Deloitte Comment Letter on the IFRS Interpretations Committee's Tentative Decision

Deloitte's IFRS Global Office has submitted a letter of comment to the IFRS Interpretations Committee on its tentative decision not to take onto the Committee's agenda requests for Interpretations of IAS 19, Employee Benefits, with respect to providing guidance on the classification of 'Altersteilzeit' (ATZ) plans under the revised version of IAS 19 issued in June 2011. The following is an excerpt from the letter:

Although we understand that ATZ plans are entered into by employers to facilitate an orderly transition from older to younger workers and as such are intended as a form of termination benefit, we agree with the Committee's conclusion that the bonus payments they offer do not meet the definition of termination benefits under the revised version of IAS 19 because they are conditional upon completion of a period of service.