Check if your accounting policies are up to date for 2017: a lot has changed since January 1st. You can download a sample for OSNO for free in this material - it does not contain outdated formulations.
You will find the seven most dangerous formulations in stereotyped and outdated forms in the article. Opposite each is a safe alternative.
One of the tasks of the “TOP 1000 Best Accountants in Russia” competition required talking about how companies draw up their accounting policies or the wording that accountants are proud of. We received 296 policy texts and examined each one. Unfortunately, there were many documents with outdated and formulaic wording, which could lead to a dispute with the tax authorities. Details are below.
Accounting policy for 2017 for OSNO: what to fix
Pay special attention to the fact that the accounting policy talks about fixed assets, simplified accounting and error correction.
About the period of use of fixed assets
Until 2017, most companies determined the useful life of fixed assets in accounting according to tax classification. Regulatory acts allowed this to be done (clause 1 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 1, 2002 No. 1). But since 2017, this norm has been abolished (Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of July 7, 2016 No. 640). The amendment is due to the fact that in accounting the company must be guided by PBU 6/01. According to PBU, the useful life of a fixed asset is the period during which the object will bring economic benefits.
In connection with the amendment, change the wording in the accounting policies. Write that you determine the period of use as stated in the PBU. Then the auditors will not have any comments on the accounting policies.
To bring tax and accounting closer together, a company can continue to focus on tax classification. But if you plan to use the object significantly less or more than the classification period, then it is more correct to set a planned period in accounting.
Advice
How to set the useful life of a fixed asset
A company can still rely on tax classification when determining the useful life of a fixed asset in accounting. After all, fixed assets in the classification are distributed into groups on an economic basis, and not arbitrarily. But I advise you not to write this in your accounting policy. The company must have its own procedure for determining deadlines in accounting. In some organizations, the deadline is determined by the fixed assets commission, in others - by one accountant. Describe this in your accounting policy. In addition, the classification does not take into account the specific conditions of use of fixed assets - aggressive environment, the company’s intention to quickly update fixed assets, etc. If you predict that in fact you will use the object significantly less or more than in the classification, set the actual period of use.
ALMIN RABINOVICH, chief methodologist of the Energy Consulting group of companies
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The useful life of fixed assets is determined on the basis of the Classification of fixed assets included in depreciation groups, approved. by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 1, 2002 No. 1. |
The useful life of fixed assets is determined based on: |
About simplified accounting
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The maximum amount of interest recognized as an expense for profit tax purposes is taken equal to the interest rate established by agreement of the parties, but not exceeding the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, increased by 1.8 times, when issuing a debt obligation in rubles and equal to the product of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and the coefficient 0.8 - for debt obligations in foreign currency. (Ground: clause 1, clause 1.1 of Article 269 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
Interest on loans, credits and other debt obligations is included in expenses based on the actual rate, with the exception of controlled transactions. Interest on debt obligations arising as a result of controlled transactions is taken into account according to the rules established in paragraph. 3 p. 1 art. 269 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. (Ground: clause 1 of article 269 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
About the programs
Template tax policies typically do not say how to write off programs or provide general language. But the Tax Code does not have clear rules on. Therefore, it is safer to set them in accounting policies.
Taking program costs into account right away is risky. Officials believe that the cost of programs should be written off evenly over the term of the license agreement (letter of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated March 18, 2014 No. 03-03-06/1/11743).
If there is no term in the contract, the company can independently set the period for accounting for expenses. The safest option is to write off expenses over five years. This period is in effect by default for licensing agreements and tax authorities usually rely on it (clause 4 of Article 1235 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). Judges can also support tax officials (resolution of the Volga District Arbitration Court dated July 28, 2016 No. F06-11039/2016).
If the company is ready to argue with the tax authorities, stipulate in the accounting policy that you write off the cost of the program immediately. In this case, when checking, refer to those court decisions that are in favor of the companies (resolution of the Moscow District Arbitration Court dated April 13, 2015 No. F05-3419/2015).
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Expenses accepted for tax purposes are recognized in the reporting (tax) period to which they relate, regardless of the time of actual payment of funds and (or) another form of payment. (Basis - clause 1 of article 272 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
Expenses for the acquisition of non-exclusive rights to computer programs are taken into account for tax purposes evenly over the period established in the license agreement. If the license agreement does not establish a period for using a computer program, these costs are distributed evenly over the planned period of use of the program in the organization’s activities, established in the order of the general director of the organization |
About direct expenses
Template accounting policies usually do not contain a detailed list of direct expenses. This means that if tax authorities become interested in these expenses, the company will have to provide explanations. As a result, it may turn out that the company considered specific expenses to be indirect, and the tax authorities classified them as direct.
