2.4 Exceptions to and exemptions from the general principle
2.4.1 Mandatory exceptions to retrospective application
In the course of developing IFRS 1, the IASB identified four situations where they believed retrospective application of IFRSs could not be performed
with sufficient reliability. The Board was primarily concerned about the potential for abuse if retrospective application would require judgements by
management about past conditions after the outcome of a particular transaction is already known. As a result, in those four situations (listed
below), IFRS 1 prohibits full retrospective application of IFRSs. Each exception is discussed in more detail in section 3 of this guide.
• Accounting estimates (section 3.1)
• Derecognition of financial assets and financial liabilities (section 3.2)
• Hedge accounting (section 3.3)
• Non-controlling interests (section 3.4)
2.4.2 Optional exemptions from the general principle
Retrospective application of IFRSs can require significant resources and could, in some circumstances, be impracticable. The IASB decided that the
costs of applying IFRSs retrospectively may exceed the benefits in certain instances. IFRS 1 therefore provides 16 optional exemptions from the
general principle of full retrospective application, as listed below. A detailed discussion of each exemption can be found in section 4 of this guide,
with a focus on application issues that may arise