Services

IFRS 17 – build and deliver a simple and innovative solution

Final standard has been published and will be effective from 1 January 2023

Insurance companies have been waiting over a decade for a single global accounting standard that fits their unique and complex industry. Deloitte understands the insurance industry and its need to gain improved economies of scale and minimise duplication through mandated regulatory change.

What does it mean for insurers

On Thursday 18 May, the IASB published its new Standard on Insurance Contracts with the ambition of introducing a consistent and transparent financial reporting language across the global insurance sector. The path to implementing IFRS 17 will not be easy but it is fair to say that it carries varying layers of complexity for different insurers depending on the type of business they underwrite.

Some of the key impacts that will be felt across the sector, albeit more profoundly by insurers that write long term contracts are:

  • Current profit profiles will be impacted as the timing of profit recognition driven by the new model will change for most products
  • The ‘look and feel’ of Profit or Loss Statements will change to reflect the new metrics and presentation requirements
  • New KPIs will emerge and interactions with current KPIs will need to be assessed
  • Insurers will need to engage with their investors and key stakeholders in a timely fashion to take them along the journey
  • A properly designed implementation plan is key in getting the most value out of your IFRS 17 spend

We encourage you to visit our Global IFRS 17 website for more detailed information on IFRS 17 technical requirements, summaries of the standard and technical papers.

How IFRS 17 will be introduced

The standard is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023 with early application permitted. Entities must apply the standard retrospectively unless impracticable in which case the modified retrospective approach or the fair value approach is applied.

The implementation of the standard is likely to bring significant changes to an entity’s processes and systems, and will require much greater co-ordination between many functions of the business, including Finance, Actuarial and IT.

Deloitte’s response to IFRS 17

Webcasts and publications

Key contacts

Stephen Keane

Stephen Keane

Partner, IFRS Insurance EMEA Leader

Stephen is the partner who leads IFRS 17 across Deloitte’s UK firm. He co-leads the proposition across all of Deloitte’s EMEA practices and accordingly is a member of the global leadership team. Steph... More

Roger Simler

Roger Simler

Partner

Roger is a Partner in Deloitte’s Insurance Practice and the EMEA Lead Partner for the Actuarial, Reward & Analytics practice. He has been with Deloitte since 2001 during which time he has worked on a ... More

Tamsin Abbey

Tamsin Abbey

Partner

Tamsin is a Partner in Deloitte’s Insurance Actuarial Practice with over 30 years of experience. She leads core actuarial support, including external and internal audit, Solvency II assurance and audi... More

Richard Marshall

Richard Marshall

Partner

Richard is a Consulting Partner in Deloitte UK with over 20 years’ experience delivering complex change for insurance clients. For the past 10 years Richard has focused exclusively on Finance challeng... More

Helen Evans

Helen Evans

Partner and Financial Services Leader

Helen is a partner in the Human Capital Consulting practice in the UK. She leads our Human Capital Financial Services team. Focused on Insurance, Helen shapes, leads and delivers Insurance regulatory ... More

Andrew Holland

Andrew Holland

Partner

Andrew is an insurance audit partner with experience leading audits both in the UK and internationally. He is the Lead Growth partner for our Financial Services audit practice. During his time with th... More