BANCO SANTANDER CHILE | CIK:0001027552 |

ifrs-full:DisclosureOfSummaryOfSignificantAccountingPoliciesExplanatory

NOTE 01

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

CORPORATE INFORMATION

Banco Santander Chile is a banking corporation (limited company) operating under the laws of the Republic of Chile, headquartered at Bandera N°140, Santiago. The corporation provides a broad range of general banking services to its customers, ranging from individuals to major corporations. Banco Santander Chile and its subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as the “Bank” or “Banco Santander Chile”) offers commercial and consumer banking services, including (but not limited to) factoring, collection, leasing, securities and insurance brokering, mutual and investment fund management brokering, and investment banking.

Banco Santander Spain controls Banco Santander-Chile through its holdings in Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones Ltda. and Santander-Chile Holding S.A., which are controlled subsidiaries of Banco Santander Spain. As of December 31, 2017 Banco Santander Spain owns or controls directly and indirectly 99.5% of Santander-Chile Holding S.A. and 100% of Teatinos Siglo XXI Inversiones Ltda. This gives Banco Santander Spain control over 67.18% of the Bank’s shares.

a)      Basis of preparation

These Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) (hereinafter referred to as IFRS).

For purposes of these financial statements we use certain terms and conventions. References to “US$”, “U.S. dollars” and “dollars” are to United States dollars, references to “EUR” are to European Economic Community Euro, references to “CNY” are to Chinese Yuan, references to “CHF” are to Swiss franc, references to “Chilean pesos”, “pesos” or “Ch$” are to Chilean pesos, and references to “UF” are to Unidades de Fomento. The UF is an inflation-indexed Chilean monetary unit with a value in Chilean pesos that changes daily to reflect changes in the official Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) of the Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas (the Chilean National Institute of Statistics) for the previous month.

The UF is revalued in monthly cycles. Each day in the period beginning on the tenth day of the current month through the ninth day of the succeeding month, the nominal peso value of the UF is indexed up (or down in the event of deflation) in order to reflect a proportionate amount of the change in the Chilean Consumer Price Index during the prior calendar month. One UF is equaled to Ch$26,798.14 as of December 31, 2017 and Ch$26,347.98 as of December 31, 2016. In 2017, UF inflation was 2.3% compared to 2.7% in 2016. The effect of any changes in the nominal peso value of our UF-denominated interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities is reflected in our results of operations as an increase (or decrease, in the event of deflation) in interest income and expense, respectively.

The Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements contain additional information to support the figures submitted in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, Consolidated Statement of Income, Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income, Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity and Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the period.

b)      Basis of preparation for the Consolidated Financial Statements

The Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, incorporate the financial statements of the entities over which the Bank has control (including structured entities); and includes the adjustments, reclassifications and eliminations needed to comply with the accounting and valuation criteria established by IFRS. Control is achieved when the Bank:

The Bank reassesses whether or not it controls an investee if facts and circumstances indicate that there are changes to one or more of the three elements of control listed above.

When the Bank has less than a majority of the voting rights of an investee, it has power over the investee when the voting rights are sufficient to give it the practical ability to direct the relevant activities over the investee unilaterally. The Bank considers all relevant facts and circumstances in assessing whether or not the Bank’s voting rights in an investee are sufficient to give it power, including:

·       the size of the Bank’s holding of voting rights relative to the size and dispersion of holdings of the other vote holders;

·       potential voting rights held by the Bank, other vote holders or other parties;

·       rights arising from other agreements; and

·       any additional facts and circumstances that indicate that the Bank has, or does not have, the current ability to direct the relevant activities at the time that decisions need to be made, including voting patterns at previous shareholders’ meetings.

Consolidation of a subsidiary begins when the Bank obtains control over the subsidiary and ceases when the Bank loses control over the subsidiary. Specifically, income and expenses of a subsidiary acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the Consolidated Statement of Income and in the Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income from the date the Bank gains control until the date when the Bank ceases to control the subsidiary.

Profit or loss and each component of other comprehensive income are attributed to the owners of the Bank and to the non-controlling interests. Total comprehensive income of subsidiaries is attributed to the owners of the Bank and to the non-controlling interests even if this results in the non-controlling interests having a deficit in certain circumstances.

When necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of the subsidiaries to ensure their accounting policies are consistent with the Bank’s accounting policies.

All intragroup assets, liabilities, equity, income, expenses and cash flows relating to transactions between consolidated entities are eliminated in full on consolidation.

Changes in the consolidated entities ownership interests in subsidiaries that do not result in a loss of control over the subsidiaries are accounted for as equity transactions. The carrying values of the Bank’s equity and the non-controlling interests’ equity are adjusted to reflect the changes to their relative interests in the subsidiaries. Any difference between the amount by which the non-controlling interests are adjusted and the fair value of the consideration paid or received is recognized directly in equity and attributed to owners of the Bank.

In addition, third parties’ shares in the Bank’s consolidated equity are presented as “Non-controlling interests” in the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity. Their share in the income for the year is presented as “Attributable to non-controlling interest” in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

The following companies are considered entities controlled by the Bank and are therefore within the scope of consolidation:

The detail of non-controlling participation on all the remaining subsidiaries can be seen in Note 24– Non-controlling interest.

The following companies have been consolidated based on the determination that the Bank has control as previously defined above and in accordance with IFRS 10, Consolidated Financial Statements:

- Bansa Santander S.A. (management of repossessed assets and leasing of properties)

iii.       Associates

An associate is an entity over which the Bank has significant influence. Significant influence, in this case, is defined as the power to participate in the financial and operating policy decisions of the investee but is not control or joint control over those policies. An investment in an associate is accounted for using the equity method from the date on which the investee becomes an associate.

The following companies are considered “Associates” in which the Bank accounts for its participation using the equity method:

In the case of Sociedad Nexus S.A. and Cámara Compensación de Pagos Alto Valor S.A., Banco Santander Chile has a representative on the Board of Directors. As per the definition of associates, the Bank has concluded that it exerts significant influence over those entities.

During 2017, Rabobank Chile in liquidation process and Banco París, ceded to Banco Santander Chile a portion of its share in the company "Sociedad Operadora de la Cámara de Compensación de pagos de Alto Valor S.A.", thereby increasing the Bank's share.

During the last quarter of 2016, Banco Penta ceded to Banco Santander Chile a portion of its share in the companies "Sociedad Operadora de la Cámara de Compensación de pagos de Alto Valor S.A." and "Servicios de Infraestructura de Mercado OTC S.A.", thereby increasing the Bank's share to 14.93% and 12.07% respectively.

As of the ended (2016), Deutsche Bank ceded to Banco Santander Chile a portion of its share in the companies "Sociedad Operadora de la Cámara de Compensación de pagos de Alto Valor S.A." and "Servicios de Infraestructura de Mercado OTC S.A.", thereby increasing the Bank's share to 14.84% and 11.93% respectively.

At the Extraordinary Shareholders meeting held in April 21, 2016, Transbank S.A. agreed to increase its capital by capitalizing the accumulated profits, through the placement of shares for Ch$4,000 million approximately. Banco Santander Chile participated proportionally in its participation (25%), therefore subscribed and paid in for Ch$1,000 million. Previously, Transbank agreed to capital increase at an Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting held in April 2015, Banco Santander subscribed to that agreement, maintaining its ownership.