To avoid confusion, it is better to provide in the tax accounting policy a detailed list of those direct expenses that the company has. For example, if a trading company sometimes ships goods directly from the manufacturer's plant to the buyer's warehouse, it is safer to record the transportation costs as direct costs. Or the company may consider these costs to be indirect. But then there is a risk of a dispute with the tax authorities (resolutions of the FAS Moscow District dated July 24, 2013 in case No. A40-110865/12-20-572, FAS Volga District dated October 2, 2013 in case No. A57-21129/2012).
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Direct expenses include the cost of purchasing goods sold in a given reporting (tax) period, and the amount of costs for delivery of goods to the warehouse organization, if these costs are not included in the purchase price of these goods. All other expenses are considered indirect. (Basis: Article 320 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
Direct costs include: — the cost of purchasing goods sold in the current reporting (tax) period; — costs for delivery of purchased goods to the organization’s warehouse, if these costs are not included in the purchase price of the goods; — costs of delivering goods to customers if the goods are delivered to them directly from the warehouse of the organization’s supplier. The remaining costs associated with the acquisition and sale of goods are indirect. In particular, indirect costs include: — costs of delivering goods to customers from the organization’s warehouse; — costs of transporting goods between the organization’s warehouses; — expenses for sorting and packaging goods. (Basis: Article 320 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
About the provision for doubtful debts
Check what the tax accounting policy template says about the allowance for doubtful debts. In 2017, the company still decides for itself whether to create a reserve in tax accounting or not. But the reserve limit for the reporting period has changed. Now the limit is equal to 10 percent of revenue for this period or 10 percent of revenue for the previous year - depending on which of these indicators is greater (clause 4 of Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation). Update the limit clause so that tax authorities do not think that the company decided to limit the reserve to the old standard.
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The amount of the created reserve for doubtful debts cannot exceed 10 percent of the revenue of the reporting (tax) period, determined in accordance with Article 249 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. |
The organization creates a reserve for doubtful debts. The amount of the created reserve for doubtful debts, calculated based on the results of the tax period, cannot exceed 10 percent of the revenue for the specified tax period, determined in accordance with Article 249 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. When calculating the reserve for doubtful debts at the end of reporting periods, its amount cannot exceed the greater of 10 percent of revenue for the previous tax period or 10 percent of revenue for the current reporting period. The inventory of accounts receivable for the purpose of creating a reserve is carried out as of the last day of each reporting (tax) period. The amount of the reserve that is not fully used in the reporting (tax) period to cover losses from writing off bad debts is carried over to the next reporting (tax) period. Accounting for the accrual and use of reserves is kept in the tax register (Appendix No. 5). (Basis: clauses 4, 5 of Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation) |
Accounting policy for 2017 for tax accounting purposes (sample)
Limited Liability Company "Alfa"
ORDER No. 58
on approval of accounting policies for tax purposes
Accounting policies for tax purposes
Corporate income tax
Procedure for maintaining tax records
1. Tax accounting is the responsibility of the accounting department, headed by the chief accountant.
2. Tax accounting should be maintained separately from accounting in independently developed tax accounting registers. The list of tax accounting registers is given in Appendix 1.
Reason: Article 313 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
3. Account for income and expenses using the accrual method. Reason: Articles 271, 272 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Accounting for depreciable property
4. The useful life of fixed assets is determined by the minimum value of the interval of periods established for the depreciation group in which the fixed asset is included in accordance with the classification approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. If the fixed asset is not indicated in the classification, the useful life is determined according to technical documentation or manufacturers' recommendations.
Reason: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 1, 2002 No. 1, paragraphs 1 and 6 of Article 258 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
5. The useful life of fixed assets that have been in operation is determined equal to the period established by the previous owner, reduced by the number of years (months) of operation of these fixed assets by the previous owner.
Reason: clause 7 of article 258 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
6. The useful life of an intangible asset object is determined based on the validity period of the patent, certificate, as well as on the basis of the useful life stipulated by the relevant agreement. For intangible assets for which it is impossible to determine the useful life, a period of 10 years is applied.
Reason: paragraph 2 of Article 258 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
7. Depreciation for all objects of depreciable property (fixed assets and intangible assets) should be calculated using the straight-line method.
