FRS 115 – Specific Area: Sales With Rights To Returns And Refund liabilities

An entity shall recognise a refund liability if the entity receives consideration from a customer and expects to refund some or all of that consideration to the customer. A refund liability is measured at the amount of consideration received (or receivable) for which the entity does not expect to be entitled (ie amounts not included in the transaction price). The refund liability (and corresponding change in the transaction price and, therefore, the contract liability) shall be updated at the end of each reporting period for changes in circumstances.

In some contracts, an entity transfers control of a product to a customer and also grants the customer the right to return the product for various reasons (such as dissatisfaction with the product) and receive any combination of the following:

(a) a full or partial refund of any consideration paid;

(b) a credit that can be applied against amounts owed, or that will be owed, to the entity; and

(c) another product in exchange.

To account for the transfer of products with a right of return (and for some services that are provided subject to a refund), an entity shall recognise all of the following:

(a) revenue for the transferred products in the amount of consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled (therefore, revenue would not be recognised for the products expected to be returned);

(b) a refund liability; and

(c) an asset (and corresponding adjustment to cost of sales) for its right to recover products from customers on settling the refund liability.

An entity’s promise to stand ready to accept a returned product during the return period shall not be accounted for as a performance obligation in addition to the obligation to provide a refund.

Exchanges by customers of one product for another of the same type, quality, condition and price (for example, one colour or size for another) are not considered returns.

Contracts in which a customer may return a defective product in exchange for a functioning product shall be evaluated in accordance with the guidance on warranties.

Example

An entity sells a product to a customer for CU100 that is payable 3 months after delivery. The customer obtains control of the product at contract inception. The contract permits the customer to return the product within 90 days. The product is new and the entity has no relevant historical evidence of product returns or other available market evidence.

The entity’s cost of the product is CU80.

The entity does not recognise revenue when control of the product transfers to the customer. This is because the existence of the right of return and the lack of relevant historical evidence means that the entity cannot conclude that it is highly probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognised will not occur in accordance. Consequently, revenue is recognised after three months when the right of return lapses.

(a) When the product is transferred to the customer:

Debit Asset for right to recover product to be returned CU80

Credit Inventory CU80

(b) When the right of return lapses (the product is not returned):

Debit Receivable CU100

Credit Revenue CU100

Debit Cost of sales CU80

Credit Asset for product to be returned CU80