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Public Sector Accounting Standards

Narrow-scope Amendment: SORP-1 Consistency Updates

Summary

The Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) is proposing to update the Statement of Recommended Practice 1 (SORP-1), Financial Statement Discussion & Analysis, for consistency with The Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting in the Public Sector and Section PS 1202, Financial Statement Presentation. These proposed updates will be issued in alignment with the April 1, 2026, effective dates of these key documents.

SORPs do not form part of the CPA Canada Public Sector Accounting (PSA) Handbook, and they are intended to provide non-prescriptive guidance for public sector entities choosing to provide supplementary information beyond its financial statements.

The proposed updates to SORP-1 are intended to:

  • remediate any inconsistencies between existing SORP-1 and the new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model;
  • develop guidance for new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model concepts and principles that are absent from existing SORP-1; and
  • update SORP-1 terminology to promote consistency and inclusivity throughout the PSA Handbook.

Staff Contact(s)

Riley Turnbull, CPA, CA Principal, Public Sector Accounting Board

Amanda Senkowski, CPA, CA Principal, Public Sector Accounting Board

Antonella Risi, CPA, CA Associate Director, Public Sector Accounting Board

Project Status

  • Information gathering

    Completed through responses to the Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model Exposure Drafts

  • Approving project

    Project approved in December 2024

  • Engaging communities

    PSAB approved the Exposure Draft, “Narrow-scope Amendment: SORP-1 Consistency Updates,” at its March 2025 meeting. The Exposure Draft was issued in May 2025, with a comment deadline of July 24, 2025.

  • Deliberating feedback

    PSAB has reviewed the feedback received in response to the Exposure Draft.

  • Final pronouncement

    PSAB approved the final amendments to SORP-1 at its December 2025 meeting.

    The amendments will be issued in the March 2026 PSA Handbook update, and will be effective for fiscal years beginning on or after April 1, 2026.

News


May 22, 2025

Document for Comment

PSAB Exposure Draft – Narrow-scope Amendment: SORP-1 Consistency Updates

PSAB has issued the Exposure Draft, “Narrow-scope Amendment, SORP-1 Consistency Updates.” Our proposed narrow-scope amendments intend to fix any inconsistencies between existing SORP -1 and the new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model; provide guidance for new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model concepts and principles; and update SORP-1 terminology to promote consistency and inclusivity in the CPA Canada Public Sector Accounting Handbook. Submit your feedback by July 24, 2025.

Meeting & event summaries


December 9, 2025

PSAB Decision Summary – December 9-10, 2025

PSAB reviewed and approved the draft final amendments to SORP-1 and accompanying Basis for Conclusions. The narrow scope amendments align the SORP-1 guidance with the new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model (in Section PS 1202).

The guidance will be published in the Public Sector Handbook in March 2026, in alignment with the effective dates of the new Conceptual Framework and Reporting Model.

December 11, 2024

PSAB Decision Summary – December 11-12, 2024

PSAB reviewed and approved the project proposal to update Statement of Recommended Practice 1, Financial Statement Discussion & Analysis. This narrow-scope amendment project aims to ensure consistency with PSAB’s new Conceptual Framework, and Section PS 1202, Financial Statement Presentation. The updates will align with the April 1, 2026, effective date of these documents.

Disclaimer

This project summary has been prepared for information purposes only. Decisions reported are tentative and reflect only the current status of discussions on this project, which may change after further Board deliberations. Decisions to publish Handbook material are final only after a formal voting process.