Reason: paragraphs 1 and 3 of Article 259 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
8. Depreciation bonus is not applied. Depreciation is calculated in accordance with the general procedure.
Reason: clause 9 of article 258 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
9. Increasing factors can be applied to the basic depreciation rate of fixed assets:
- in the amount of 2 - to fixed assets used for work in an aggressive environment and (or) extended shifts;
- in the amount of 2 - to fixed assets produced in accordance with the terms of a special investment contract;
- in the amount of 3 - to fixed assets that are the subject of a leasing agreement (with the exception of fixed assets belonging to the first to third depreciation groups).
The specific list of fixed assets for which a special coefficient is applied is determined by a separate order.
Reason: subparagraphs 1, 6 of paragraph 1 and subparagraph 1 of paragraph 2 of Article 259.3, paragraph 3 of Article 259.3 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
10. A reserve for repairs of fixed assets is not created. Expenses for the repair of fixed assets are recognized for tax purposes as part of other expenses in the reporting period in which they were incurred, in the amount of actual expenses.
Reason: Article 260 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Accounting for raw materials and supplies
11. When writing off raw materials and materials used in production, the assessment should be made using the average cost method.
Reason: paragraph 8 of Article 254 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
12. The cost of property that is not depreciable property is included in material costs in full as it is put into operation.
Reason: subparagraph 3 of paragraph 1 of Article 254 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Cost accounting
13. A reserve for future expenses for vacation pay is not created.
14. A reserve for future expenses for the payment of annual remunerations for length of service and based on the results of work for the year is not created.
Reason: Article 324.1 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
15. Deductions to the reserve for doubtful debts are made quarterly. The inventory of accounts receivable for the purpose of creating a reserve is carried out as of the last day of the reporting quarter. The maximum reserve for doubtful debts is 10% of revenue excluding VAT.
Reason: Article 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
16. A reserve for warranty repairs and warranty service is created in an amount determined as the product of sales revenue for the reporting period and the share of actual expenses for warranty repairs and service in the volume of revenue from sales of goods for the previous three years.
Reason: paragraph 3 of Article 267 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
17. A reserve for future expenses for scientific research and (or) development work is not created. Expenses on scientific research and (or) experimental development are taken into account for tax purposes as part of other expenses in the reporting period in which they were incurred, in the amount of actual expenses.
Reason: Article 267.2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
18. All types of R&D costs are included in other expenses without applying a multiplying factor.
Reason: Article 262 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
19. Direct costs of production include:
- all material costs for the purchase of raw materials and supplies used in the production of products, except for general business and general production material costs;
- expenses for remuneration of personnel of workshops and divisions of the main production;
- the amount of insurance contributions to extra-budgetary funds accrued on the wages of personnel involved in the production process;
- the amount of accrued depreciation on fixed assets directly used in production.
Reason: paragraph 1 of Article 318 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
20. If the direct costs named in paragraph 20 of this Accounting Policy cannot be attributed to the production of a specific type of product, then they are subject to distribution in proportion to the direct costs directly related to the production of each type of product.
Reason: paragraph 5 of paragraph 1 of Article 319 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
21. Direct costs are distributed between work in progress and finished products in proportion to the share of the main raw materials attributable to work in progress in the total amount of raw materials released into production during the month, taking into account balances at the beginning of the month (in physical terms).
Reason: paragraph 1 of Article 319 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
22. Income and expenses relating to several reporting periods are distributed evenly during the term of the contract to which they relate. If the completion date of work (provision of services) under the contract cannot be determined, the period for distribution of income and expenses is established by order of the head of the organization.
Reason: paragraph 1 of article 272, paragraph 2 of article 271, article 316 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Procedure for calculating advance payments
23. Payment of monthly advance payments for income tax shall be made based on one third of the actually paid quarterly advance payment for the quarter preceding the quarter in which the monthly advance payments are made.
Reason: paragraph 2 of Article 286 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
24. To determine the amounts of advance payments and taxes payable at the location of separate divisions, use indicators of the share of the residual value of depreciable property and the average number of employees.
Reason: paragraph 2 of Article 288 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Value added tax
25. Separate divisions number invoices within the range of numbers allocated by the parent organization.
Reason: subparagraph “a” of paragraph 1 of Appendix 1 to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 26, 2011 No. 1137.
26. Accounting for transactions exempt from VAT is carried out separately in accounting subaccounts. Direct costs for carrying out this type of activity are taken into account in the subaccount “Costs for the implementation of VAT-exempt operations” to account 20 “Main production”. Indirect costs are taken into account in the subaccount “Costs for distribution” to account 25 “General production expenses” and in account 26 “General expenses”.
