Accounting policies
In accordance with § 115 et seq. of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz – WpHG), Deutsche Telekom AG’s half-year financial report comprises interim consolidated financial statements and an interim Group management report as well as a responsibility statement pursuant to § 297 (2) sentence 4 and § 315 (1) sentence 5 of the German Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch – HGB). The interim consolidated financial statements were prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) applicable to interim financial reporting as adopted by the EU as of the reporting date. The interim management report for the Group was prepared in accordance with the German Securities Trading Act.
Statement of compliance
The interim consolidated financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2023 are in compliance with International Accounting Standard (IAS) 34. As permitted by IAS 34, it has been decided to publish a condensed version compared to the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022. All IFRSs applied by Deutsche Telekom AG have been adopted by the European Commission for use within the EU.
In the opinion of the Board of Management, the reviewed half-year financial report includes all standard adjustments to be applied on an ongoing basis that are required to give a true and fair view of the results of operations and financial position of the Group. Please refer to the notes to the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 for the accounting policies applied for the Group’s financial reporting.
Initial application of standards, interpretations, and amendments in the reporting period
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Pronouncement |
Title |
To be applied by Deutsche Telekom from |
Changes |
Impact on the presentation of Deutsche Telekom’s results of operations and financial position |
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IFRSs endorsed by the EU |
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IFRS 17 |
Insurance Contracts |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
IFRS 17 governs the accounting for insurance contracts and replaces IFRS 4. |
No material impact. |
Amendments to IFRS 17 |
Insurance Contracts |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
The initial application of IFRS 17 is postponed until January 1, 2023. The fundamental principles under IFRS 17 remain unaffected. The amendments to IFRS 17 are aimed at helping entities implement the standard and, at the same time, avoiding a significant loss of useful information. The option for companies to delay application of IFRS 9 until the initial application of IFRS 17 has also been extended until January 1, 2023. |
No material impact. |
Amendments to IFRS 17 |
Initial Application of IFRS 17 and IFRS 9 – Comparative information |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
Supplementary transition option relating to comparatives in the first reporting year, which allows for the option of a different classification pursuant to IFRS 9 (classification overlay) for the comparative periods in the year of first-time application of both standards. In addition, for financial assets that relate to insurance contracts, existing classification options under IFRS 9 can be exercised again if IFRS 9 was applied prior to the first-time application of IFRS 17. |
No material impact. |
Amendments to IAS 1 and IFRS Practice Statement 2 |
Presentation of Financial Statements |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
The amendments to IAS 1 will require entities to disclose their material accounting policies in the future rather than their significant accounting policies. The amendments to IFRS Practice Statement 2 “Making Materiality Judgements” contain guidance on applying materiality judgments to accounting policy disclosures. |
No material impact. |
Amendments to IAS 8 |
Definition of Accounting Estimates |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
The amendments relate to the definition of accounting estimates. It is clarified how entities can distinguish between changes to accounting policies and to accounting estimates. |
No material impact. |
Amendments to IAS 12 |
Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction |
Jan. 1, 2023 |
IAS 12 provides for exemptions to the recognition of deferred taxes in specific cases. It was previously unclear as to whether the initial recognition exemptions also apply for transactions in which the initial recognition of an asset and a liability gives rise to equal taxable and deductible temporary differences. The exemptions apply specifically to leases and restoration obligations. The IASB now clarifies that the exemption relating to the recognition of deferred taxes is not applicable in the aforementioned cases. |
No material impact. |
For further information on standards, interpretations, and amendments that have been issued but not yet applied, as well as disclosures on the recognition and measurement of items in the statement of financial position and discretionary decisions and estimation uncertainties, please refer to the section “Summary of accounting policies” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements in the 2022 Annual Report.
Changes in accounting policies and changes in the reporting structure
Deutsche Telekom did not make any major changes to its accounting policies in the reporting period. The following change was made to the reporting structure:
Change in reporting of revenue by revenue categories. Effective January 1, 2023, the previously reported breakdown of revenues by revenue category (from the rendering of services, from the sale of goods and merchandise, and from the use of entity assets by others) was replaced by a breakdown into service revenues and non-service revenues in line with the Group’s management model. In addition, effective January 1, 2023, the definition of service revenues was extended as follows: Certain software revenues generated with ICT business in the Systems Solutions and Europe operating segments, as well as in the Group Headquarters & Group Services segment, have been included since this date. Comparative figures have been adjusted retrospectively.
For further information on revenues, please refer to the section “Selected notes to the consolidated income statement.”