2013. Earlier application is encouraged. Except for disclosures related to cumulative amounts paid or received in relation to a financial guarantee, the provisions of this Statement are required to be applied retroactively. Disclosures related to cumulative amounts paid or received in relation to a financial guarantee may be applied prospectively.
How the Changes in This Statement Will Improve Financial Reporting
The requirements of this Statement will enhance comparability of financial statements among governments by requiring consistent reporting by those governments that extend nonexchange financial guarantees and by those governments that receive nonexchange financial guarantees. This Statement also will enhance the information disclosed about a government’s obligations and risk exposure from extending nonexchange financial guarantees. This Statement also will augment the ability of financial statement users to assess the probability that governments will repay obligation holders by requiring disclosures about obligations that are issued with this type of financial guarantee.
Unless otherwise specified, pronouncements of the GASB apply to financial reports of all state and local governmental entities, including general purpose governments; public benefit corporations and authorities; public employee retirement systems; and public utilities, hospitals and other healthcare providers, and colleges and universities. Paragraph 4 discusses the applicability of this Statement.