The total costs of implementing VAT-exempt transactions for the purpose of calculating the 5 percent barrier of costs for non-taxable activities are determined as the sum of direct and the corresponding share of indirect costs.
Reason: subclause 25 of clause 2 of article 149, clauses 4, 4.1 of article 170 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
27. The share of indirect costs related to non-taxable operations is determined in proportion to the revenue from non-taxable activities in the total amount of revenue from all types of activities. Reason: paragraphs 4, 4.1 of Article 170 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, letter of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated March 22, 2011 No. KE-4-3/4475.
28. In order to maintain separate accounting of transactions subject to VAT and transactions exempt from taxation, sub-accounts are opened to account 19:
- 19-1 “Transactions subject to VAT”, which takes into account the tax amounts presented by suppliers for goods (works, services) used in activities subject to VAT. Tax amounts recorded in subaccount 19-1 are accepted for deduction in the manner established by Article 172 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, without restrictions.
- 19-2 “Transactions exempt from taxation”, which takes into account the tax amounts presented by suppliers for goods (works, services) used in activities not subject to VAT.
- 19-3 “Transactions subject to VAT and exempt from taxation”, which takes into account the amount of tax on goods (works, services) used in activities subject to VAT and at the same time exempt from taxation. Tax amounts reflected in subaccount 19-3 are accepted for deduction during the quarter in the manner established by Article 172 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Reason: clauses 4, 4.1 of article 170, clause 4 of article 149, article 172 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
29. Adjustment of the amount of deductions applied from subaccount 19-3 “Operations subject to VAT and exempt from taxation” is carried out in proportion to the revenue from non-taxable activities in the total revenue of the organization for the quarter. This adjustment is made for each invoice as of the last day of the tax period (quarter). Amounts of tax subject to restoration at the end of the quarter in subaccount 19-3 are not included in the cost of goods (work, services), including fixed assets, and are taken into account as part of other expenses in accordance with Article 264 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Reason: subclause 2 of clause 3, clauses 4, 4.1 of Article 170 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
30. Amounts of tax on goods (works, services) partially used in export transactions taxed at a rate of 0% are taken into account in subaccount 19-1 “Operations subject to VAT” or 19-3 “Operations subject to VAT and exempt from taxation” » depending on the use of assets in VAT-exempt activities.
The VAT amounts reflected in subaccounts 19-1 and 19-3 and related to export operations are written off monthly by invoice to subaccount 19-4 “VAT on export costs” in proportion to the share of export revenue in total sales revenue for all taxable types of activities. Amounts recorded in subaccount 19-4 “VAT on export costs” related to transactions for which the right to apply a zero rate has been confirmed are written off at the end of the quarter to the debit of account 68 and recorded in the purchase book.
Reason: paragraph 1 of Article 153 and paragraph 10 of Article 165 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Chief accountant A.S. Glebova
Accounting policies for 2017: download sample for OSNO free of charge
To download any of the 50 samples of accounting policies for 2017 for free for OSNO and other tax regimes, subscribers of the electronic version of the Glavbukh magazine and everyone who obtains demo access just need to follow the link (below).
Any organization must maintain accounting and tax records, recording the methods of their maintenance in its accounting policies. The accounting policy of the organization creates a unified system of accounting and document flow, which all employees and divisions of the company must follow. Lack of accounting policies is a serious violation for which the company can be fined. How to draw up an accounting policy for 2018, and what features should be taken into account - this is what our material is about.
Accounting policy of an enterprise: general requirements for registration
The accounting policy is drawn up in accordance with the rules established by the accounting law No. 402-FZ of December 6, 2011, as well as PBU 1/2008. In addition, each industry may have its own regulations that affect its content.
The accounting policy consists of two parts: accounting and tax. They can be drawn up as a single document consisting of two sections, or two separate provisions can be made.
The organization's accounting policies are applied continuously from year to year, and reasonable changes to it can only be made from the beginning of the reporting year. The order on the accounting policy is approved by the manager no later than 90 days after registration of the company. For example, the accounting policy for 2017 should have been adopted before December 31, 2016, and the document approved in 2017 will come into force only on January 1, 2018.
An organization's accounting policies should reflect accounting methods only for actual assets, transactions, and liabilities. It is advisable to fix in the text of the document those accounting aspects for which there is a choice from several options, or the law does not contain an unambiguous interpretation on them. For example: what methods of depreciation are used, how reserves are created, etc. It makes no sense to rewrite unambiguous provisions of the PBU, or the Tax Code, that do not offer a choice.
