Statement No. 21
Accounting for Escheat Property
(Issued 10/93)

Summary

This Statement establishes standards for the fund type to be used to report escheat property and for reporting liabilities and interfund transfers relating to escheat property. An escheat is the reversion of property to a governmental entity in the absence of legal claimants or heirs.

This Statement requires escheat property generally to be reported in either an expendable trust fund or the fund to which the property ultimately escheats (the "ultimate fund"). Escheat revenue should be reduced and a fund liability reported to the extent that it is probable that escheat property will be reclaimed and paid to claimants. Payments to claimants should reduce the liability.

If escheat property is initially reported in an expendable trust fund, amounts transferred to the ultimate fund should be reported as an operating transfer. If, as a result of the transfer, the remaining assets of the expendable trust fund are less than the liabilities of that fund, the difference should be reported as an "advance to" in the expendable trust fund and an "advance from" in the ultimate fund. If, however, the escheat assets of the expendable trust fund exceed the liabilities of that fund, the difference should be reported as fund balance.

The provisions of this Statement are effective for financial statements for periods beginning after June 15, 1994. Earlier application is encouraged.

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Unless otherwise specified, pronouncements of the GASB apply to financial reports of all state and local governmental entities, including public benefit corporations and authorities, public employee retirement systems, governmental utilities, governmental hospitals and other healthcare providers, and governmental colleges and universities. Paragraph 3 discusses the applicability of this Statement.