Going concern
The Conceptual Framework notes that financial state¬ments are normally prepared assuming the entity is a going concern and will continue in operation for the fore¬see¬able future. [Conceptual Framework, paragraph 4.1]
IAS 1 requires man¬age¬ment to make an as¬sess¬ment of an entity's ability to continue as a going concern. If man¬age¬ment has sig¬nif¬i¬cant concerns about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern, the un¬cer¬tain¬ties must be disclosed. If man¬age¬ment concludes that the entity is not a going concern, the financial state¬ments should not be prepared on a going concern basis, in which case IAS 1 requires a series of dis¬clo¬sures. [IAS 1.25]
Accrual basis of accounting
IAS 1 requires that an entity prepare its financial state¬ments, except for cash flow in¬for¬ma¬tion, using the accrual basis of accounting. [IAS 1.27]
Con¬sis¬tency of pre¬sen¬ta¬tion
The pre¬sen¬ta¬tion and clas¬si¬fi¬ca¬tion of items in the financial state¬ments shall be retained from one period to the next unless a change is justified either by a change in cir¬cum¬stances or a re¬quire¬ment of a new IFRS. [IAS 1.45]
Ma¬te¬ri¬al¬ity and ag¬gre¬ga¬tion
Each material class of similar items must be presented sep¬a¬rately in the financial state¬ments. Dis-sim¬i¬lar items may be ag¬gre¬gated only if the are in¬di¬vid¬u¬ally im¬ma¬te¬r¬ial. [IAS 1.29]
However, in¬for¬ma¬tion should not be obscured by ag¬gre¬gat¬ing or by providing im¬ma¬te¬r¬ial in¬for¬ma¬tion, ma¬te¬ri¬al¬ity con¬sid¬er¬a¬tions apply to the all parts of the financial state¬ments, and even when a standard requires a specific dis¬clo¬sure, ma¬te¬ri¬al¬ity con¬sid¬er¬a¬tions do apply. [IAS 1.30A-31]*
* Added by Dis¬clo¬sure Ini¬tia¬tive (Amend¬ments to IAS 1), effective 1 January 2016.
Off¬set¬ting
Assets and li¬a¬bil¬i¬ties, and income and expenses, may not be offset unless required or permitted by an IFRS. [IAS 1.32]
Com¬par¬a¬tive in¬for¬ma¬tion
IAS 1 requires that com¬par¬a¬tive in¬for¬ma¬tion to be disclosed in respect of the previous period for all amounts reported in the financial state¬ments, both on the face of the financial state¬ments and in the notes, unless another Standard requires otherwise. Com¬par¬a¬tive in¬for¬ma¬tion is provided for narrative and de¬scrip¬tive where it is relevant to un¬der¬stand¬ing the financial state¬ments of the current period. [IAS 1.38]
An entity is required to present at least two of each of the following primary financial state¬ments: [IAS 1.38A]
o statement of financial position*
o statement of profit or loss and other com¬pre¬hen¬sive income
o separate state¬ments of profit or loss (where presented)