Alert

What Governments Need to Know About New Accounting Standards in 2025

August 13, 2025
abstract view of the inside of a rotunda

Key Takeaways

  • GASB Statements No. 102, 103, and 104 focus on improving financial reporting through enhanced disclosures and consistency.
  • Statement No. 103 emphasizes the need for detailed Management’s Discussion and Analysis and changes in the presentation of budgetary comparison information, as well as the proprietary fund statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in net position.
  • GASB’s 2025-1 Implementation Guide Update addresses questions arising from the most recent accounting standards updates.

Many of the new standards that must be adopted in the coming years focus on improvements to financial reporting. Here is what you need to know about updates to government accounting.

Adoption Requirements Based on Year-End Dates:

  • June 30, 2025: GASB 101, GASB 102
  • September 30, 2025: GASB 101, GASB 102
  • December 31, 2025: GASB 102

Also on the horizon is adoption of GASB 103, GASB 104, and GASB Implementation Guidance Update 2025-1. Earlier application is encouraged for Implementation Guidance Update 2025-1 if the pronouncement addressed by the question and answer has already been implemented. In addition, governments with component units with different fiscal year-end dates should consider question 4.16 prior to the implementation date, as it may be effective for December 31, 2025, financial statements for those component units.

Summary of Recently Issued Standards

Statement No. 101 – Compensated Absences
Summary: The provisions of this standard modernize the types of leave that are considered compensated absences and provides guidance for a consistent recognition and measurement of the compensated absence liability. Under the provisions of this standard, a compensated absence is leave for which employees may receive one or more of: 1) cash payments when the leave is used for time off, 2) other cash payments, such as payment for unused leave upon termination of employment, or 3) noncash settlements, such as conversion to defined postemployment benefits.

The guidance provides that a compensated absence liability should be recognized if the leave meets all the following criteria:
  1. The leave is attributable to services already rendered.
  2. The leave accumulates.
  3. The leave is more likely than not to be used for time off or otherwise paid in cash or settled through noncash means.
The update also revises the related disclosure requirements.
Effective date Fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023.
Early adoption Encouraged
Statement No. 102 – Certain Risk Disclosures
Summary: The purpose of this standard is to provide financial statement users with essential information related to concentrations and constraints of the entity that is often not provided currently. Under the standard, note disclosures will be required when all the following criteria are met:
  1. A concentration or constraint is known prior to the issuance of the financial statements.
  2. The concentration or constraint makes the reporting unit vulnerable to the risk of substantial impact.
  3. An event or events associated with the concentration or constraint that could cause a substantial impact to have occurred, have begun to occur, or more likely than not to begin to occur within 12 months of the date the financial statements are issued.
Disclosure requirements related to these will include the nature of the concentration and/or constraints, each event associated with the concentration or constraint that could cause a substantial impact if the event had occurred or had begun to occur prior to the issuance of the financial statements, and actions taken by the government prior to the issuance of the financial statements to mitigate the risk.
Effective date Fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2024.
Early adoption Encouraged
Statement No. 103 – Financial Reporting Model Improvements
Summary: This standard updates requirements related to financial reporting. The requirements related to Management’s Discussion and Analysis are revised and discuss the need for a detailed analysis to explain the underlying reasons why balances change rather than simply presenting the amounts or percentages, as well as emphasizing avoidance of boilerplate language. The update also changes requirements related to budgetary comparison information, which must now be presented as required supplementary information (RSI) rather than as one of the basic financial statements.

There are also changes to the presentation of proprietary fund statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in fund net position. The statement defines non-operating revenues and expenses and specifies that operating revenues and expenses don’t meet the definition of non-operating. The changes also define noncapital subsidies, which is a new category of non-operating revenues and expenses that must be presented with a separate subtotal.

Other changes include updates to clarify presentation requirements related to unusual or infrequent items, major component unit information, and statistical information.
Effective date Fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2025.
Early adoption Encouraged
Statement No. 104 – Disclosure of Certain Capital Assets
Summary: This statement establishes requirements for certain types of capital assets to be disclosed separately in the capital assets note disclosures. It also establishes requirements for capital assets held for sale.

