The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) that grants a one-year effective date delay for certain companies and organizations applying the revenue recognition and leases guidance. Early application continues to be permitted.

“The FASB issued the ASU to allow certain companies and organizations who have not yet applied the revenue recognition and leases guidance to delay their implementation by one year,” Russell G. Golden, chairman of the FASB. “We believe the deferral will provide these stakeholders a measure of relief during this unprecedented time.”

The ASU permits private companies and not-for-profit organizations that have not yet applied the revenue recognition standard to do so for annual reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2019, and interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after Dec. 15, 2020.

“Based on feedback from our stakeholders, the FASB amended our original proposal that would have limited the revenue recognition delay to private company franchisors,” Golden said. “Consequently, the ASU provides the revenue recognition deferral to certain other private companies and organizations that have not yet issued (or made available) financial statements that reflect adoption of the guidance.”

For leases, the ASU provides an effective date deferral to private companies, private not-for-profit organizations and public not-for-profit organizations that have not yet issued (or made available) their financial statements reflecting the adoption of the guidance. It is intended to provide near-term relief for certain entities for whom the leases adoption is imminent.

Under the ASU, private companies and private not-for-profit organizations may apply the new leases standard for fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2021, and to interim periods within fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2022. Public not-for-profit organizations that have not yet issued (or made available to issue) financial statements reflecting the adoption of the leases guidance may apply the standard for fiscal years beginning after Dec. 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.