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GASB proposes changes to Sec. 457 plan reporting
The board also published an implementation guide.
Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2019. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.
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GASB updates guidance on application of standards
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GASB issues two exposure drafts for comment
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GASB recently proposed new guidance on accounting and financial reporting, including:
- An exposure draft addressing Sec. 457 deferred compensation plans.
- An implementation guide on recently issued GASB standards on accounting and financial reporting for fiduciary activities.
In the ED, titled Internal Revenue Code Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plans That Meet the Definition of a Pension Plan and Supersession of GASB Statement 32, GASB recommends that if a Sec. 457 deferred compensation plan meets GASB’s definition of a pension plan, then the appropriate GASB pension standards should be applied to the financial reporting for that plan and for the benefits provided through that plan. Current GASB guidance explicitly excludes Sec. 457 plans from the pension standards.
The proposed guidance also would supersede the remaining provisions of GASB Statement No. 32, Accounting and Financial Reporting for Internal Revenue Code Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plans, as amended, regarding investment valuation requirements for Sec. 457 plans. The proposal would require investments of all Sec. 457 plans to always be valued as of the end of the plan’s reporting period, as GASB requires for all other post-employment benefit plans.
The provisions detailed in the ED would go into effect for all reporting periods in fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2020. GASB would encourage early application.
Comments on the ED are due by Sept. 27.
Implementation guide issued: GASB issued Implementation Guide No. 2019-2, Fiduciary Activities, providing guidance about how to apply the provisions of GASB Statement No. 84, Fiduciary Activities. The requirements of the new guide are effective for financial reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2018.
Proposal addresses various issues: GASB published an ED covering a wide range of accounting and financial reporting issues discovered during the implementation of previous GASB pronouncements. Comments on the ED, Omnibus 20XX, are due by Oct. 4 and can be emailed to director@gasb.org.