In October 2015, HSBC Bank Chile sold its ownership share in Camara de Compensación de Pagos de Alto Valor S.A. to Banco Santander Chile, increasing its participation to 14.23%.

c)   Non-controlling interest

Non-controlling interest represents the portion of net income and net assets which the Bank does not own, either directly or indirectly. It is presented as “Attributable to non-controlling interest” separately in the Consolidated Statement of Income, and separately from shareholders’ equity in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position.

In the case of entities controlled by the Bank through other considerations, income and equity are presented in full as non-controlling interest, since the Bank controls them, but does not have any ownership expressed as a percentage.

d)   Reporting segments

Operating segments are components of an entity:

Two or more segments can be combined only if aggregation is consistent with International Financial Reporting Standard 8 “Operating Segments” (IFRS 8) and the segments have similar economic characteristics and are similar in each of the following respects:

The Bank reports separately on each operating segment that exceeds any of the following quantitative thresholds:

Operating segments that do not meet any of the quantitative threshold may be treated as segments to be reported, in which case the information must be disclosed separately if management believes it could be useful for the users of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Information about other business activities of the operating segments not separately reported is combined and disclosed in the “Other segments” category.

e)      Functional and presentation currency

According to International Accounting Standard (IAS) 21 “The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates”, the Chilean peso, which is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the Bank operates and the currency which influences its costs and revenue structure, has been defined as the Bank’s functional and presentation currency.

Accordingly, all balances and transactions denominated in currencies other than the Chilean Peso are treated as “foreign currency”.

The Bank maintains its accounting records and prepares its financial statements in Chilean pesos. The US dollar amounts disclosed in the accompanying financial statements are presented solely for the convenience of the reader as of December 31, 2017 using the observed exchange rate of Ch$616.85 per US$1.00. Such translations should not be construed as representations that the (local currency) amounts represent, or have been or could be converted into, United States dollars at that or any other rate.

f)       Foreign currency transactions

The Bank makes transactions in amounts denominated in foreign currencies, mainly the U.S. dollar. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, held by the Bank are translated to Chilean pesos based on the market rate published by Reuters at 1:30 p.m. representative of the month end reported; the rate used was Ch$616.85 per US$1 as of December 31, 2017 (Ch$666.00 per US$1 as of December, 2016).

The amounts of net foreign exchange gains and losses includes recognition of the effects that exchange rate variations have on assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and the profits and losses on foreign exchange spot and forward transactions undertaken by the Bank.

g)      Definitions and classification of financial instruments

A “financial instrument” is any contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity, and a financial liability or equity instrument of another entity.

An “equity instrument” is a legal transaction that evidences a residual interest in the assets of an entity deducting all of its liabilities.

A “financial derivative” is a financial instrument whose value changes in response to the changes in an underlying observable market variable (such as an interest rate, a foreign exchange rate, a financial instrument’s price, or a market index, including credit ratings), whose initial investment is very small compared with other financial instruments having a similar response to changes in market factors, and which is generally settled at a future date.

“Hybrid financial instruments” are contracts that simultaneously include a non-derivative host contract together with a financial derivative, known as an embedded derivative, which is not separately transferable and has the effect that some of the cash flows of the hybrid contract vary in a way similar to a stand-alone derivative.

Financial assets are classified into the following specified categories: trading investments at fair value through profit or loss (FVTPL), ‘held to maturity investments’, ‘available for sale investments (AFS)’ and ‘loans and accounts receivable from customers'. The classification depends on the nature and purpose of the financial assets and is determined at the time of initial recognition. All regular purchases or sales of financial asset are recognized and derecognized on a trade basis.

Regular way purchases or sales of financial assets require delivery of the asset within the time frame established by regulation or convention in the marketplace.

Financial assets are initially recognized at fair value plus, in the case of a financial assets not at fair value through profit or loss, transaction costs that are directly attributable to the acquisition or issue.

Effective interest method

The effective interest method is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a debt instrument and of allocating interest income over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash receipts (including all fees and points paid or received that form an integral part of the effective interest rate, transaction costs and other premiums or discounts) through the expected life of the debt instrument, or, where appropriate, a shorter period, to the net carrying amount on initial recognition.

Income is recognised on an effective interest basis for loans and accounts receivables other than those financial assets classified as at fair value through profit or loss.

Financial assets FVTPL - Trading investments

Financial assets are classified as FVTPL when the financial asset is either held for trading or it is designated as at fair value through profit or loss.

A financial asset is classified as held for trading if:

A financial asset other than a financial asset held for trading may be designated as FVTPL upon initial recognition if:

Financial assets at FVTPL are stated at fair value, with any gains or losses arising on remeasurement recognised in profit or loss. The net gain or loss recognised in profit or loss incorporates any dividend or interest earned on the financial asset and is included in the ‘net income (expense) from financial operations' line item.

Held to maturity investments

Held-to-maturity investments are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments and fixed maturity dates that the Bank has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity. Subsequent to initial recognition, held-to-maturity investments are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method less any impairment.

Available for sale investments (AFS investments)

AFS investments are non-derivatives that are either designated as AFS or are not classified as (a) loans and accounts receivable from customers, (b) held-to-maturity investments or (c) financial assets at fair value through profit or loss (trading investments).

Financial instruments held by the Bank that are traded in an active market are classified as AFS and are stated at fair value at the end of each reporting period. The Bank also has investments in financial instruments that are not traded in an active market but that are also classified as AFS investments and stated at fair value at the end of each reporting period (because the Bank considers that fair value can be reliably measured). Changes in the carrying amount of AFS monetary financial assets relating to changes in foreign currency rates, interest income calculated using the effective interest method and dividends on AFS equity investments are recognised in profit or loss. Other changes in the carrying amount of available for sale investments are recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated under the heading of “Valuation Adjustment”. When the investment is disposed of or is determined to be impaired, the cumulative gain or loss previously accumulated in the investments revaluation reserve is reclassified to profit or loss.

Dividends on AFS equity instruments are recognised in profit or loss when the Bank's right to receive the dividends is established.

The fair value of AFS monetary financial assets denominated in a foreign currency is determined in that foreign currency and translated as the described in f) above. The foreign exchange gains and losses that are recognised in profit or loss are determined based on the amortised cost of the monetary asset.

Loans and accounts receivable from customers

Loans and accounts receivable from customers are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments that are not quoted in an active market. Loans and accounts receivables from customers (including loans and accounts receivable from customers and interbank loans) are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method, less any impairment.

Interest income is recognised by applying the effective interest rate, except for short-term receivables when the effect of discounting is immaterial.

For presentation purposes, the financial assets are classified by their nature into the following line items in the Consolidated Financial Statements:

Financial liabilities are classified as either financial liabilities at FVTPL or other financial liabilities.

Financial liabilities at FVTPL

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016 the Bank does not maintain financial liabilities at FVTPL.

Other financial liabilities

Other financial liabilities (including interbank borrowings, issued debt instruments and other payables) are initially recorded at fair value and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

The financial liabilities are classified by their nature into the following line items in the consolidated statements of financial position:

h)      Valuation of financial instruments and recognition of fair value changes

In general, financial assets and liabilities are initially recognized at fair value which, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, is deemed to be the transaction price. Financial instruments, other than those measured at fair value through profit or loss, are initially recognized at fair value plus transaction costs. Subsequently, and at the end of each reporting period, financial instruments are measured pursuant to the following criteria:

Financial assets are measured according to their fair value, gross of any transaction costs that may be incurred in the course of a sale, except for loans and accounts receivable from customers.