“Accounting policies of the organization” PBU 1/2008: changes
From 08/06/2017, amendments to PBU 1/2008 “Accounting Policy of the Organization” came into force (Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation dated 04/28/2017 No. 69n). Its provisions include, in particular, the following innovations:
- PBU “Accounting Policies” now applies to all legal entities, except credit and government organizations,
- a rule has been introduced on independent choice of the accounting method, regardless of the choice of other organizations, and subsidiaries choose from the standards approved by the main company (clause 5.1),
- the concept of rational accounting has been clarified - accounting information must be useful enough to justify the costs of its formation (clause 6),
- in cases where there is no specific method of accounting in federal standards, the organization develops it itself, based on paragraphs. 5 and 6 PBU 1/2008 and accounting recommendations, consistently referring to IFRS standards, federal (PBU) and industry accounting standards (clause 7.1), and to companies conducting simplified accounting (small enterprises, non-profit organizations, Skolkovo participants) , when forming an accounting policy, it is enough to be guided by the requirements of rationality (clause 7.2),
Contents of the accounting policy of the organization (LLC)
Accounting policies should reflect:
- list of regulations on the basis of which the company keeps records: Law on Accounting No. 402-FZ, PBU, Tax Code of the Russian Federation, etc.,
- working chart of accounts, designed as an annex to the accounting policy,
- positions responsible for organizing and maintaining records in the company,
- forms of the “primary” used, accounting and tax registers - unified forms, or independently developed,
- depreciation issues – calculation methods, frequency (monthly, once a year, etc.),
- limits on the value of fixed assets, the procedure for their revaluation,
- accounting of materials, finished products, goods,
- accounting of income and expenses,
- the procedure for correcting significant errors and the criteria for classifying them,
- other provisions that the organization deems necessary to reflect.
If the “accounting” part of the organization’s accounting policy is quite universal for everyone, then the tax part will be different for each taxation regime, but in any case should contain:
- information about the applied tax system, and if there is a combination of tax regimes - the procedure for maintaining separate accounting,
- how taxes are paid in separate divisions, if any,
- whether the company has tax benefits, and under what conditions they apply.
Accounting policy of the simplified tax system
The nuances of tax accounting policy when “simplified” depend on the selected object: “income” (6%) or “income minus expenses” (15%).
When applying the simplified tax system “income”, tax policy should reflect:
- income accounting procedure,
- indicate how the paid insurance premiums reduce the tax base,
- in what order and at what rate are taxes and advance payments calculated,
- tax register - KUDIR.
With the object “income minus expenses”, special attention should be paid not only to income, but also to expenses, indicating:
- the procedure for accounting for fixed assets, the method of calculating depreciation,
- composition of material costs,
- procedure for accounting for sales costs (if any),
- recognition of past losses in the current period,
- procedure for calculating and paying the minimum tax,
Otherwise, the tax policy points will be similar to those indicated for the simplified tax system for “income”.
OSNO accounting policies
One of the main points of tax policy under OSNO is accounting for income tax. The document should reflect:
- procedure for recognizing direct and indirect expenses of an enterprise (cash or accrual method),
- the procedure for accounting for fixed assets, whether increasing coefficients are used for depreciation, depreciation bonus, for which objects,
- methods for assessing materials, raw materials and goods,
- Are reserves formed to evenly distribute expenses throughout the year (vacations, bad debts, OS repairs, etc.),
- in what order is income tax and advance payments on it calculated and paid,
- applicable tax registers, etc.
The specifics of VAT accounting when developing accounting policies should be pointed out to those who are exempt from tax or who carry out transactions taxed at a rate of 0% - this concerns the order of distribution of “input” VAT.
Accounting policy: sample
It is impossible to create a sample accounting policy that would be equally suitable for all enterprises. Each case has its own characteristics, depending on the type of activity, the applied tax regime and many other factors. The accounting policy, an example of which is given here, was drawn up for an enterprise operating on OSNO.
With the onset of 2017, in various regulatory documents of the organization there will be many documents with outdated and template wording. The main regulatory document for an accountant in an organization is the Accounting Policy, which also needs to be updated in connection with the adoption of new legislative norms.
Changes to the section on fixed assets accounting
From 01/01/2017, the Classification of fixed assets by depreciation groups, which is used to calculate depreciation in tax accounting, has been updated. Amendments to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 01.01.2002 No. 1 were made by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 07.07.2016 No. 640.
