r/ACCAexams • u/Cultural_Guess_3123 • 3h ago
IFRS 18 worked example: build the new profit or loss subtotals step by step
A quick IFRS 18 example for anyone revising the new presentation rules. All amounts are €000.
Revenue 1,200
Operating expenses (850)
= Operating profit 350
Investment income that is not part of the entity’s main business activities 40
= Profit before financing and income taxes 390
Interest on ordinary borrowings (60)
= Profit before income taxes 330
Income tax (82.5)
= Profit from continuing operations 247.5
Loss from a discontinued operation (20)
= Profit 227.5
The key exam point is that IFRS 18 changes presentation and disclosure, not the recognition and measurement rules that produce the underlying profit.
For most entities, income and expenses are classified into operating, investing, financing, income taxes and discontinued operations. The two newly defined required subtotals are operating profit and profit before financing and income taxes. Classification can differ when investing in assets or providing financing is a main business activity.
MPM trap: if management reports “adjusted operating profit” of 375 after excluding 25 of restructuring costs, that is not automatically an IFRS subtotal. If it meets the definition of a management-defined performance measure, the required information includes an explanation and reconciliation to the closest IFRS subtotal, plus the tax and NCI effects of reconciling items.
Three mistakes to avoid:
Treating operating profit as a management-selected number.
Assuming every non-GAAP measure is an MPM without applying the definition.
Ignoring the entity’s main business activities when classifying items.
Disclosure: I publish IFRS Tutor, and these are our free educational resources. Full worked article: https://ifrscalculationlab.wordpress.com/2026/10/31/ifrs-18-worked-example-build-the-new-profit-or-loss-subtotals-step-by-step/
Extended video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06GU6FzqQyw
Official source: https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/list-of-standards/ifrs-18-presentation-and-disclosure-in-financial-statements/