Critical accounting policies
The Bank’s accounting policies are essential to understanding its results of operations and financial condition. A summary of the Bank’s significant accounting policies is presented in Note 1 of the Bank’s consolidated financial statements beginning on page 48 of this annual report. Some of the Bank’s policies require subjective, complex judgements and estimates as they relate to matters that are inherently uncertain. Changes in these judgements or estimates could have a significant impact on the Bank’s financial statements. The Bank has established effective control procedures to ensure that accounting policies are applied consistently and that the processes for changing methodologies are well controlled and occur in an appropriate and systematic manner. In addition, the Bank’s critical accounting policies are reviewed with the Audit and Risk Management Committee (now the Audit Committee) on a periodic basis. Critical accounting policies that require management’s judgements and estimates include accounting for loan losses, accounting for the fair value of financial instruments held in trading portfolios, accounting for income taxes, the valuation of investment securities, accounting for loan securitizations, and the valuation of goodwill and intangible assets.
Accounting for loan losses
Accounting for loan losses is an area of importance given the significant size of the Bank’s loan portfolio. The Bank has three types of allowances against loan losses – specific, sectoral and general. Loan impairment is recognized when the timely collection of all contractually due interest and principal payments is no longer assured. Significant judgement is required as to the timing of designating a loan as impaired and the amount of the required specific allowance. Reviews by regulators in Canada and the U.S. bring a measure of uniformity to specific allowances recorded by banks. Sectoral allowances require ongoing judgement as to drawdowns from sectorals to specific loss and the amount of periodic sectoral allowances required. General allowances also require judgement given that the level of general allowances depends upon an assessment of business and economic conditions, historical and expected loss experience, loan portfolio composition and other relevant indicators. Note 1(h) of the Bank’s consolidated financial statements
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provides more details.
Accounting for the fair value of financial instruments held in trading portfolios
The Bank’s trading securities and trading derivatives are carried at fair value on the consolidated balance sheet with the resulting realized and unrealized gains or losses recognized immediately in other income. The fair value of exchange traded financial instruments is based on quoted market rates plus or minus daily margin settlements. If listed prices or quotes are not available, then the Bank’s management applies judgement in the determination of the fair values by using valuation models that incorporate prevailing market rates and prices on underlying instruments with similar maturities and characteristics, and takes into account factors such as counterparty credit quality, liquidity and concentration concerns. Imprecision in estimating these factors can impact the amount of revenue or loss recorded for a particular position. Notwithstanding the judgement required in fair valuing the Bank’s financial instruments, the Bank believes its estimates of fair value are reasonable given the Bank’s process for obtaining external market prices, internal model review, consistent application of approach from period to period and the validation of estimates through the actual settlement of contracts.
Accounting for income taxes
Accounting for current income taxes requires the Bank to exercise judgement for issues relating to certain complex transactions, known issues under discussion with tax authorities or transactions yet to be settled in court. As a result, the Bank maintains a tax provision for contingencies and regularly assesses the adequacy of this tax provision.
Future income taxes are recorded to account for the effects of future taxes on transactions occurring in the current period. The accounting for future income taxes also requires judgement in the following key situations:
- Future tax assets must be assessed for recoverability. The Bank believes based on all available evidence, that it is more likely than not that all of the future tax assets recognized will be realized prior to their expiration. The amount of the future income tax asset recognized and considered realizable could, however, be reduced in the near term if projected income is not achieved due to various factors such as unfavourable business conditions.
- Future tax assets are calculated based on tax rates to be applied in future periods. Previously recorded tax assets and liabilities need to be adjusted when the expected date of the future event is revised based on current information.
- The Bank has not recognized a future income tax liability for undistributed earnings of certain international operations as it does not plan to repatriate them. Estimated taxes payable on such earnings in the event of repatriation would be $235 million at October 31, 2002.
Valuation of investment securities
Under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), investment securities are carried at cost or amortized cost and are adjusted to net realizable value to recognize other than temporary impairment. The determination of whether or not other than temporary impairment exists is a matter of judgement. The Bank’s management reviews these investment securities regularly for possible other than temporary impairment and this review typically includes an analysis of the facts and circumstances of each investment and the expectations for that investment’s performance. Specifically, impairment of the value of an investment may be indicated by conditions such as a prolonged period during which the quoted market value of the investment is less than its carrying value, severe losses by the investee in the current year or current and prior years, continued losses by the investee for a period of years, suspension of trading in the securities, liquidity or going concern problems of the investee or the current fair value of the investment is less than its carrying value. However, when a condition indicating an impairment in value for an investment has persisted for a period of three to four years, there is a general presumption that there has been a loss that is other than temporary in nature. This presumption can only be rebutted by persuasive evidence to the contrary.
Accounting for loan securitizations
There are two key determinations that must be made relating to the accounting for loan securitizations. For Bank-originated securitized assets, a decision must be made as to whether the loan securitization should be considered a sale under Canadian GAAP. Canadian GAAP requires that specific criteria be met for the Bank to have surrendered control of the assets and thus recognize a gain on sale. For instance, the securitized assets must be isolated from the Bank and put presumptively beyond the reach of the Bank and its creditors, even in bankruptcy or other receivership. The second key determination to be made is whether the SPE should be consolidated into the Bank’s financial statements. Current Canadian GAAP requires consolidation of SPEs only when the Bank retains substantially all the residual risks and rewards of the SPE. In addition, if the SPE’s activities are sufficiently restricted to meet certain accounting requirements, the SPE should not be consolidated by the Bank. Under Canadian GAAP, all of the Bank-originated assets transferred to SPEs meet the criteria for sale treatment and non-consolidation. However, it should be noted that both the Canadian Accounting Standards Board and the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board have issued similar exposure drafts relating to the consolidation of SPEs. See Note 23 to the Bank’s consolidated financial statements for more details.
Valuation of goodwill and intangible assets
Under Canadian GAAP, goodwill is not amortized, but is instead assessed for impairment at the reporting unit level on at least an annual basis. Goodwill is assessed for potential impairment using a two step approach with the first step being to assess whether the fair value of the reporting unit to which the goodwill is associated is less than its carrying value. When the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, a second impairment test is performed. The second test requires a comparison of the fair value of goodwill to its carrying amount. If the fair value of goodwill is less than its carrying value, goodwill is considered impaired and a charge for impairment must be recognized immediately. The fair value of the Bank’s reporting units are determined from internally and externally developed valuation models. These models consider various factors such as normalized and projected earnings, price earnings multiples and discount rates. The Bank’s management uses judgement in estimating the fair value of reporting units and imprecision in estimates can affect the valuation of goodwill.
Intangible assets that derive their value from contractual customer relationships or that can be separated and sold, and have a finite useful life are amortized over their estimated useful life. Determining the estimated useful life of these finite life intangible assets requires an analysis of the circumstances and judgement by the Bank’s management. Finite life intangible assets are tested for impairment whenever circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. See Note 5 to the Bank’s consolidated financial statements
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for more details.
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