• 2023 Issued Standards – IFRIC 21
  The IFRIC Interpretations are available in the 2023 Issued Standards, which include all amendments issued up to and including 1 January 2023.

Registration is required to access the free version of the Issued Standards. This version does not include additional documents that accompany the full standards (such as illustrative examples, implementation guidance and basis for conclusions).

IFRIC 21 provides guidance on when to recognise a liability for a levy imposed by a government, other than those levies within the scope of other standards eg Income taxes and fines or penalties imposed for breaches of legislation.

A liability to pay levies is recognised when an obligating event takes place, such as the generation of revenue in the current period. There is no obligating event where a levy is triggered in a future period and an entity is economically compelled to continue to operate in the future period or the financial statements are prepared on a going concern basis suggesting that the entity will continue to operate in the future period.

If the obligating event occurs over a period of time, the liability is recognised progressively; if the obligating event is reaching a minimum threshold, the liability is recognised when the minimum threshold is met.

Illustrative examples accompany IFRIC 21 and these detail how to account for various types of levies.