“Fair value” is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction in the principal (or most advantageous) market at the measurement date under current market conditions (i.e. an exit price) regardless of whether that price is directly observable or estimated using another valuation technique. When measuring fair value an entity shall take into account the characteristics of the asset or liability if market participants would take those characteristics into account when pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.

The fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability takes place either: (a) in the principal market for the asset or liability, or (b) in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability. Even when there is no observable market to provide pricing information in connection with the sale of an asset or the transfer of a liability at the measurement date, the fair value measurement shall assume that the transaction takes place, considered from the perspective of a potential market participant who intends to maximize value associated with the asset or liability.

When using valuation techniques, the Bank shall maximize the use of relevant observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs as available. If an asset or a liability measured at fair value has a bid price and an ask price, the price within the bid-ask spread that is most representative of fair value in the circumstances shall be used to measure fair value regardless of where the input is categorized within the fair value hierarchy (i.e. Level 1, 2 or 3). IFRS 13 establishes a fair value hierarchy that categorizes into three levels the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 inputs) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs).

All derivatives are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at the fair value previously described. This value is compared to the valuation as at the trade date. If the fair value is subsequently measured positive, this is recorded as an asset. If the fair value is subsequently measured negative, this is recorded as a liability. The fair value on the trade date is deemed, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, to be the transaction price. The changes in the fair value of derivatives from the trade date are recorded in “Net income (expense) from financial operations” in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Specifically, the fair value of financial derivatives included in the portfolios of financial assets or liabilities held for trading is deemed to be their daily quoted price. If, for exceptional reasons, the quoted price cannot be determined on a given date, the fair value is determined using similar methods to those used to measure over the counter (OTC) derivatives. The fair value of OTC derivatives is the sum of the future cash flows resulting from the instrument, discounted to present value at the date of valuation (“present value” or “theoretical close”) using valuation techniques commonly used by the financial markets: “net present value” (NPV) and option pricing models, among other methods. Also, within the fair value of derivatives are included Credit Valuation Adjustment (CVA) and Debit Valuation Adjustment (DVA), all with the objective that the fair value of each instrument includes the credit risk of its counterparty and Bank´s own risk. The Credit valuation adjustment (CVA) is a valuation adjustment to OTC derivatives as a result of the risk associated with the credit exposure assumed by each counterparty. The CVA is calculated taking into account potential exposure to each counterparty in each future period. The debit valuation adjustment (DVA) is a valuation adjustment similar to the CVA but, in this case, it arises as a result of the Bank’s own risk assumed by its counterparties in OTC derivatives. As of December 31, 2017, CVA and DVA amounts to MCh$8,142 and MCh$15,406, respectively.

“Loans and accounts receivable from customers” and Held-to-maturity instrument portfolio are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method. Amortized cost is the acquisition cost of a financial asset or liability, plus or minus, as appropriate, prepayments of principal and the cumulative amortization (recorded in the consolidated income statement) of the difference between the initial cost and the maturity amount as calculated under the effective interest method. For financial assets, amortized cost also includes any reductions for impairment or uncollectibility. For loans and accounts receivable designated as hedged items in fair value hedges, the changes in their fair value related to the risk or risks being hedged are recorded in “Net income (expense) from financial operations”.

The “effective interest rate” is the discount rate that exactly matches the initial amount of a financial instrument to all its estimated cash flows over its remaining life. For fixed-rate financial instruments, the effective interest rate incorporates the contractual interest rate established on the acquisition date plus, where applicable, the fees and transaction costs that are a part of the financial return are included. For floating-rate financial instruments, the effective interest rate matches the current rate of return until the date of the next review of interest rates.

Financial instruments at fair value, determined on the basis of price quotations in active markets, include government debt securities, private sector debt securities, equity shares, short positions, and fixed-income securities issued.

In cases where price quotations cannot be observed in available markets, the Bank’s management determines a best estimate of the price that the market would set using its own internal models. In most cases, these models use data based on observable market parameters as significant inputs however for some valuations of financial instruments, significant inputs are unobservable in the market. To determine a value for those instruments, various techniques are employed to make these estimates, including the extrapolation of observable market data.

The most reliable evidence of the fair value of a financial instrument on initial recognition usually is the transaction price, however due to lack of availability of market information, the value of the instrument may be derived from other market transactions performed with the same or similar instruments or may be measured by using a valuation technique in which the variables used include only observable market data, mainly interest rates.

The main techniques used as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 by the Bank’s internal models to determine the fair value of the financial instruments are as follows:

ii.    In the valuation of financial instruments requiring dynamic hedging (mainly structured options and other structured instruments), the Black-Scholes model is normally used. Where appropriate, observable market inputs are used to obtain factors such as the bid-offer spread, exchange rates, volatility, correlation indexes and market liquidity.

The fair value of the financial instruments calculated by the aforementioned internal models considers contractual terms and observable market data, which include interest rates, credit risk, exchange rates, quoted market price of shares, volatility and prepayments, among others. The Bank’s management considers that its valuation models are not significantly subjective, since these methodologies can be adjusted and evaluated, as appropriate, through the internal calculation of fair value and the subsequent comparison with the related actively traded price.

The Bank uses financial derivatives for the following purposes:

All financial derivatives that are not held for hedging purposes are accounted for as trading derivatives.

A derivative qualifies for hedge accounting if all the following conditions are met:

a. Changes in the value of assets and liabilities due to fluctuations, among others, in the interest rate and/or exchange rate to which the position or balance to be hedged is subject (“fair value hedge”);

b. Changes in the estimated cash flows arising from financial assets and liabilities, and highly probable forecasted transactions (“cash flow hedge”);

c. The net investment in a foreign operation (“hedge of a net investment in a foreign operation”).

The changes in the value of financial instruments qualifying for hedge accounting are recorded as follows:

If a derivative designated as a hedging instrument no longer meets the requirements described above due to expiration, ineffectiveness or for any other reason, hedge accounting treatment is discontinued. When “fair value hedging” is discontinued, the fair value adjustments to the carrying amount of the hedged item arising from the hedged risk are amortized to gain or loss from that date, where applicable.

When cash flow hedges are discontinued, any cumulative gain or loss of the hedging instrument recognized under “Other comprehensive income” (from the period when the hedge was effective) remains recorded in equity until the hedged transaction occurs, at which time it is recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Income, unless the transaction is no longer expected to occur, in which case any cumulative gain or loss is recorded immediately in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

Financial asset and liability balances are offset, i.e., reported in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at their net amount, only if there is a legally enforceable right to offset the recorded amounts and the Bank intends either to settle them on a net basis or to realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously. As of December 31, 207 and 2016 the Bank does not have balance offsetting of financial instruments.

The accounting treatment of transfers of financial assets is determined by the extent and the manner in which the risks and rewards associated with the transferred assets are transferred to third parties:

ii.    If the Bank retains substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership associated with the transferred financial asset, as in the case of sales of financial assets under repurchase agreements at a fixed price or at the sale price plus interest, securities lending agreements under which the borrower undertakes to return the same or similar assets, and other similar cases, the transferred financial asset is not derecognized from the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and continues to be measured by the same criteria as those used before the transfer. However, the following items are recorded:

1. If the transferor does not retain control of the transferred financial asset: the asset is derecognized from the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and any rights or obligations retained or created in the transfer are recognized.

