Accountants report results from continuing and discontinued operations in different sections. The statement of operations is also known as an income statement or a profit & loss statement. For transparent reporting, notes to the consolidated financial statements should disclose details on the subsidiaries that were consolidated, intercompany eliminations made, and other information relevant to investors and stakeholders.
IFRS 12 is an exhaustive standard that encapsulates all disclosure requirements relating to interests in other entities. In addition, paragraphs IAS 7.39 and onwards encompass substantial disclosure requirements regarding cash flows from changes in ownership interests in subsidiaries and other businesses. When control (or significant influence) is shared among two or more investors, the investee is not a subsidiary, and other relevant IFRS standards should be applied (i.e., IFRS 11, IAS 28, or IFRS 9). IFRS 3 covers the accounting for business combinations (i.e., gaining control of one or more businesses).
The main decision point when deciding whether to include a subsidiary’s financial statements is whether the parent has more than a 50% ownership interest in the subsidiary. Also, if the parent company has decision-making influence over another business, despite owning a smaller share of the business, then it may also choose to consolidate. When a parent has no decision-making influence and owns less than a 50% interest in another business, then it will not consolidate; instead, it will use either the cost method or the equity method to record its ownership interest. Business owners and leaders use consolidated statements when there’s a group of companies made up of a parent company and its subsidiaries. They aggregate the group and present it as a single entity under the parent’s banner. This format is especially useful for conveying the financial position and total results of the group as a whole, including assets, liabilities, income, cash flows, equity, and expenses.
While only one investor can control an investee, it’s possible for other parties, such as non-controlling interest holders, to benefit from the investee’s returns (IFRS 10.16). Potential voting rights, which could stem from convertible instruments, options, or other mechanisms, grant the holder the right to obtain voting rights of an investee. They are considered when assessing control only if they are substantive (IFRS 10.B22-B25).
Though it is combined, the financial statements of each entity are listed separately-each subsidiary or group has its own tab. What this does is it gives those that are looking into the statement the opportunity to see the overall performance of the organization, while also being able to see each individual contribution. Noncontrolling interest is shown as a separate component of equity on the consolidated balance sheet.
However, things can get a bit dicey when the organizational structure starts to look more like a bowl of cooked spaghetti rather than a few straightforward pieces of corporate pasta, confusing even to insiders. When an investor holds decision-making rights but perceives itself as an agent, it should evaluate whether it has significant influence over the investee. For best practices on efficiently downloading information from SEC.gov, including the latest EDGAR filings, visit sec.gov/developer. You can also sign up for email updates on the SEC open data program, including best practices that make it more efficient to download data, and SEC.gov enhancements that may impact scripted downloading processes.
Because the parent company and its subsidiaries form one economic entity, investors, regulators, and customers find consolidated financial statements helpful in gauging the overall position of the entire entity. The consolidation of financial statements integrates and combines all of a company’s financial accounting functions to create statements that show results in standard balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement reporting. The decision what is cost accounting to file consolidated financial statements with subsidiaries is usually made on a year-to-year basis and often chosen because of tax or other advantages that arise. The criteria for filing a consolidated financial statement with subsidiaries is primarily based on the amount of ownership the parent company has in the subsidiary. Consolidated financial statements combine the assets, liabilities, and equity of a parent company and its subsidiaries.
Aside from healthcare, combined reporting is common in financial services and insurance as well, amongst other industries. Consolidated financial statements of a group should be prepared applying uniform accounting policies (IFRS 10.19,B86-B87). Each parent entity is required to prepare consolidated financial statements unless exemptions outlined in IFRS 10 are applicable.
One of the biggest issues we see in combined financial statements results from a group’s reporting processes and systems. Let’s say you’re a new controller for a group and inherit the existing accounting systems and processes. Shortly after you start your new job, new regulatory requirements come out, mandating combined financials for the different entities in your group. Without something as basic as segmented general ledgers across those various entities, trying to extract data designed for consolidated reporting and apply it to the new combined statement requirements could be a monumental task.
An investee may be structured in such a way that voting rights are not the primary determinant of control (IFRS 10.B5-B8;B51-B54). This criterion is particularly applicable in assessing control over ‘special purpose entities’ or ‘structured entities‘, i.e., entities designed so that voting or similar rights do not primarily dictate who controls the entity. For instance, voting rights might pertain only to administrative tasks, while the relevant activities are directed by contractual agreements. Structured entities often engage in restricted activities, have a clear and specific objective, and require subordinate financial support (IFRS 12.B21-B22). A statement of operations is a detailed income statement that reports net income from operations (before and after income taxes) as a subtotal. A consolidated financial statement reports on the entirety of a company with detailed information about each subsidiary.
On the income statement, net income is reported separately for the parent and noncontrolling interest portions. This enables financial statement users to distinguish between the two ownership interests. Consolidated financial statements include the aggregated financial data for a parent company and its subsidiaries. Private companies have more flexibility with financial statements than public companies, which must adhere to GAAP standards. Remember, eliminating intercompany transactions only occurs in consolidated reporting, not for combined or special purpose financials. The difference between a statement of operations and income statement may be in the level of detailed line items reported for operating expenses and operating profits before showing net income on the financial statement.
The presence of protective rights does not preclude another party from having control over an investee. For instance, if the veto pertains to modifications in relevant activities that significantly affect investee returns for the investor’s benefit, it could be considered as a source of power over the investee (IFRS 10.B15d). This concept also applies to scenarios involving bankruptcy proceedings or covenant breaches. In cases where multiple parties have unilateral decision-making rights over different activities, it may be possible that each party controls only certain assets or a ‘ring-fenced’ segment of a larger entity.