The amendments are as follows:
- the rule that the Classification can be used for accounting purposes is no longer valid;
- the classification of fixed assets included in depreciation groups is in effect in the new edition.
Before making these changes, most organizations determined the period of use of fixed assets in accounting according to tax classification. Regulatory acts allowed this to be done. But since 2017, this norm has been abolished. The amendment is related to the fact that for accounting purposes, the organization must be guided by clause 20 of PBU 6/01, clause 59 of the Guidelines for accounting for fixed assets. According to PBU, the useful life of a fixed asset is the period during which the object will bring economic benefits. In connection with this amendment, it is necessary to change the wording in the accounting policies. It is necessary to indicate that the useful life is determined according to PBU. To bring tax and accounting accounting closer together, an organization can continue to rely on tax classification when determining the useful life of a fixed asset in accounting. Fixed assets in the classification are distributed into groups on an economic basis, and not arbitrarily. However, this should not be indicated in the accounting policy. The organization must have its own procedure for determining deadlines in accounting. In some organizations, the term is determined by the commission on fixed assets, in some - one accountant. This procedure must be reflected in the accounting policies.
Changes to the section on the procedure for creating a reserve for doubtful debts
According to Art. 266 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, an organization in tax accounting has the right to create reserves for doubtful debts.
From January 1, 2017, organizations have the right to create a reserve for doubtful debts in an amount greater than in 2016. (amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation were introduced by Federal Law No. 405-FZ of November 30, 2016).
Since 2017, a rule has been in force according to which the amount of the created reserve for doubtful debts should not exceed the greater of: 10% of revenue for the previous tax period or 10% of revenue for the current reporting period (paragraph 5, clause 4, article 266 of the Tax Code RF).
Until 2017, the organization had no choice: the amount of the reserve created at the end of the reporting period should not exceed 10% of the revenue for the current reporting period. In this regard, organizations that form a reserve in tax accounting must make appropriate changes to their accounting policies for tax purposes.
At the same time, since 2017, doubtful debt is recognized as part of the debt in excess of the amount of the counter obligation. That is, if an organization has accounts payable and accounts receivable in settlements with one counterparty, then in tax accounting a reserve for doubtful debts can be created in an amount no greater than the difference between accounts receivable and accounts payable, and not for the entire amount of accounts receivable, as was the case before.
Changes to the section on the procedure for accounting for losses for tax accounting purposes
For tax accounting purposes, in 2017, the procedure for writing off losses and creating reserves changed. So, by virtue of paragraph 2 of Art. 283 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, the taxpayer has the right to transfer to the current reporting (tax) period the amount of losses received in previous tax periods, taking into account the limitation established by clause 2.1 of the article. This norm determines that in the reporting (tax) periods from 01/01/2017 to 12/31/2020, the tax base for the current reporting (tax) period, calculated in accordance with Art. 274 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation cannot be reduced by more than 50% by the amount of losses received in previous tax periods.
Previously, it was possible to reduce the tax base by the full amount of the loss.
If the accounting policy of the organization specifies the procedure for accounting for losses, then it is necessary to make changes to this section.
Changes to the section on accounting for insurance premiums
In connection with the transfer of administration of insurance premiums to the Federal Tax Service of Russia, organizations need to approve in their accounting policies the form of an individual accounting card for the amounts of accrued payments and other remunerations and the amounts of accrued insurance premiums.
Clause 4 of Art. 431 Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
In 2016, all insurance organizations used the card form given in the letter of the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Federal Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation dated December 9, 2014 No. AD-30-26/16030, 17-03-10/08/47380. The Federal Tax Service of Russia has not approved the new form of the card for 2017. The Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation reserves the right for the organization to independently choose how to maintain this tax register.
It is necessary to approve the tax register form for accounting for insurance premiums in the accounting policy by issuing an order for the organization, and the card used in 2016 can be taken as a basis. It should be noted that the Federal Tax Service has the right to request these cards during an inspection, and for their absence, the organization may be fined in the amount of 200 rubles. for each card, according to Art. 126 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Additions to the accounting policy on the procedure for maintaining separate records when providing Internet services to foreigners
On January 1, 2017, Law No. 244-FZ of July 3, 2016 “On Amendments to Parts One and Two of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation” comes into force. This law regulates VAT taxation of Internet services. From 01/01/2017 in Art. 148 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, an indication appeared that the place of sale of Internet services for payment of VAT must be determined at the place of activity of their buyer, and the list of services itself is given in the new Article 174.2 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation.
