Scope & Objective

Objective: IFRS 2 requires entities to recognize share-based payment transactions in their financial statements, including transactions with employees or other parties to be settled in cash, other assets, or equity instruments of the entity.

  • Applies to all share-based payment transactions including equity-settled and cash-settled
  • Covers transactions with employees and non-employees
  • Key issues: measurement, recognition, and disclosure of share-based payments
Types of Share-based Payments

Equity-settled Share-based Payment: Transactions where the entity receives goods or services as consideration for equity instruments of the entity.

Cash-settled Share-based Payment: Transactions where the entity acquires goods or services by incurring liabilities to the supplier based on the price of the entity's shares or other equity instruments.

Transactions with Settlement Alternatives: Transactions where either the entity or the counterparty has a choice of whether the entity settles in cash or by issuing equity instruments.

Recognition Principles

A share-based payment transaction should be recognized when the goods are received or services are rendered:

Transaction TypeRecognition Approach
Employee ServicesRecognize as the employees render service
Goods from Non-employeesRecognize when goods are obtained
Services from Non-employeesRecognize as services are rendered

Note: The transaction is recognized as either an expense or as an asset, depending on whether the goods or services received qualify for recognition as an asset.

Measurement Principles

Equity-settled Transactions: Measured at fair value of the equity instruments granted at grant date.

Cash-settled Transactions: Measured at fair value of the liability, which is remeasured at each reporting date until settled.

  • For employee services, fair value is measured at grant date
  • For non-employee transactions, fair value is measured at date goods/services are received
  • Vesting conditions impact whether and how much expense is recognized
Practical Example:

Company grants 1,000 share options to employees with fair value of $10 each

Vesting period: 3 years

Annual expense recognition: (1,000 × $10) / 3 = $3,333 per year

Vesting Conditions
  • Service Conditions: Require the counterparty to complete a specified period of service
  • Performance Conditions: Require specified performance targets to be met
  • Market conditions are considered in fair value measurement
  • Non-market vesting conditions are considered in estimating the number of equity instruments expected to vest

Measurement Approaches

TypeInitial MeasurementSubsequent Treatment
Equity-settled (employees)Fair value at grant dateNo re-measurement (except for non-market vesting conditions)
Equity-settled (non-employees)Fair value of goods/services received at delivery dateRe-measured until performance complete
Cash-settledFair value at measurement dateRe-measured at each reporting date until settlement

Vesting Conditions Summary

Condition TypeDefinitionAccounting TreatmentExamples
Service ConditionRequires employee to complete specified period of serviceAdjust number of expected shares (true-up approach)Must remain employed for 3 years
Non-market Performance ConditionDepends on entity-specific performance targetsAdjust number of expected shares (true-up approach)Revenue targets, EBITDA goals, IPO completion
Market ConditionDepends on market variables (e.g., share price)Included in fair value at grant date (no true-up)Share price reaching $50, outperforming index
Disclosure Requirements
  • Nature and extent of share-based payment arrangements
  • How fair value was determined
  • Effect of share-based payments on profit/loss and financial position
  • Information about options exercised during the period
  • Options outstanding at period end with exercise prices and dates
  • For liabilities arising from cash-settled transactions, how fair value was determined
  • Any modifications to arrangements during the period