Accordingly, financial assets are only derecognized from the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position when the rights over the cash flows they generate have terminated or when all the inherent risks and rewards of ownership have been substantially transferred to third parties. Similarly, financial liabilities are only derecognized from the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position when the obligations specified in the contract are discharged or cancelled or the contract has matured.

The most significant criteria used by the Bank to recognize its revenues and expenses are summarized as follows:

Interest revenue and expense are recorded on an accrual basis using the effective interest method.

ii.       Commissions, fees, and similar items

Fee and commission income and expenses are recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Income using criteria that vary according to their nature. The main criteria are:

iii.       Loan arrangement fees

Fees that arise as a result of the origination of a loan, mainly application and analysis-related fees, are deferred and charged to the Consolidated Statement of Income over the term of the loan.

j)      Impairment

i.      Financial assets:

A financial asset, other than that at fair value through profit and loss, is evaluated on each financial statement filing date to determine whether objective evidence of impairment exists.

A financial asset or group of financial assets will be impaired if, and only if, objective evidence of impairment exists as a result of one or more events that occurred after initial recognition of the asset (“event causing the loss”), and this event or events causing the loss have an impact on the estimated future cash flows of a financial asset or group of financial assets.

An impairment loss relating to financial assets recorded at amortized cost is calculated as the difference between the recorded amount of the asset and the present value of estimated future cash flows, discounted at the financial asset’s original effective interest rate.

Individually significant financial assets are individually tested to determine their impairment. The remaining financial assets are evaluated collectively in groups that share similar credit risk characteristics.

All impairment losses are recorded in income. Any impairment loss relating to a financial asset available for sale previously recorded in equity is transferred to profit or loss.

The reversal of an impairment loss occurs only if it can be objectively related to an event occurring after the initial impairment loss was recorded. The reversal of an impairment loss shall not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined if no impairment loss has been recognized for the asset in prior years. The reversal is recorded in income with the exception of available for sale equity financial assets, in which case it is recorded in other comprehensive income.

ii.      Non-financial assets:

The Bank’s non-financial assets, are reviewed at the reporting date to determine whether they show signs of impairment (i.e. its carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount). If any such evidence exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated, in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognized immediately in profit or loss.

In connection with other assets, impairment losses recorded in prior periods are assessed at each reporting date to determine whether the loss has decreased and should be reversed. The increased carrying amount of an asset other than goodwill attributable to a reversal of an impairment loss shall not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined (net of amortization or depreciation) had no impairment loss been recognized for the asset in prior years. Goodwill impairment is not reversed.

k)     Property, plant, and equipment

This category includes the amount of buildings, land, furniture, vehicles, computer hardware and other fixtures owned by the consolidated entities or acquired under finance leases. Assets are classified according to their use as follows:

i.       Property, plant and equipment for own use

Property, plant and equipment for own use includes but is not limited to tangible assets received by the consolidated entities in full or partial satisfaction of financial assets representing accounts receivable from third parties which are intended to be held for continuing own use and tangible assets acquired under finance leases. These assets are presented at acquisition cost less the related accumulated depreciation and, if applicable, any impairment losses (when net carrying amount was higher than recoverable amount).

Depreciation is calculated using the straight line method over the acquisition cost of assets less their residual value, assuming that the land on which buildings and other structures stand has an indefinite life and, therefore, is not subject to depreciation.

The Bank applies the following useful lives for the tangible assets that comprise its assets:

The consolidated entities assess at each reporting date whether there is any indication that the carrying amount of any tangible asset exceeds its recoverable amount. If this is the case, the carrying amount of the asset is reduced to its recoverable amount and future depreciation charges are adjusted in accordance with the revised carrying amount and to the new remaining useful life.

The estimated useful lives of the items of property, plant and equipment held for own use are reviewed at the end of each reporting period to detect significant changes. If changes are detected, the useful lives of the assets are adjusted by correcting the depreciation charge to be recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Income in future years on the basis of the new useful lives.

Maintenance expenses relating to tangible assets held for own use are recorded as an expense in the period in which they are incurred.

ii.      Assets leased out under operating leases

The criteria used to record the acquisition cost of assets leased out under operating leases, to calculate their depreciation and their respective estimated useful lives, and to record the impairment losses thereof, are consistent with those described in relation to property, plant and equipment held for own use.

l)      Leasing

i.       Finance leases

Finance leases are leases that substantially transfer all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the leased asset to the lessee.

The Bank recognized as lending to third parties under “Loans and accounts receivable from customers” in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, the sum of the present value of the lease payments receivable from the lessee, including the exercise price of the lessee’s purchase option at the end of the lease term, when at the inception of the lease it is reasonably certain that the lessee will exercise the option.

When consolidated entities acts as lessees, the leased assets are classified based on their nature in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position, and recognizing an asset and liability at the same amount (the lower between the fair value of the leased property and the present value of the minimum lease payments, plus purchase option). These assets are depreciated in accordance with property, plant and equipment for own use criterion.

In both cases, the finance income and expenses arising from these contracts are recorded under “Interest income” and “Interest expense” respectively, in Consolidated Statement of Income to achieve constant return rate over the lease term.

ii.      Operating leases

In operating leases, ownership of the leased asset and substantially all the risks and rewards incidental thereto remain with the lessor.

When the consolidated entities act as lessor, the leased assets are classified at their acquisition cost under "Property, plant and equipment”. The depreciation criterion for these assets is consistent with that for similar items of property, plant and equipment held for own use and revenues from operating leases is recorded on a straight line basis under “Other operating income” in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

When the consolidated entities act as the lessees, the lease expenses, including any incentives granted by the lessor, are charged on a straight line basis to “Administrative expenses” in the Consolidated Statement of Income.

iii.     Sale and leaseback transactions

For sale at fair value and operating leasebacks, the profit or loss generated is recorded at the time of sale except in the case of excess of proceeds over fair value, which difference is amortized over the period of use of the asset. In the case of finance leasebacks, the profit or loss generated is amortized over the lease term.

m)   Intangible assets

Intangible assets are identified as non-monetary assets (separately identifiable from other assets) without physical substance which arise as a result of legal or contractual rights or it is separable. The Bank recognizes an intangible asset, whether purchased or self-created (at cost), when the cost of the asset can be measured reliably and it is probable that the future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the Bank.

Intangible assets are recorded initially at acquisition or production cost and are subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated amortization and any accumulated impairment losses.

Internally developed computer software is recorded as an intangible asset if, among other requirements (basically the Bank’s ability to use or sell it), it can be identified and its ability to generate future economic benefits can be demonstrated.

Intangible assets are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life; which has been defined as 36 months.

Expenditure on research activities is recorded as an expense in the year in which it is incurred and cannot be subsequently capitalized.

n)     Cash and cash equivalents

For the preparation of the cash flow statement, the indirect method was used, starting with the Bank’s consolidated pre-tax income and incorporating non-cash transactions, as well as income and expenses associated with cash flows, which are classified as operating, investment or financing activities.