The following capital assets and related amortization should be disclosed separately:
  1. Lease assets reported in accordance with GASB 87 by major class of underlying assets
  2. Intangible right-to-use assets recognized by an operator in accordance with GASB 94, by major class of underlying public-public partnership asset
  3. Subscription assets reported in accordance with GASB 96
  4. Intangible assets other than those noted above, by major class of assets
A capital asset is a capital asset held for sale if 1) the government has decided to pursue the sale of the asset and 2) it is probable that the sale will be finalized within one year of the financial statement date. A capital asset held for sale should continue to be reported within the appropriate major class of capital asset. Additionally, a government should disclose capital assets held for sale in notes to the financial statements, with separate disclosure of historical cost and accumulated depreciation (or amortization), by major class of asset. A government should also disclose the carrying amount of debt for which capital assets held for sale are pledged as collateral, for each major class of asset. Disclosure should be made for both governmental activities and business-type activities.
Effective date Fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2025.
Early adoption Encouraged
Implementation Guide No. 2025-1: Implementation Guidance Update-2025
Summary: The implementation guide tackles various questions related to cash flow reporting, leases, conduit debt obligations, and the recently issued standards. Overall, the guide includes 16 different questions and answers and amends two previously issued implementation guide questions.
Effective date Fiscal years beginning after June 15, 2025, except Question 4.16, which is effective upon issuance of the guide.
Early adoption Encouraged

Implementation Guidance and Examples

Required Supplementary Information (RSI) and Supplementary Information (SI) Related to a Change in Accounting Principle

As required by GASB 100, for reporting periods that are presented in the basic financial statements, information for those periods that is presented in the RSI or SI should be consistent with the way the information for those periods is presented in the basic financial statements (i.e., restated).

For prior reporting periods that are earlier than those presented in the basic financial statements, information should not be restated for a change in accounting principle. However, if prior-period information presented in RSI or SI is not consistent with current-period information because of the change in accounting principle, an explanation of why the information is not consistent should be provided in the RSI or SI. In the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A), that explanation should include a reference to the related note disclosure in the basic financial statements.

Here is an example of this disclosure within the MD&A:

Effective [Month Day, Year], the [Government] adopted provisions of GASB Statement No. 101, Compensated Absences. As a result of this change in accounting principle, it was not appropriate for the [Government] to restate prior-period information for earlier periods than those presented in the basic financial statements. Therefore, information for the year ended [Month Day, Year] was not restated. See [Note X] to the financial statements for further information on the change in accounting principle.

In addition, the following are examples of the adoption note for the upcoming standards:

GASB 101:

As of [Month Day, Year], the [Government] adopted GASB Statement No. 101, Compensated Absences. The provisions of this standard modernize the types of leave that are considered a compensated absence liability. The effect of the implementation of this standard on beginning net position is disclosed in [Note X]. OR: There was not a significant effect on the [Government]’s financial statement as the result of the implementation of this standard.

GASB 102:

As of [Month Day, Year], the [Government] adopted GASB Statement No. 102, Certain Risk Disclosures, which requires management to evaluate whether there are risks related to a government’s vulnerabilities due to certain concentrations or constraints that require disclosure. Required disclosures can be found in [Note X].

GASB 103:

As of [Day Month, Year], the [Government] adopted GASB Statement No. 103, Financial Reporting Model Improvements. This Statement enhances the clarity and consistency of financial reporting requirements related to the following areas: 1) Management’s discussion and analysis 2) Proprietary fund reporting 3) Unusual or infrequent items and 4) Budgetary comparison schedules. Required disclosures can be found in [Note X].

GASB 104:

As of [Day Month, Year], the [Government] adopted GASB Statement No. 104, Disclosure of Certain Capital Assets. The implementation of this standard establishes requirements for certain types of capital assets to be disclosed separately and establishes requirements for capital assets held for sale, including additional disclosures for those capital assets. Required disclosures can be found in [Note X]. OR: There was not a significant effect on the [Government]’s financial statements as a result of the implementation of this standard.

Steps for Governments with GASB Implementation

A trusted advisor can empower you to maximize your resources and remain in compliance. For any questions or assistance regarding new accounting standards, we’re here to help.

Elevate Your Organization to New Heights

Corporate-Governance
Implementing the right financial management policies and adhering to proper standards can enhance government decision-making. 
Talk to our specialists

About the Author(s)

David Peaden

David Peaden, CPA

Partner
David leads teams to assist clients with financial audits, and compliance testing including single audits. He is experienced with government, healthcare, and manufacturing entities.