Companies (1986 Order) (Insurance Companies Accounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994

Section A GENERAL RULES

1.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Part—

(a) every balance sheet of a company shall show the items listed in the balance sheet format set out in section B of this Chapter; and

(b) every profit and loss account of a company shall show the items listed in the profit and loss account format so set out,

in either case in the order and under the headings and sub-headings given in the format.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) is not to be read as requiring the heading or sub-heading for any item to be distinguished by any letter or number assigned to that item in the format.

2.—(1) Any item required in accordance with paragraph 1 to be shown in a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may be shown in greater detail than so required.

(2) A company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account may include an item representing or covering the amount of any asset or liability, income or expenditure not specifically covered by any of the items listed in the balance sheet or profit and loss account format set out in section B, but the following shall not be treated as assets in any company’s balance sheet—

(a) preliminary expenses;

(b) expenses of and commission on any issue of shares or debentures; and

c) costs of research.

(3) Items to which Arabic numbers are assigned in the balance sheet format set out in section B (except for items concerning technical provisions and the reinsurers' share of technical provisions), and items to which lower case letters in parentheses are assigned in the profit and loss account format so set out (except for items within items I.1 and 4 and II.1, 5 and 6) may be combined in a company’s accounts for any financial year if either—

(a) their individual amounts are not material for the purpose of giving a true and fair view; or

(b) the combination facilitates the assessment of the state of affairs or profit or loss of the company for that year;

but in a case within paragraph ((b) the individual amounts of any items so combined shall be disclosed in a note to the accounts and any notes required by this Schedule to the items so combined under that paragraph shall, notwithstanding the combination, be given.

(4) Subject to paragraph 3(3), a heading or sub-heading corresponding to an item listed in the format adopted in preparing a company’s balance sheet or profit and loss account shall not be included if there is no amount to be shown for that item in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates.

3.—(1) In respect of every item shown in the balance sheet or profit and loss account, there shall be shown or stated the corresponding amount for the financial year immediately preceding that to which the accounts relate.

(2) Where the corresponding amount is not comparable with the amount to be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, the former amount shall be adjusted and particulars of the adjustment and the reasons for it shall be given in a note to the accounts.

(3) Paragraph 2(4) does not apply in any case where an amount can be shown for the item in question in respect of the financial year immediately preceding that to which the balance sheet or profit and loss account relates, and that amount shall be shown under the heading or sub-heading required by paragraph 1 for that item.

4.  Subject to the provisions of this Schedule, amounts in respect of items representing assets or income may not be set off against amounts in respect of items representing liabilities or expenditure (as the case may be), or vice versa.

5.  Every profit and loss account of a company shall show separately as additional items

(a) any amount set aside or proposed to be set aside to, or withdrawn or proposed to be withdrawn from, reserves; and

(b) the aggregate amount of any dividends paid and proposed.

6.  The provisions of this Schedule which relate to long term business shall apply, with necessary modifications, to business within Classes 1 and 2 of Schedule 2 to the 1982 Act which—

(a) is transacted exclusively or principally according to the technical principles of long term business, and

(b) is a significant amount of the business of the company.