For the preparation of the cash flow statement, the following items are considered:

The Bank's activity of granting loans encompasses not only the activities with its debtors but also the related activities that provide the funding to the loans granted. Since the funding for granting such loans is provided by, among other sources, senior bonds, mortgage bonds and subordinated bonds, the Bank presents the related cash flows as operating activities.

The Bank has established allowances to cover incurred losses on loans and account receivables from customers in accordance with its internal models and risk assessment as approved by the Board of Directors.

The Bank performs an assessment of the risk associated with loans and accounts receivable from customers to determine their allowance for loan losses as described below:

The Bank models determine allowances and provisions for loan losses according to the type of portfolio or operations. Loans and accounts receivables from customers are divided into three categories:

The models used to determine credit risk allowances are described as follows:

An individual assessment of commercial debtors is necessary in the case of companies which, due to their size, complexity or level of exposure regarding the entity, must be known and analyzed in detail.

For the purposes of establishing its provisions, the Bank assigns a risk category to each debtor, their loans and contingent loans. The risk factors considered are: industry or economic sector of the borrower, owners or managers of the borrower, their financial situation and payment capacity, and payment behavior.

The Bank’s risk categories are as follows:

1. Debtors may be classified in risk categories A1, A2, A3 or B (if they are current on their payment obligations and show no sign of deterioration in their credit quality). B is different from the A categories by a certain history of late payments. The A and B categories are distinguished by different PNPs (as defined below).

2. Debtors classified as C1, C2, C3, C4, D1 or D2 include debtors whose loans with us have been charged off or administered by our Recovery Unit, or classified as Precontenciosos (PRECO or deteriorated).

For loans classified as A1, A2, A3 and B, we assign a specific provision level on an individual basis to each borrower and, therefore, the amount of loan loss allowance is determined on a case by case basis.

Estimated Incurred Loan Loss = Loan Loss Allowance.

The estimated incurred loss is obtained by multiplying all risk factors defined in the following equation:

EIL= EXP x PNP x SEV

EIL = Estimated Incurred Loan Loss. The estimated incurred loan loss is how much could be lost in the event a debtor does not perform the obligations under the loan.

EXP = Exposure. This corresponds to the value of commercial loans.

PNP = Probability of Non-Performance. This variable, expressed as a percentage, indicates the probability that a debtor will default. This percentage is associated with the internal rating that we give to each debtor, which is determined by analyzing such parameters as debt servicing capacity (including, usually, projected cash flows), the company’s financial history, the solvency and capacity of shareholders and management, and projections for the economic sector in which it operates.

SEV = Severity. This is the effective loss rate given default for debtors in the same segment, which is determined statistically based on the historical effective losses for each segment.

Every year, models together with PNP and SEV assumptions, are tested by the Bank’s Credit Risk Department, to ensure that they are appropriate at each reporting date so as to make sure any difference between the estimated incurred losses and actual losses is reduced.

These tests focus on the validation of the sufficiency of the Bank’s allowances, and consist of comparisons between actual write-offs to allowances established by the model, and the coverage of the total allowance to actual write-offs in the most current periods. Individual loan classification and improvements to any customer classification are also presented for approval to our Risk Committee.

For loans classified in the C and D categories, loan loss allowances are based mainly on the fair value of the collateral, adjusted for an estimated cost to sell, that each of these loans have. Allowance percentage for each category is then based on the fair value of the collateral, or the expected future cash flow from the loan for each individually evaluated non-performing loans.

II. Allowances for group assessments

The Bank uses the concept of estimation of incurred loss to quantify the allowances levels over the group-evaluated portfolios, considering the risk and the guarantees associated with each transaction.

Following the Bank’s definition, the Bank uses group evaluation to approach transactions that have similar credit risk features, which indicate the debtor’s payment capacity over the entire debt, principal and interests, pursuant to the contract’s terms. In addition, this allows us to assess a high number of transactions with low individual amounts, whether they belong to individuals or

SMEs (small and medium sized companies). Therefore, debtors and loans with similar features are grouped together and each group has a risk level assigned to it.

These models are meant to be used mainly to analyze loans granted to individuals (including consumer loans, credit lines, mortgage loans and commercial loans) and commercial loans to small to middle-sized entities (SMEs).

Allowances are established using these models, taking into account the historical Impairment and other known circumstances at the time of evaluation. After this, a historical loss rate is assigned to each portfolio profile constituting each evaluated group.

Allowances for group-evaluated loans are established based on the credit risk of the profile to which the loan belongs. The method for assigning a profile is established based on statistical building method, establishing a relation through logistic regression of various variables, such as payment behavior in the Bank, payment behavior outside the Bank, various sociodemographic data, among others, and a response variable that determines a client’s risk level, which in this case is 90 days of non-performance (the chosen features are relevant when calculating future cash flows per group of assets). Afterwards, common profiles are established and with differentiated default rates, applying the real historical loss the Bank has had with that portfolio.

The different risk categories are constructed and updated periodically based on the payment behavior of the client’s profile to which they belong, as well as his or her sociodemographic characteristics. Therefore, when a customer has past due balance or has missed some payments, the outcome is that the customer will move to a different segment with a higher loss rate, therefore capturing current trends for each risk profile.

Allowance quantification, once the customers have been classified, is the product of three factors: exposure (EXP), Probability of Non-Performance (PNP) and Severity (SEV), the same equation used for individual assessment mentioned above.

The estimated incurred loss rates for group-evaluated loans correspond to charge-offs net of recoveries. The methodology establishes the period in which the estimated incurred loss for each risk profile emerges. Once the loss has been considered to have been incurred, the estimated incurred loss rates are applied to the corresponding risk profile to obtain the net charge-off level associated with this period. The loss rates applied to each risk profile are based only on the historical net charge-off data for that specific profile within one of the four groups of loans (consumer loans, credit lines, mortgage loans and commercial loans). No other statistical or other information other than net charge-offs is used to determine the loss rates.

To determine the estimated incurred loss for commercial and mortgage loans collectively evaluated for impairment, we mainly analyze the payment behavior of clients, particularly the payment behavior of clients with payments that are more than 90 days overdue, clients with other weaknesses, such as early non performance (i.e., payments that are past-due, though by less than 90 days), clients with modified loans and clients with renegotiated loans, as well as success in recovery against these clients. We also take into account whether the loan is supported by collateral.

In connection with mortgage loans, historical net charge-offs are considered in the model to calculate loss rates for loans collectively evaluated for impairment. The risk categories are such that when a customer has a past-due balance or has missed some payments, the outcome is that the customer will move to a different risk category with a higher loss rate, therefore capturing current trends of the customer and, when aggregate, current trends in the market.

Our models for loans analyzed on a group basis (consumer loans, residential mortgage loans and small-and-mid- sized commercial loans) are monitored on a monthly basis with respect to predictability and stability, using indicators that seek to capture the underlying need to update the models for current loss trends. Therefore, the periods of historical net charge-offs used in the allowance model may be more than a year old as we only update the historical net charge-offs when our assessment of predictability and stability indicators determine it is necessary.

III.   Charge-offs

As a general rule, charge-offs should be done when all collection efforts have been exhausted. These charge-offs consist of derecognition from the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position of the corresponding loans operations in its entirety, and, therefore, include portions not past-due of a loan in the case of installments loans or leasing operations (no partial charge-offs exist).

