Some companies are still struggling with new requirements for pension plan disclosures, prompting PricewaterhouseCoopers to publish some guidance of its own to help clarify things.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board adopted a staff position in late 2008 now found in the Accounting Standards Codification at ASC 715-20-50 describing expanded new disclosure requirements about investments and other assets that are funding pension and other post-employment benefit obligations. The new disclosure requirements took effect Dec. 31 for calendar year-end companies.

PwC says the economic environment has caused a number of employers to take actions such as freezing plans that trigger requirements to remeasure plan obligations and plan assets—and the timing of those requirements can vary depending on the specific circumstances at play. That has led to a lot of questions, says PwC Partner Murray Akresh. “Getting the accounting right for the plan freeze is sometimes complicated,” he said.

Companies also are finding a lot of complexity around how to make proper disclosure for plans that are offered and administered in various different countries. “They have to get this new information not only for their U.S. plans, but also their foreign plans, summarize it, and draft up the new disclosure requirements,” he said. “It’s a pretty quick timetable for companies. There are a lot of things to do in a short period of time. It’s a lot of new information.”

Akresh said companies are encountering problems not only in gathering the data they need to prepare the new disclosures, but also questions about how to present it. Companies have some latitude to use their own judgment, he said, “so it take some thought by companies about how to use that judgment.”

The 15-page PwC guidance covers plan disclosure requirements, interim re-measurements, assumptions, accounting changes, valuation of plan assets, and changes brought about with the Pension Protection Act.