Since from the new year, when providing Internet services to foreigners, a foreign state is recognized as the place of sale, a Russian organization has the right not to charge or pay VAT on such transactions, since this operation is not subject to VAT taxation. In this case, it is necessary to maintain separate accounting for VAT.
The procedure for maintaining separate VAT accounting when the seller carries out both VAT-taxable and exempt transactions is established in clauses 4, 4.1 of Art. 170 Tax Code of the Russian Federation. According to the explanations of the regulatory authorities, as well as established judicial practice, separate accounting must also be maintained in the case of the sale of services (work) outside the Russian Federation that are not subject to VAT taxation.
In this case, the organization has the right not to maintain separate accounting in tax periods if the share of total costs for the acquisition and (or) sale of services not subject to VAT does not exceed 5% of the total total costs for the acquisition, production and (or) sale of goods (work, services) for this period. In this case, the entire submitted VAT is accepted for deduction.
The tax accounting policy needs to include:
- procedure for maintaining separate VAT accounting;
- whether the organization applies the 5% rule, and, if applicable, then reflect the procedure for determining total expenses (letter of the Federal Tax Service of Russia dated March 22, 2011 No. KE-4-3/4475 (clause 1)).
Changes to accounting policies for small businesses
Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated May 16, 2016 No. 64n (came into force on June 20, 2016) amended PBU 5/01, 6/01, 14/2007, 17/02 for organizations entitled to simplified accounting methods and reporting.
The entities listed in clause 4 of Art. have the right to simplify accounting. 6 of the Federal Law of December 6, 2011 No. 402-FZ “On Accounting,” including small businesses (SMB).
Organizations related to small businesses are specified in Art. 4 of the Federal Law of July 24, 2007 No. 209-FZ “On the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation.”
It should be noted that according to paragraph 1 of paragraph 5 of Art. 6 of Law No. 402-FZ “On Accounting”, simplified methods of accounting and reporting are not used by small businesses subject to mandatory audit. Thus, if an organization belongs to SMEs by virtue of Law No. 209-FZ “On the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in the Russian Federation”, but is subject to mandatory audit by virtue of Law No. 307-FZ “On Auditing Activities”, then it has the right to conduct simplified accounting No.
At the same time, the amendments made to PBU by Order No. 64n for organizations that have the right to use simplified accounting are as follows:
- in PBU 5/01 “Accounting for inventories” additional clauses 13.1, 13.2, 13.3 were introduced, and clause 25 was also added
- these SMPs have the right to evaluate purchased inventories at the supplier’s price. And other costs directly related to the acquisition should be included in expenses in full in the period in which they were incurred. Before the amendments were made, organizations entitled to simplified accounting reflected inventories at actual cost, formed taking into account all costs associated with their acquisition, including general business expenses, with the exception of VAT (clause 8 of PBU 5/01). Only trading organizations had the right to include transportation costs to their own warehouse in sales costs (clause 13 of PBU 5/01).
- micro-enterprises (SMEs with up to 15 people and an income of up to 120 million rubles) have the right to recognize the cost of raw materials, supplies, goods, and other production and sales costs as expenses for ordinary activities in the full amount as they are acquired (implemented). Other organizations have the right to recognize these costs as expenses for ordinary activities in full, provided that the nature of its activities does not imply the presence of significant balances of inventories;
- organizations can recognize expenses for the acquisition of inventories for management needs as part of expenses for ordinary activities in the full amount as they are acquired (implemented). This is a new norm that will facilitate accounting and document flow for inventory accounting;
- organizations have the right not to create a reserve for a decrease in the value of material assets (before making amendments, inventories that are obsolete, have completely or partially lost their original quality, or their current market value has decreased, were reflected in the balance sheet at the end of the reporting year minus a reserve for a decrease in the value of tangible assets values. The specified reserve is formed at the expense of financial results in the amount of the difference between the current market value and the actual cost of inventories, if the latter is higher than the current market value. There were no exceptions to this norm for organizations entitled to simplified accounting);
- 2. in PBU 6/01 “Accounting for fixed assets” An additional clause 8.1 was introduced, and clause 19 was also added:
Organizations can determine the initial cost of fixed assets:
- when purchasing them for a fee - at the price of the supplier (seller) and installation costs (if there are such costs and if they are not included in the price);
- during their construction (manufacturing) - in the amount paid under construction contracts and other agreements concluded for the purpose of acquiring, constructing and manufacturing OS.