Subsequent payments obtained from charged-off loans will be recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Income as a recovery of loans previously charged-off.

Loan and accounts receivable charge-offs are recorded for overdue and current installments based on the time periods expired since reaching overdue status, as described below:

IV.    Recovery of loans previously charged off and accounts receivable from customers

Any payment agreement of an already charged-off loan will not give rise to income—as long as the operation is still in an impaired status—and the effective payments received are accounted for as a recovery from loans previously charged-off.

Recovery of previously charged-off loans and accounts receivable from customers, are recorded in the Consolidated Statement of Income as a deduction from provisions for loan losses.

In accordance with our charge-off policy described in iii) above, we may subsequently recover a portion of the amount charged-off (at 100%). The allowance for loan losses on our collectively evaluated loans incorporates an expected recovery rate based on historical information. At the time we charge-off the carrying amount of any loans which have been collectively evaluated for impairment, the allowance for loan losses on collectively evaluated loans is replenished to reflect incurred losses based on statistical models developed in compliance with IAS 39 on the remaining pool of loans. The amounts required for replenishment are recorded in the financial statements as provision established.

p)     Provisions, contingent assets, and contingent liabilities

Provisions are liabilities of uncertain timing or amount. Provisions are recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position when the Bank:

Contingent assets or contingent liabilities are any potential rights or obligations arising from past events whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or non-occurrence if one or more uncertain future events that are not wholly within control of the Bank.

The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position and annual accounts reflect all significant provisions for which it is estimated that it is probable an outflow of resources will be required to meet the obligation where the probability of having to meet the obligation is more likely than not. Provisions are quantified using the best available information on the consequences of the event giving rise to them and are reviewed and adjusted at the end of each year. Provisions must specify the liabilities for which they were originally recognized. Partial or total reversals are recognized when such liabilities cease to exist or are reduced.

Provisions are classified according to the obligation covered as follows:

q)     Deferred income taxes and other deferred taxes

The Bank records, when appropriate, deferred tax assets and liabilities for the estimated future tax effects attributable to differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. The measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities is based on the tax rate, in accordance with the applicable tax laws, using the tax rate that applies to the period when the deferred asset and liability will be settled. The future effects of changes in tax legislation or tax rates are recorded in deferred taxes beginning on the date on which the law is enacted or substantially enacted.

r)     Use of estimates

The preparation of the financial statements requires the Bank’s management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the application of the accounting policies and the reported balances of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

In certain cases, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) require that assets or liabilities be recorded or disclosed at their fair values. The fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When available, quoted market prices in active markets have been used as the basis for measurement. When quoted market prices in active markets are not available, the Bank has estimated such values based on the best information available, including the use of modeling and other valuation techniques.

The Bank has established allowances to cover incurred losses to estimate allowances. These allowances must be regularly reviewed taking into consideration factors such as changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, trends in forecasted portfolio quality, credit quality and economic conditions that may adversely affect the borrowers’ ability to pay. Increases in the allowances for loan losses are reflected as “Provision for loan losses” in the Consolidated Statement of Income. Loans are charged-off when the Bank’s management determines that a loan or a portion thereof is impaired. Charge-offs are recorded as a reduction of the allowance for loan losses.

The relevant estimates and assumptions made to calculate provisions are regularly reviewed by the Bank’s Management to quantify certain assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and commitments.

These estimates, made on the basis of the best available information, mainly refer to:

s)      Non-current assets held for sale (in “Other Assets”)

Non-current assets (or a group holding assets and liabilities for disposal) expected to be recovered mainly through the sale of these items rather than through the continued use, are classified as held for sale. Immediately prior to this classification, assets (or elements of a disposable group) are re-measured in accordance with the Bank’s policies. The assets (or disposal group) are measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less cost to sell.

Assets received or awarded in lieu of payment

Assets received or awarded in lieu of payment of loans and accounts receivable from clients are recognized at their fair value (as determined by an independent appraisal). A price is agreed upon by the parties through negotiation or, when the parties do not reach an agreement, at the amount at which the Bank is awarded those assets at a judicial auction. In the both cases, an independent appraisal is performed. The excess of the outstanding loan balance over the fair value is charged to net income for the period, under “Provision for loan losses”. Any excess of the fair value over the outstanding loan balance, less costs to sell of the collateral, is returned to the client. These assets are subsequently adjusted to their net realizable value less cost to sale (assuming a forced sale). The difference between the carrying value of the asset and the estimated fair value less costs to sell is charged to net income for the period, under “Other operating expenses”. The result obtained in the sale of the asset is subsequently recorded under “Other operating income”.

Independent appraisals are obtained at least every 18 months and fair values are adjusted accordingly. No adjustments have been made between appraisals with respect to the period covered by these financial statements considering the stability of the real estate market in Chile during past years and expected stability of the real estate market in the coming years.

At least once a year, the Bank performs the necessary analysis to update the “cost to sale” of assets received or awarded in lieu of payments. According to the Bank’s survey, as of December 31, 2017 the average cost to sale was estimated at 3.4% of the appraisal value (5.1% as of December 31, 2016).

t)      Earnings per share

Basic earnings per share are determined by dividing the net income attributable to the equity holders of the Bank for the reported period by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the reported period.

Diluted earnings per share are determined in the same way as basic earnings, but the weighted average number of outstanding shares is adjusted to take into consideration the potential diluting effect of stock options, warrants, and convertible debt.

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016 the Bank did not have any instruments that generated dilution.

u)     Temporary acquisition (assignment) of assets and liabilities

Purchases or sales of financial assets under non-optional repurchase agreements at a fixed price are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position based on the nature of the debtor (creditor) under “Deposits in the Central Bank of Chile,” “Deposits in financial institutions” or “Loans and accounts receivable from customers” (“Central Bank of Chile deposits,” “Deposits from financial institutions” or “Customer deposits”), in Note 6.

Differences between the purchase and sale prices are recorded as financial interest over the term of the contract.

v)     Provision for mandatory dividends

As of December 31, 2017 and 2016 the Bank recorded a provision for mandatory dividends. This provision is made pursuant to Article 79 of the Corporations Act, which is in accordance with the Bank’s internal policy, pursuant to which at least 30% of net income for the period is distributed, except in the case of a contrary resolution adopted at the respective shareholders’ meeting by unanimous vote of the outstanding shares. This provision is recorded, as a deducting item, under the “Retained earnings – provision for mandatory dividends” line of the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity with offset to Provisions.

w)    Employee benefits

According to current collective labor agreements and other agreements, the Bank has an additional benefit available to its principal executives, consisting of a pension plan whose purpose is to endow them with funds for a better supplementary pension upon their retirement.

Features of the Plan:

The main features of the Post-Employment Benefits Plan promoted by the Banco Santander Chile are:

The Bank uses the method of projected unit credit, to determine the present value of the defined benefit obligation and the current service cost.

Components of defined benefit cost include:

(a) actuarial gains and losses;

(b) the difference between the actual return on plan assets and the interest on plan assets included in the net interest component and;

(c) changes in the effect of the asset ceiling.

The liability (asset) for net defined benefit is the deficit or surplus, determined as the difference between the present value of the defined benefit obligation less the fair value of plan assets.

