A new year has begun, which means it's time for cash-basis governments to close out the last year and begin preparing their annual financial reports. It also means it’s time for us to share our updated Checklist for Preparing and Reviewing Cash-Basis Financial Statements.
In the spring of 2020, SAO changed the way that cash-basis local governments were to report their cash and investment balances. Gone away were reserved and unreserved classifications and in their place came unassigned, assigned, committed, restricted, and nonspendable. This meant a new task was at hand—calculating the amount of total ending cash and investments that fits into these new classifications at the end of each fiscal year. This article helps you understand how a local government's accounting policies may dictate how to calculate these amounts.
The GAAP and Cash Basis BARS Manuals have been updated!
Local governments are beginning to implement GASB Statement No. 83 on asset retirement obligations, or ARO's, which is effective for reporting periods beginning after June 15, 2018. For GAAP reporting entities, this new standard requires reporting liabilities for future costs related to retiring assets. For example, costs related to a well or sewer lagoon closure or reclamation of gravel or sand stock areas. Cash basis governments should report these obligations on Schedule 9 (Schedule of Liabilities) and disclose them.
The 2019 Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting System (BARS) update for entities that report using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) has a new section on accounting for “contingencies and litigations,” and we encourage you to check it out. It includes a comprehensive chart that will help financial statement preparers more quickly assess potential accounting and disclosure requirements. It also includes guidance on how to handle expected insurance recoveries related to a contingent liability.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement 75, Accounting and Reporting for OPEB is effective for the Reporting Year 2018 (this year!). OPEB, or post-employment benefits other than pension, includes benefits such as healthcare provided through a pension plan or separately (medical, dental, vision, hearing, etc.) and other benefits when provided separately from a pension plan, such as: life insurance, long-term care, disability, and more.
Spring will be here before you know it, and so will the annual report deadline for local governments whose fiscal year ends December 31, 2018. For those governments, annual reports are due May 30, 2019.
Plenty of attention surrounds a new 
Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) statement in the year it is implemented. Then we tend to forget about them in subsequent years. Not all GASB statements are relevant or material for all governments in the year they are implemented, but all governments should continue to monitor them.
Last fall, we posted an article strongly encouraging governments to start evaluating activities that might be classified as fiduciary activities under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board's (GASB) recently issued Statement No. 84.