The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issues an amendment to IAS 19 Employee Benefits. The IASB has decided to allow the option of recognising actuarial gains and losses in full in the period in which they occur, outside profit or loss, in a statement of recognised income and expense. This option is similar to the requirements of the UK standard, FRS 17 Retirement Benefits.

Until now IAS 19 has required actuarial gains and losses (ie unexpected changes in value of the benefit plan) to be recognised in profit or loss, either in the period in which they occur or spread over the service lives of the employees.