Plan assets comprise the pension fund taken out by the Group with a third party that is not a related party. These assets are held by an entity legally separated from the Bank and exist solely to pay benefits to employees.

The Bank recognizes the present service cost and the net interest of the Personnel salaries and expenses on the Consolidated Statement of Income.

The post-employment benefits liability, recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position represents the deficit or surplus in the defined benefit plans of the Bank. Any surplus resulting from the calculation is limited to the present value of any economic benefits available in the form of refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions.

When employees leave the plan before meeting the requirements to be eligible for the benefit, contributions made ​​by the Bank are reduced.

ii.       Cash-settled share based compensation

The Bank allocates cash-settled share based compensation to executives of the Bank and its Subsidiaries in accordance with IFRS 2. The Bank measures the services received and the obligation incurred at fair value. Until the obligation is settled, the Bank determines the fair value at the end of each reporting period, as well as at the date of settlement, recognizing any change in fair value in the income statement of the period.

x)     Application of new and revised International Financial Reporting Standards

The following new and revised IFRS have been adopted in these financial statements:

Recognition of Deferred Tax Assets for Unrealized Losses (Amendments to IAS 12)- On January 19, 2016, the IASB published final amendments to IAS 12 “Income Taxes”. The amendments clarify the following aspects:

The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. The implementation of this amendments did not have material impact on the consolidated financial statement of the Bank.

Disclosure Initiative (Amendments to IAS 7)- The amendments are part of the IASB’s Disclosure initiative project and introduce additional disclosure requirements intended to address investors’ concerns that financial statements do not currently enable them to understand the entity’s cash flows; particularly in respect of the management of financing activities. The amendments require disclosure of information enabling users of financial statements to evaluate changes in liabilities arising from financial activities. Although there is no specific format required to comply with the new requirements, the amendments include illustrative examples to show how an entity can meet the objective of these amendments.

The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2017. Earlier application is permitted. The implementation of this amendments did not have material impact on the consolidated financial statement of the Bank.

Annual Improvement 2014-2016

This annual improvements issued in December 8, 2016, containing the following amendments:

IFRS 12 Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities - Clarification of the scope of the Standard.

The amendments to IFRS 12 for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2017. The implementation of IFRS 12 amendments did not have material impact on the consolidated financial statement of the Bank.

IFRS Practice statement 2 Making Materiality Judgement – This standard was issued in September 2017. The objective is to assist management in presenting financial information about the entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors making decisions about providing resources to the entity. This practice statement applies to the preparations of financial information in accordance with full IFRS. The Bank’s management has considered this practice statement in preparing current financial statements.

ii. New and revised IFRS issued but not effective

IFRS 9 Financial instruments (2014) - In July 2014, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued IFRS 9 as a complete standard, to replace IAS 39 ‘Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement’. This standard is effective for reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018. IFRS 9 includes requirements for recognition and measurement of financial instruments. Changes in accounting policies resulting from the adoption of IFRS 9 will be applied retrospectively adjusting open balance as of 1 January 2018, applying the transition exemption that allow not to restate comparative information for prior periods.

Classification &measurement: IFRS 9 defined the financial asset and certain non-financial assets purchases agreements classification and measurement model changes requirements. The main aspects included in the new standard are:

a)     Classification of financial instruments: The criterion for classifying financial assets will depend both on their business management model and the features of the contractual flows. Consequently, the asset will be measured at amortized cost, at fair value with changes in other comprehensive income (equity), or at fair value with changes in profit and loss for the period. IFRS 9 also establishes the option of designating an instrument at fair value with changes in Profit and loss under certain conditions. The main activity of the Bank is the concession of retail banking operations and does not concentrate its exposure on complex financial products. The main objective of the Bank is to achieve a homogeneous implementation of the classification of financial instruments of the portfolios established under IFRS 9 and, for this purpose, it has developed standardized guidelines to enable a homogeneous analysis in all of its units.

The Bank prepared an analysis of its portfolios under the mentioned guidelines in order to identify and classify the financial instruments into their corresponding portfolio under IFRS 9. Based on the analysis currently being carried out, the Group considers that:

·       The Bank offers commercial and consumer banking services, which are consistent with a basic lending arrangement. In accordance with the above mentioned, most of the financial assets classified as “loans and account receivable from customers” will continue to be classified at amortised cost, except for 0.4% over the outstanding amount as of December 31, 2017 that is reclassified to be measured at fair value with changes in profit or loss. No other reclassification will be made to this portfolio.

·       As of December 31, 2017, financial assets classified as “available for sale investments” will continue to be classified at fair value with changes reported in other comprehensive income, except for a small ownership in shares that will be classified at fair value, with changes reported in other comprehensive income (irrevocably), which represent a 0.01% of the “available for sale investments” as of December 31, 2017.

·       The financial assets up to now classified as “trading investments” will remain classified at fair value, with changes reported in profit and loss for the year,

·       IAS 39 financial liabilities classification and measurement criteria remains substantially under IFRS 9. The Bank considers that all the changes in classification mentioned above are not significant.

In October 12, 2017, the IASB issued “Prepayment features with negative compensation” to address particular prepaid options under assessment whether contractual clash flows are solely payments of principal and interest. The Bank concluded that this amendment does not have significant impact over its financial statements.

b)     Credit risk Impairment model: The most important new development compared with the current model is that the new accounting standard introduces the concept of expected loss, whereas the current model (IAS 39) is based on incurred loss.

·       Scope of application: The IFRS 9 asset impairment model is applicable to financial assets valued at amortized cost, to debt instruments valued at fair value through other comprehensive income, to leasing receivables, and to contingent risks and commitments not valued at fair value.

·       Application of practical expedients under IFRS 9: IFRS 9 contains a set of practical expedients that might be used by the entities to facilitate its implementation. However, in order to achieve full and high quality implementation of the standard, considering industry best practices, these practical solutions will not be widely used.

·       Rebuttable presumption that the credit risk has increased significantly when payments are more than 30 days past due: this threshold will be used as an additional – but not primary - indicator of significant risk increase.

·       Financial instruments that have low credit risk at the reporting date.

·       Impairment estimation methodology: The portfolio of financial instruments subject to impairment will be divided into three categories, based on the phase of each instrument with regard to its level of credit risk:

The methodology required for quantification of expected loss for credit events will be based on an unbiased and weighted consideration of the occurrence of a range of possible future scenarios that could impact the collection of contractual cash flows, taking into account the time-value of money, all available information relevant to past events, and current conditions and projections of macroeconomic factors deemed relevant to the estimation of this amount.

The assessment of whether a significant increase in credit risk has occurred since initial recognition involves the application of both quantitative measures and qualitative factors, requires management judgement and is a key aspect of the IFRS 9 methodology.

The key inputs into the measurement of the ECL (expected credit loss) are EAD (exposure at default), PD (probability of default) and LGD (loss given default). These parameters will be derived from internally developed statistical models and other historical data that leverage regulatory models. They will be adjusted to reflect forward-looking information. The Bank has focused in developing an “expected credit loss” model in accordance with all IFRS 9 requirements, including all essential definitions:

c)     Hedge accounting: The general hedge accounting requirements align more closely with risk management practices and establish a more principle-based approach thereby allowing hedge accounting to be applied to a wider variety of hedging instruments and risks. Macro hedge accounting is being dealt with as a separate project. Until such time as that project is complete, and to remove any potential conflict between any existing macro hedge accounting undertaken under IAS 39 and the new general hedge accounting requirements of IFRS 9, entities can choose to continue to apply the existing hedge accounting requirements in IAS 39.

