De-recognition of a financial asset occurs where:
the contractual rights to the cash flows of the financial asset have expired, or
the financial asset has been transferred (e.g., sold) and the transfer qualifies for de-recognition based on the extent of the transfer of the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset.
The contractual rights to cash flows may expire if a customer has paid off an obligation to the company or an option held by the company has expired. De-recognition occurs because the rights associated with the financial asset do not now exist.
When a company sells or transfers a financial asset to another party, the company must evaluate the extent to which it has transferred the risks and rewards of ownership. The risks and rewards of ownership are transferred where the seller does not retain any rights or obligations associated with the sold asset or where the seller retains a right to repurchase the financial asset in the future at the current fair value of the asset.
For example a company retains substantially all risks and rewards of ownership where the asset will be returned to the company for a fixed price at a future date. Here the sale would not qualify for de-recognition.