Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

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2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)
12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies Policies  
Basis of Presentation

The Company’s consolidated financial statements present the consolidated results of FFIN Securities, Inc., including the results of its parent, BMB Munai, Inc., starting November 24, 2015. All significant inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated from the consolidated financial statements.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Management believes that the estimates utilized in preparing its financial statements are reasonable and prudent. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Subject to compliance with regulatory requirements and the commencement of securities broker-dealer activities, revenues and expenses from all securities transactions will be recorded on the trade date of the transaction. The Company does not participate in any proprietary securities transactions. For the year ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had not yet established an ongoing source of revenue sufficient to cover its operating costs as it pursues the FINRA application and licensure process to become a registered broker-dealer in the United States.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash equivalents are generally comprised of certain highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less at the date of purchase.

 

Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Maintenance, repairs, and minor renewals are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range between three and seven years.

Advertising Expense

For the year ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no expenses related to advertising. The Company does not anticipate engaging in any advertising activities until it closes the acquisition of Freedom RU or Freedom CY. At that point all costs associated with advertising will be expensed in the period incurred.

Impairment of Long Lived Assets

In accordance with the accounting guidance for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets, the Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of long-lived assets to be held and used when events and circumstances warrant such a review. The carrying value of a long-lived asset is considered impaired when the anticipated undiscounted cash flow from such asset is less than its carrying value. In that event, a loss is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the long-lived asset. Fair value is determined primarily using the anticipated cash flows discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk involved. Losses on long-lived assets to be disposed of are determined in a similar manner, except that fair values are reduced for the cost of disposal. As of March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had not recorded any charges for impairment of long-lived assets.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax liabilities and assets based on the difference between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using the enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The measurement of deferred tax assets is reduced, if necessary, by the amount of any tax benefits that, based on available evidence, are not expected to be realized.

 

Income tax expense differs from amounts that would be calculated by applying the federal statutory rate because of the federal surtax, state income tax rates, certain nondeductible expenses, and net operating loss carrybacks, if any.

 

The Company will include interest and penalties arising from the underpayment of income taxes in the statement of operations in the provision for income taxes. As of March 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions. Tax years that remain subject to examination are years 2013 through 2016.

Financial Instruments

Financial instruments include employee receivables, prepaid expenses, accounts payable, and accrued expenses. Management estimates that the carrying amount of these financial instruments represents their fair values, which were determined by their near term nature or by comparable financial instruments’ market value.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” Revenue is an important number to users of financial statements in assessing an entity’s financial performance and position. Previous revenue recognition guidance in US GAAP comprised broad revenue recognition concepts together with numerous revenue requirements for particular industries or transactions, which sometimes resulted in different accounting for economically similar transactions. Accordingly, the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) initiated a joint project to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for US GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) that would:

 

1. Remove inconsistencies and weaknesses in revenue requirements.

2. Provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues.

3.  Improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions, and capital markets.

4.  Provide more useful information to users of financial statements through improved disclosure requirements. 

5.  Simplify the preparation of financial statements by reducing the number of requirements to which an entity must refer.

 

To meet these objectives, the FASB is amending the FASB Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) and creating a new Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” The Company will be evaluating the impact of ASU 2014-09 as it pertains to the Company’s financial statements and other required disclosures on an ongoing basis until its eventual adoption and incorporation.

 

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, “Presentation of Financial Statements – Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern.” The amendments in this Update define management’s responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an organization’s ability to continue as a going concern and provide related footnote disclosure requirements. Under US GAAP, financial statements are prepared under the presumption that the reporting organization will continue to operate as a going concern, except in limited circumstances. Financial reporting under this presumption is commonly referred to as the going concern basis of accounting. The going concern basis of accounting establishes the fundamental basis for measuring and classifying assets and liabilities. This Update provides guidance on when there is substantial doubt about an organization’s ability to continue as a going concern and how the underlying conditions and events should be disclosed in the footnotes. It is intended to reduce diversity that existed in footnote disclosures because of the lack of guidance about when substantial doubt existed. The adoption of this FASB guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, “Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis.” The amendment eliminates the deferral of certain consolidation standards for entities considered to be investment companies and modifies the consolidation analysis performed on certain types of legal entities. The adoption of this FASB guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes.” This new guidance requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The current requirement that deferred tax liabilities and assets of a tax-paying component of an entity be offset and presented as a single amount is not affected by the new guidance. The new guidance is effective for the Company on April 1, 2017, with early adoption permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. The new guidance may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. The Company is evaluating the impact that the new guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