- organizations can recognize expenses for the acquisition of inventories for management needs as part of expenses for ordinary activities in the full amount as they are acquired (implemented). This is a new norm that will facilitate accounting and document flow for inventory accounting;
Other costs directly related to the acquisition, construction and manufacture of an asset are included in expenses for ordinary activities in full in the period in which they were incurred.
Before making these amendments, the initial cost of fixed assets was formed as the sum of all actual costs of the organization for the acquisition, construction and production, with the exception of VAT, including general business expenses directly related to their acquisition, construction or production (clause 8 of PBU 6/01).
- Organizations have the right to charge depreciation:
For OS, a lump sum in the amount of the annual amount as of December 31 of the reporting year, or periodically during the reporting year for periods determined by the organization;
For production and household equipment, a lump sum in the amount of its original cost upon acceptance for accounting.
This is the new normal. Previously, depreciation was calculated according to the method established in the accounting policy (linear, reducing balance, proportional to production volume, etc.).
- in PBU 17/02 “Accounting for expenses for research, development and technological work” an additional rule has been introduced into paragraph 14, allowing organizations to write off R&D expenses as expenses for ordinary activities in the full amount as they are implemented. Previously, the period for writing off R&D expenses was determined by the organization independently, based on the expected period of use of the results obtained, during which the organization can receive economic benefits (income), but not more than 5 years. In this case, the indicated useful life cannot exceed the life of the organization.
- in PBU 14/2007 “Accounting for intangible assets” clause 3.1 has been added, allowing the recognition of expenses for the acquisition (creation) of intangible assets as part of expenses for ordinary activities in the full amount as they are realized.
Before the amendments were made, intangible assets were taken into account at their original cost, which was repaid through depreciation.
Memo
for entities that, in accordance with the law, have the right to use simplified methods of accounting, including simplified accounting (financial) reporting (methodological basis of simplified accounting)
These entities (small enterprises) relieved of duty take into account the requirements of the following regulations:
1. PBU 8/2010 “Estimated liabilities, contingent liabilities and contingent assets” (clause 3). If you refuse, you do not need to create reserves for future expenses.
2. PBU 2/2008 “Accounting for construction contracts” (clause 2.1). In the event of a refusal, costs under construction contracts can be taken into account in the general manner in accordance with the requirements of PBU 9/99 and PBU 10/99, without special adjustments.
3. PBU 18/02 “Accounting for income tax calculations” (clause 2). If accounting is rejected, there is no need to identify permanent and temporary differences and create permanent tax assets and liabilities, as well as deferred tax assets and liabilities.
4. PBU 16/02 “Information on discontinued activities” (clause 3.1). If the annual financial statements are rejected, there is no need to disclose information on discontinued activities.
5. PBU 11/2008 “Information about related parties” (clause 3). In case of refusal, the annual reporting does not need to reflect information about related parties that influence the activities of the company.
6. PBU 12/2010 “Information by segments”.
7. PBU 23/2011 “Cash Flow Statement” (clause 2 of PBU 23/2011)
The rejection of PBU must be fixed in the accounting policy.
PBUs, mandatory for use small enterprises, but containing certain concessions in accounting:
1. PBU 1/2008 "Accounting policies of the organization." In accordance with clause 15.1, small enterprises have the right to prospectively reflect in their reporting the consequences of changes in accounting policies, and clause 6.1 gives the right to provide for accounting in them using a simple system (without using double entry).
2. PBU 5/01 “Accounting for inventories.” In accordance with clause 25, small enterprises do not have to form reserves for reducing the cost of material assets (introduced by Order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated May 16, 2016 No. 64n). That is, the remains of raw materials, materials, fuel, work in progress, finished products, goods and other similar assets can be reflected in the statements at the cost determined in the accounting accounts, regardless of the obsolescence of these objects, their loss of their original quality, changes in their current market value, selling price.
3. PBU 19/02 "Accounting for financial investments." Paragraph 19 allows small businesses not to overestimate financial investments.
4. PBU 15/2008 "Accounting for expenses on loans and credits." Paragraph 7 allows small businesses to count expenses on all loans and borrowings as other expenses.
5. PBU 22/2010 "Correcting errors in accounting and reporting." Paragraph 9 allows small enterprises to take into account profits and losses resulting from the correction of significant errors of previous years prospectively and reflect them in account 91 “Other income and expenses”.
Small businesses are given right to use cash method accounting of income and expenses. The rule on the cash method is enshrined in PBU 9/99 “Income of the organization” (clause 12) and in PBU 10/99 “Expenses of the organization” (clause 18).