## **Learning Outcomes**

This article explains how to make materiality judgments and apply aggregation principles within financial statements, as required for ACCA Strategic Business Reporting (SBR). You will learn what makes information material, how to distinguish between aggregation and offsetting, and how these concepts are applied from recognition through to disclosure and presentation. By the end, you should be able to apply materiality and aggregation judgments to practical exam scenarios.

## **ACCA Strategic Business Reporting (SBR) Syllabus**

For ACCA Strategic Business Reporting (SBR), you are required to understand and apply the concepts of materiality and aggregation in preparing and presenting financial statements. Strong command of these areas ensures your reported information helps users make effective decisions.

- The definition and practical application of materiality judgments in recognition, measurement, and disclosure
- Quantitative and qualitative factors affecting materiality
- The role of primary users and their common information needs when determining materiality
- The distinction between aggregation and offsetting in presentation and disclosure
- Requirements relating to grouping, disaggregation, and clarity in financial reporting
- How materiality affects compliance with IFRS Standards and the avoidance of unnecessary disclosures

## **Test Your Knowledge**

_Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision._

1. Which of the following factors could make a small item material?
   a) Only its monetary value
   b) Only if it relates to a related party transaction
   c) Its nature and circumstances, regardless of size
   d) It appears on the face of the financial statements

2. What does "aggregation" mean in financial reporting?
   a) Offsetting unrelated items
   b) Grouping items with similar characteristics
   c) Combining every item into a single total
   d) Ignoring minor balances

3. True or false? Materiality is based solely on numerical thresholds such as 5% of profit before tax.

4. Briefly state why offsetting is generally prohibited in presenting assets and liabilities.

## **Introduction**

Materiality underpins all aspects of financial reporting. It filters information, ensuring that only what matters to users is highlighted, while what is trivial is left out or grouped for clarity. Equally, aggregation allows preparers to combine similar items, presenting clear and relevant information rather than an overwhelming level of detail.

Correct materiality and aggregation judgments are essential for achieving fair presentation and complying with IFRS Standards. They apply at every stage—from deciding whether to recognise an item, to deciding what information must be presented separately or grouped in the financial statements, and what should be disclosed in the notes. Understanding these judgments is key to applying required accounting standards effectively and efficiently.

## MATERIALITY JUDGEMENTS

Materiality determines whether a transaction, event, or item in the financial statements is significant enough to be reported individually and separately. It is not a fixed concept—judgement is required, and what is material in one context may not be in another.

> **Key Term: materiality**
> Information is material if omitting, misstating, or obscuring it could reasonably influence the decisions that primary users of financial statements make.

When making a materiality judgment, you must consider both:

- **Quantitative factors**: The size or amount—relative to relevant measures such as revenue, profit before tax, or total assets.
- **Qualitative factors**: The nature or circumstances—regardless of amount, certain items such as fraud, related party transactions, or breaches of regulations could be material.

An immaterial item does not need to be recognised or disclosed, and applying all accounting requirements to immaterial items is not required.

### Applying Materiality in the Reporting Process

Materiality impacts decisions at every stage:

- **Recognition and Measurement**: Only items meeting the materiality threshold, considering both size and nature, need full recognition and measurement under the relevant standard. Immaterial items can be handled in simpler ways, such as expensing small asset purchases directly.

- **Presentation and Disclosure**: Information that is not material should not be disclosed separately, as this may clutter the statements and obscure important details. Sometimes, information not specifically required by a standard must still be disclosed if it is material to understanding the financial statements.

- **Omission, Misstatement, and Obscuration**: Omitting or not clearly disclosing a material item, using vague language, or including excessive detail can all result in information being material due to obscuration.

### Who Are the Primary Users?

Materiality is assessed based on the needs of the primary users of general purpose financial statements—existing and potential investors, lenders, and other creditors.

> **Key Term: primary users**
> Current and potential investors, lenders, and other creditors who cannot require financial information directly from the entity and must rely on published reports.

You should make materiality judgments considering what would influence these users as a group—not the needs of a single user with unique requirements.