 

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, “Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.” This ASU requires entities to measure equity investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method at fair value and recognize any changes in fair value in net income unless the investments qualify for the new practicability exception. Entities will also have to record changes in instrument-specific credit risk for financial liabilities measured under the fair value option in other comprehensive income. In addition, entities will be required to present enhanced disclosures of financial assets and financial liabilities. The guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2018, with early adoption of certain provisions of the ASU permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” This ASU requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and lease liability for all leases with terms of more than 12 months. Recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses will depend on classification as a finance or operating lease. The amendments also require certain quantitative and qualitative disclosures. Accounting guidance for lessors is largely unchanged. The guidance is effective beginning January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing. The core principle of the guidance in Topic 606 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps: 1. Identify the contract(s) with a customer. 2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract. 3. Determine the transaction price. 4. Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract. 5. Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The amendments in this Update do not change the core principle of the guidance in Topic 606. Rather, the amendments in this Update clarify the following two aspects of Topic 606: identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance, while retaining the related principles for those areas. The amendments in this Update affect the guidance in the Accounting Standard Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) which is not yet effective. The effective date and transition requirements for the amendments in this Update are the same as the effective date and transition requirements in Topic 606 (and any other Topic amended by Update 2014-09). Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, defers the effective date of Update 2014-09 by one year. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-11, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expenditures. The amendments in this Update affect the guidance in Accounting Standards Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which is not yet effective. The effective date and transition requirements for the amendments in this Update are the same as the effective date and transition requirements for Topic 606 (and any other Topic amended by Update 2014-09). Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, defers the effective date of Update 2014-09 by one year. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expenditures. The core principle of the guidance in Topic 606 is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. To achieve that core principle, an entity should apply the following steps: 1. Identify the contract(s) with a customer. 2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract. 3. Determine the transaction price. 4. Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract. 5. Recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The amendments in this Update affect the guidance in the Accounting Standard Update 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) which is not yet effective. The effective date and transition requirements for the amendments in this Update are the same as the effective date and transition requirements for Topic 606 (and any other Topic amended by Update 2014-09). Accounting Standards Update 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date, defers the effective date of Update 2014-09 by one year. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No.2016-17, “Consolidation (Topic 810): Interests Held through Related Parties That Are under Common Control”. The amendments in this Update do not change the characteristics of a primary beneficiary in current generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Therefore, a primary beneficiary of a VIE has both of the following characteristics: (1) the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (2) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the amendments in this Update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017.

 

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, “Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), Restricted Cash.” This ASU requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this Update do not provide a definition of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. The amendments in this Update are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. For all other entities, the amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. If an entity early adopts the amendments in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The amendments in this Update should be applied using a retrospective transition method to each period presented. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805)” Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The amendments in this Update provide a screen to determine when a set is not a business. The screen requires that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. This screen reduces the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated. If the screen is not met, the amendments in this Update (1) require that to be considered a business, a set must include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create output and (2) remove the evaluation of whether a market participant could replace missing elements. The amendments provide a framework to assist entities in evaluating whether both an input and a substantive process are present. The framework includes two sets of criteria to consider that depend on whether a set has outputs. Although outputs are not required for a set to be a business, outputs generally are a key element of a business; therefore, the Board has developed more stringent criteria for sets without outputs. Public business entities should apply the amendments in this update to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods. All other entities should apply the amendments to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.

 

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, Intangible--Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. Under the amendments in this Update, an entity should perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. The Board also eliminated the requirements for any reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount to perform a qualitative assessment and, if it fails that qualitative test, to perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Therefore, the same impairment assessment applies to all reporting units. An entity is required to disclose the amount of goodwill allocated to each reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying amount of net assets. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. This Update also includes amendments to the Overview and Background Sections of the Codification (as discussed in Part II of the amendments) as part of the Board’s initiative to unify and improve the Overview and Background Sections across Topics and Subtopics. These changes should not affect the related guidance in these Subtopics. A public business entity that is an SEC filer should adopt the amendments in this Update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016. A public business entity that is not an SEC filer should adopt the amendments in this Update for its annual or any interim goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020. All other entities, including not-for-profit entities that are adopting the amendments in this Update should do so for their annual or any interim good will impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.