After concluding the IFRS 9 implementation process, the most significant impact on the Bank´s financial statements arise from the new impairment requirements. Impairment losses for financial instruments will be increased under the scope of the IFRS 9 impairment model. At January 1, 2018, based on the assessment made, the total impact in equity (net of tax) derived from the adoption of IFRS 9 is Ch$82,454 million(net of tax).

IFRS 15, Revenue from Contracts with Customers - issued on May 28, 2014, the IASB has published its new standard, IFRS 15 Revenue from contracts with customers. The new standard provides a single, principles based five-step model to be applied to all contracts with customers, i) identify the contract with the customer, ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, iii) determine the transaction price, iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contracts, v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

IFRS 15 must be applied in an entity’s first annual IFRS financial statements for periods beginning on or after 1 January 2017. Application of the Standard is mandatory and early adoption is permitted. An entity that chooses to apply IFRS 15 earlier than 1 January 2018 must disclose this fact.

In April 12, 2016, the IASB published an amendments to clarify and provide alternatives for the transition. The amendment are applicable from January 1, 2018, with early application permitted.

The Bank completed its assessment regarding the application of this standard and concluded that it does not have a significant impact over its consolidated financial statements.

Sale or Contributions of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture (Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28) - Issued on September 11, 2014, the IASB has published 'Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture (Amendments to IFRS 10 and IAS 28)'. The amendments address a conflict between the requirements of IAS 28 'Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures' and IFRS 10 'Consolidated Financial Statements' and clarifies the treatment of the sale or contribution of assets from an investor to its associate or joint venture, as follows:

On December 17, 2015 the IASB has published final amendments to “Sale or Contribution of Assets between an Investor and its Associate or Joint Venture”. The amendments defer the effective date of the September 2014 amendments to these standards indefinitely until the research project on the equity method has been concluded. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

IFRS 16 Leases – issued on January 13, 2016, the IASB has published its new standard for leases, which replaces IAS 17 Leases, IFRIC 4 Determining whether an arrangement contains a lease, SIC15 Operating leases and SIC27 Evaluating the substance of transactions involving the legal form of a lease. IFRS 16 introduces a single lessee accounting model and requires a lessee to recognise assets and liabilities for all leases with a term of more than 12 months, unless the underlying asset is of low value. A lessee is required to recognise a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying leased asset and a lease liability representing its obligation to make lease payment. Lessor accounting however remains largely unchanged and the distinction between operating and finance leases is retained.

IFRS 16 is effective for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with earlier adoption permitted if IFRS 15 “Revenue from Contracts with Customer” has also been applied.

The Bank has completed its operating lease contract inventory (as lessee) and it is currently determining the potential impact that the standard will have on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

Amendments to IFRS 2 Classification and measurement of share-based payment transactions – These amendments were published June 20, 2016, to address issues with:

·       The accounting of share- based payment transactions paid in cash that include a performance condition

·       The classification of share-based transactions

·       Accounting for modifications of share-based payment transactions from cash-settled to equity-settled.

This standard is applicable from January 1, 2018, with early application permitted. Management is assessing the potential impact of applying this standard.

Amendments to IFRS 4: Applying IFRS 9 Financial Instruments with IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts - The amendments are intended to address concerns about the different effective dates of IFRS 9 and the forthcoming new insurance contracts standard (expected as IFRS 17 within the next six months). The amendments provide two options for entities that issue insurance contracts within the scope of IFRS 4:

-an option that permits entities to reclassify, from profit or loss to other comprehensive income, some of the income or expenses arising from designated financial assets (the "overlay approach");

-an optional temporary exemption from applying IFRS 9 for entities whose predominant activity is issuing contracts within the scope of IFRS 4 (the "deferral approach").

An entity would apply the overlay approach retrospectively to qualifying financial assets when it first applies IFRS 9 while an entity would apply the deferral approach for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018. Management has assessed that the implementation of these modifications will not have a material impact on the Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements of the Bank.

IFRIC 22 Foreign Currency Transactions and Advance Consideration – This interpretations issued on December 8, 2016, clarifies the accounting for transactions that include the receipt or payment of advance consideration in a foreign currency.

The Interpretation covers foreign currency transactions when an entity recognises a non-monetary asset or non-monetary liability arising from the payment or receipt of advance consideration before the entity recognises the related asset, expense or income. It does not apply when an entity measures the related asset, expense or income on initial recognition at fair value or at the fair value of the consideration received or payed at a date other than the date of initial recognition of the non-monetary asset or non-monetary liability. Also, the Interpretation need not be applied to income taxes, insurance contracts or reinsurance contracts.

Consensus

The date of the transaction, for the purpose of determining the exchange rate, is the date of initial recognition of the non-monetary prepayment asset or deferred income liability.

If there are multiple payments or receipts in advance, a date of transaction is established for each payment or receipt.

IFRIC 22 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018. Earlier application is permitted. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

Annual Improvement 2014-2016

This annual improvements issued in December 8, 2016, containing the following amendments:

IFRS 1 First time adoption of IFRS - Deletion of short-term exemptions for first-time adopters.

IAS 28 Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures - Measuring an associate or joint venture at fair value.

The amendments to IFRS 1 and IAS 28 are effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2018. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

IFRS 17 Insurance contracts – This standard issued on May 18, 2017 replaces the current IFRS 4. IFRS 17 will mainly change accounting for all entities that issue insurance contracts and investment contracts with discretionary participation characteristics. The standard applies to annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2021, with early application permitted provided IFRS 15, "Revenue from contracts with customers" and IFRS 9, "Financial instruments" is applied. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

IFRIC 23 Uncertainty over Income Tax Treatments – This standard issued on June 7, 2017, clarifies how the recognition and measurement requirements of IAS 12 apply when there is uncertainty about tax treatments. The standard applies to annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, with early application permitted. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

Amendments to IAS 28 long-term interest in Associates and Joint Ventures - This standard was issued in October 12, 2017 to clarify that an entity applies IFRS 9 including its impairment requirements, to long-term interests in an associate or joint venture that form part of the net investment in the associate or joint venture but to which the equity method is not applied. The amendments are effective for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, early application is permitted.

The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.

Annual Improvements to IFRS Standards 2015–2017 Cycle 

This annual improvements issued in December 12, 2017, containing the following amendments:

IFRS 3 Business Combination and IFRS 11 Joint Arrangements – The amendments to IFRS 3 clarify that when an entity obtains control of a business that is a joint operation, it remeasures previously held interests in that business. The amendments to IFRS 11 clarify an entity obtains joint control of a business that is a joint operation, the entity does not remeasure previously held interest in that business.

IAS 12 Income taxes – The amendments clarify that all income tax consequences of dividends should be recognized in profit or loss, regardless of how the tax arises.

IAS 23 Borrowing cost – The amendments clarify that if any specific borrowing remain outstanding after the related asset is ready for its intended use or sale, that borrowing becomes part of the funds that an entity borrows generally when calculating the capitalization rate on general borrowings.

The amendments are effective for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019, early application is permitted. The Bank’s management has considered that these amendments will not have material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Bank.