Why the amendments?
The IASB wanted to address a perceived lack
of distinction between different items in OCI,
as well as a lack of clarity in the presentation
of those items. Presently, some items in OCI
could have a considerable effect on the
financial performance of the entity if they
were to recycle through profit or loss, but
this impact may be unclear based on the
current presentation. The amendments
address this issue by grouping OCI items
together based on whether they can or
cannot be recycled into profit or loss.
A number of respondents to the exposure
draft requested that the IASB also address
the issue of the lack of clear underlying
principles for the recognition of OCI items
(as well as for the reclassification of
such items to profit or loss) within IFRS.
However, the IASB did not address this
issue in the amendments. The IASB
acknowledges that further work is needed
to develop a clear principle for measuring
performance items such as OCI and that
this may take a considerable amount of
time to develop. There is a possibility that
this broader issue will be taken up by the
IASB within the financial statement
presentation project.