The FASB has issued an exposure draft regarding the use of the discount rate alternative offered to nonpublic entities. After receiving feedback that the risk free rate was not as widely adopted due to relatively low interest rates, the FASB is now proposing permitting the use by class of assets as opposed to the current requirement at the entity level. Comments are due July 16, 2021.
The AICPA has issued a Technical Q&A (TQA) titled Accounting for Lease Components in Type A Life Care Contracts by Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Issued August 2020, the TQA addresses common questions in the healthcare arena related to the application of lease accounting (Topic 842) for Type A Life Care Contracts. The TQA provides CCRCs with common considerations to determine whether there is a lease and if so, what the appropriate accounting would be. This has been a hot topic for the CCRC industry and many will be grateful to have some guidelines for accounting purposes which should reduce diversity in practice.
FASB voted to delay both revenue recognition and leases for private entities at their May 20th meeting. The original proposal was for a delay for private company franchisors to receive a one year delay of revenue recognition. But the Board added all private entities that have not yet issued financials. In addition, both “public” and private nonprofits as well as all private entities receive an extra year (in addition to ASU 2019-10) for leases. ASU to be issued in June!
At it’s teleconference meeting on April 14th GASB voted to delay standards by one year due to COVID 19. On April 15th, what has historically been tax day but due to COVID19 has lost that honor, the exposure draft was issued. Comments are due by the end of April to help GASB have a quick turnaround time for issuing a final standard (especially for those upcoming May and June year ends!).
Melisa F. Galasso is the founder and CEO of Galasso Learning Solutions LLC. A CPA with nearly 20 years of experience in the accounting profession, Melisa designs and facilitates courses in advanced technical accounting and auditing topics, including not-for-profit and governmental accounting.
Her passion is providing high-quality CPE that is meaningful, creates efficiencies and improves quality, and positively impacts ROI. She also supports essential professional development, audit level training, and train the trainer efforts.
Melisa is a Certified Speaking Professional, a Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD), and has earned the Association for Talent Development Master Trainer™ designation. Her passion for instructional design and adult learning techniques is one of the differentiators that set her apart from other CPE providers.
She also serves on the FASB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee (NAC), AICPA Council, and the AICPA’s Women’s Initiative Executive Committee (WIEC). She also serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Center for Plain English Accounting. She previously served on the AICPA’s Technical Issues Committee (TIC), the VSCPA’s Board of Directors, and is a past Chair of the NCACPA’s A&A committee. In addition, Melisa is the author of Money Matters for Nonprofits: How Board Members Can Harness the Power of Financial Statements by Understanding Basic Accounting which is available on Amazon or anywhere you purchase books online.
Melisa received a Top 50 Women in Accounting Award in 2021 by Ignition, is a 2020 Enterprising Women of the Year Award recipient, and was honored as a “40 under 40” by CPA Practice Advisor in 2017, 2018, and 2019. She was also named the 2019 Rising Star by her regional NAWBO chapter, received the Don Farmer award for achievement in technical content instruction, and earned several other awards for public speaking and technical training.
