annual report - FIAT SpA

income on a percentage completion basis, with the incremental portion of the work performed to date being recognized
in the period. The cost-to-cost method is used to determine the percentage of completion of a contract (by dividing the
costs incurred by the total costs forecast for the whole construction).
Any losses expected to be incurred on contracts are fully recognized in the income statement and as a reduction in
contract work in progress when they become known.
Any advances received from customers for services performed are presented as a reduction in inventory. If the value of
advances received exceeds inventory, any excess is recognized as advances under other payables.
Sales of receivables
Receivables sold in factoring transactions are derecognized if and only if the risks and rewards relating to ownership
have been substantially transferred to the buyer. Receivables sold with recourse and without recourse that do not
satisfy this condition remain in the statement of financial position, even if they have been legally sold; in such cases, a
liability for the same amount is recognized for advances received.
Assets held for sale
This item includes non-current assets (or assets included in disposal groups) whose carrying amount will be recovered
principally through a sale transaction rather than through continuing use. Assets held for sale (or disposal groups) are
measured at the lower of their carrying amount and fair value less disposal costs.
Employee benefits
Post-employment plans
The company provides pension plans and other post-employment plans to its employees. The pension plans for which
the company has an obligation under Italian law are defined contribution plans, while the other post-employment plans,
for which the company generally has an obligation under national collective bargaining agreements, are defined benefit
plans. Payments made by the Company for defined contribution plans are recognized as a cost in the income
statement when incurred. Defined benefit plans are based on the employee’s working life and on the salary or wage
received by the employee over a pre-determined period of service.
The scheme underlying the employee severance indemnity of the Italian Group companies (Trattamento di Fine
Rapporto or “TFR”) was classified as a defined benefit plan until 31 December 2006. Legislation relating to this scheme
and leading to this classification was amended by Law 296 of 27 December 2006 (the “2007 Finance Law”) and
subsequent decrees and regulations issued in the first part of 2007. In view of these changes, and with specific
reference to those regarding companies with at least 50 employees, this scheme only continues to be classified as a
defined benefit plan in the consolidated financial statements for those benefits accruing up to 31 December 2006 (and
not yet settled by the balance sheet date), while after that date the scheme is classified as a defined contribution plan.
The company’s obligation to fund defined benefit plans and the annual cost recognized in the income statement is
determined on an actuarial basis using the projected unit credit method. The portion of net cumulative actuarial gains
and losses which exceeds the greater of 10% of the present value of the defined benefit obligation and 10% of the fair
value of the plan assets at the end of the previous year is amortized over the average remaining service lives of
employees (the “corridor approach”); the portion of actuarial gains and losses that does not exceed this threshold is
deferred.
Upon first-time adoption of IFRS, the Company elected to recognize all cumulative actuarial gains and losses existing at 1
January 2004 (date of first-time adoption of IFRS by the Fiat Group), despite having elected the corridor approach for
recognition of subsequent actuarial gains and losses.
The expense related to the reversal of discounting pension obligations for defined benefit plans are recognized under
financial expense.
The post-employment benefit obligation recognized in the statement of financial position represents the present value
of the defined benefit obligation as adjusted for unrecognized actuarial gains and losses, arising from the application of
the corridor method and unrecognized past service cost.
Other long-term employee benefits
The accounting treatment for other long-term benefits is the same as that for post-employment benefit plans except for
the fact that actuarial gains and losses and past service costs are fully recognized in the income statement in the year
in which they arise and the corridor method is not applied.
Equity-based compensation
The Company provides additional benefits to certain senior managers and employees in the form of equity participation
schemes (stock options and stock grants). In accordance with IFRS 2 – Share-based Payment, such plans constitute a
Fiat S.p.A. – Statutory Financial Statements at 31 December 2010 267