### Practical Aspects of Materiality Judgements

- There are no fixed quantitative thresholds in IFRS. A specific value (such as 5% of profit before tax) can be a starting point, but is not sufficient by itself.
- Materiality must be reconsidered each reporting period.
- Management should use a documented, systematic process to determine materiality, considering current circumstances.

### **Worked Example 1.1**

**An entity's revenue is \$50 million and profit before tax is \$2 million. It has a loss of \$200,000 relating to discontinued operations. Is this loss likely to be material for presentation purposes?**

> **Answer:**
> Although the loss is only 10% of profit before tax, which may seem small, discontinued operations are generally material due to their nature. IFRS requires these to be presented separately, as information about discontinued activities is likely to significantly influence users' decisions.

## AGGREGATION AND PRESENTATION

Aggregation is the grouping of similar items. It is necessary to avoid overwhelming users with excessive detail, while keeping information relevant. However, too much aggregation can obscure important details, especially if items with different characteristics are combined.

> **Key Term: aggregation**
> Grouping together items that have similar nature or function to provide useful and understandable information.

The level of aggregation in financial statements depends on what provides the most relevant and understandable information to primary users.

### Disaggregation

Disaggregation is the process of separating out information previously combined, when doing so would improve clarity and usefulness. For example, revenue is presented as a line item on the face of the statement of profit or loss, but additional details (such as geographical or product splits) may be disclosed in the notes if material.

### Offsetting Prohibition

> **Key Term: offsetting**
> Subtracting one item from another on the face of the financial statements, when not permitted by the standards.

Offsetting generally obscures information about the nature and risks of assets, liabilities, income, and expenses, and is typically prohibited unless it is expressly required or permitted by an IFRS Standard (such as with certain financial instruments).

### Aggregation in Practice

Material classes of similar items must be presented separately on the face of the primary statements. Immaterial items, however, may be aggregated in line items or within disclosures.

For example:

- Major types of income or expenses (e.g., revenue, cost of sales, finance costs) are each presented in separate lines.
- Immaterial types of expenses (e.g., minor sundry expenses) may be aggregated.

### **Worked Example 1.2**

**Ellis Ltd has two types of cash accounts: a bank account with \$85,000 and a short-term overdraft with a separate bank of \$10,000. Can these be shown as a single net cash item?**

> **Answer:**
> Only if both balances are with the same bank and the right of set-off exists. Otherwise, they should be reported separately—cash as an asset, overdraft as a liability—because the risks and characteristics differ.

### Materiality in Disclosure

IFRS Standards require disclosure of information that is material. However, the concept of "material" applies to the notes just as much as to the face of the statements. Information that is not material need not be disclosed, and excessive immaterial disclosures should be avoided. This helps users focus on what matters for decisions.

### **Exam Warning**

> In the exam, avoid stating that a specific percentage threshold determines materiality. Always justify your judgements by referring to both the nature and the size of the item, and explain the impact on decision-making for the primary users.

### Aggregation vs Offsetting: Key Distinctions

- **Aggregation** groups similar items, maintaining transparency and clarity.
- **Offsetting** combines or nets off dissimilar items, which is generally not allowed unless specifically required (for example, for deferred tax assets and liabilities).

## Summary

Effective use of materiality and aggregation ensures financial statements communicate what is important and enable users to focus on the relevant aspects of an entity's performance and position. Judgment is always required, but you must be able to justify your approach with reference to users' needs and IFRS requirements.

## **Key Point Checklist**

_This article has covered the following key knowledge points:_

- Explain materiality and how to apply it in recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure
- Distinguish between quantitative and qualitative aspects of materiality
- Describe aggregation and disaggregation in financial reporting
- Identify the difference between aggregation and offsetting
- Apply presentation requirements to ensure financial statements focus on material matters
- Assess materiality for disclosure, including when immaterial information can be omitted or aggregated

## **Key Terms and Concepts**

- materiality
- primary users
- aggregation
- offsetting

Conceptual framework and materiality - Materiality judgements and aggregation