Note 2 - Accounting principles

Basis for preparing the annual accounts

The Bank and Group accounts for 2023 for SpareBank 1 SMN have been prepared in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards IFRS®Accounting Standards as approved by the EU (IFRS). These include interpretations from the International Financial Reporting Interpretations. Committee (IFRIC) and its predecessor, the Interpretations Committee. The measurement base for both the parent bank and group accounts is historical cost with the exception of financial assets measured at fair value as described in note 24. The accounts are presented based on IFRS standards and interpretations mandatory for accounts presented as at 31 December 2023.

Principal accounting Policies

SpareBank 1 SMN has described the accounting policies under each note to the annual accounts. The following accounting policies has been assessed by management as principal accounting policies:

• Accounting Policies for Loans to customers (note 8) and Losses on loans (note 10)
• Accounting Policies for Net interest income (note 17) and Net commision income (note 18)
• Accounting Policies for Debt securities (note 36) and Hedge accounting (note 29)

General accounting Policies

Consolidation

The consolidated accounts include the Bank and all subsidiaries which are not due for divestment in the near future and are therefore to be classified as held for sale under IFRS 5. All undertakings controlled by the Bank, i.e. where the Bank has the power to control the undertaking’s financial and operational principles with the intention of achieving benefits from the undertaking’s activities, are regarded as subsidiaries. Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date on which the Bank has taken over control, and are deconsolidated as of the date on which the Bank relinquishes control. Mutual balance sheet items and all significant profit elements are eliminated.

Upon takeover of control of an enterprise (business combination), all identifiable assets and liabilities are recognised at fair value in accordance with IFRS 3. A positive difference between the fair value of the consideration and the fair value of identifiable assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill, while any negative difference is taken to income upon purchase. Accounting for goodwill after first-time recognition is described under the section on intangible assets.

All intra-group transactions are eliminated in the preparation of the consolidated accounts. The non-controlling interests’ share of the group result is to be presented on a separate line under profit after tax in the income statement. In the statement of changes in equity, the non-controlling interests’ share is shown as a separate item.

Presentation currency

The presentation currency is the Norwegian krone (NOK), which is also the bank’s functional currency. All amounts are stated in millions of kroner unless otherwise specified.

Transactions and holdings in foreign currency

Transactions in foreign currency are converted to Norwegian kroner at the transaction exchange rate. Gains and losses on executed transactions or on conversion of holdings of monetary items on the balance sheet date are recognised in profit/loss. Gains and losses on conversion of items other than monetary items are recognised in the same way as the appurtenant balance sheet item. 

Changes in accounting Policies

The group has assessed the impact of amended accounting standards and interpretations (IFRSs) issued by the IASB and IFRSs approved by the EU with effect from 1 January 2023 or later. The group has assessed that the application of these has not had a significant impact on the group accounts for 2023, with the following exceptions:

 

IFRS 17 Insurance contracts
IFRS 17 Insurance contracts replace IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts and specify principles for recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of insurance contracts. The purpose of the new standard is to eliminate inconsistent practices in accounting for insurance contracts and the core of the new model are as follows:

• An estimate of the present value of future cash flows for a group of insurance contracts. Future cash flows include future premium payments and payments of insurance settlements, claims and other payments to policyholders. The estimate shall take an explicit adjustment for risk into account and the estimates shall be based on the balance sheet date.
• A contractual service margin, which is equal to the one-day gain in the estimate of the present value of future cash flows from a group of insurance contracts. This corresponds to the profit element of the insurance contracts that will be recognised over the period of service, ie over the cover period of the insurance.
• Certain changes in the estimate of the present value of future cash flows are adjusted against the contract margin, and thereby recognised in the result over the remaining period covered by the relevant contracts.
• The effect of change in discount rate shall, as a choice of accounting principle, be presented either in in profit or loss or in other comprehensive income.

IFRS 17 shall, as a starting point, be used retrospectively, but it has been opened for a modified retrospective application or use based on fair value at the time of transition if retrospective use is impracticable.

IFRS 17 is effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023, with comparative figures required. Early application is permitted.

The effect on equity as a result of the associated company SpareBank 1 Gruppen implementing this standard as of 1 January 2022 is NOK 234 million in reduced equity. The result for 2022 from SpareBank 1 Gruppen, after adapting IFRS 17/IFRS 9, has been adjusted by NOK 32 million. As such the effect on equity as of 1 January 2023 is NOK 202 million. The group's result for 2022 and other key figures have not been restated. 

IFRS 17 effects for the Group	NOK million
Implementation of IFRS 17/IFRS 9 as of 1 January 2022	-234
Restated results from SpareBank 1 Gruppen for 2022 as a result of implementing IFRS 17/IFRS 9	32
Implementation effect on equity as of 1 January 2023	-202
Restatement of comparable figures	As at 31.12.2022
Group's share of recognised profit from SpareBank 1 Gruppen	175
Effects of implementing IFRS 17/IFRS 9	24
Group's restated results from SpareBank 1 Gruppen	199

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Furthermore, the group has assessed the impact of new or changed accounting standards and interpretations (IFRS) issued by the IASB which have not yet been effective. The group does not expect any significant impact on future periods from the adoption of these changes.