IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment & IAS 38 Intangible Assets University of Economics, Prague Faculty of Finance and Accounting Department of Financial Accounting and Auditing Non-current tangible and intangible assets (IAS 16 & IAS 38) 1FU496 Intermediate Accounting (MiFA course) David Procházka
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Property, plant and equipment are tangible assets that:
- are held for use in the production or supply of goods or services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes
- are expected to be used during more than one period
The cost of an item of property, plant and equipment shall be recognised as an asset if, and only if:
- it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the entity
- the cost of the item can be measured reliably
The asset is reported on balance sheet at its carrying amount:
- carrying amount is the amount at which an asset is recognised (initial costs or fair value) after deducting any accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses
An item of PPE should be initially measured at its cost, which are necessary to bring the asset into working condition at its intended location:
- purchase price, including import duties and non-refundable purchase taxes, after deducting trade discounts and rebates
- any costs directly attributable to bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management
- dismantling costs, which is an entity obliged to incur when removing the item and restoring the site on which it is located
- borrowing costs (IAS 23) incurred in connection with the acquisition of the asset
Examples of directly attributable costs:
- costs of employee benefits (as defined in IAS 19 Employee Benefits) arising directly from the construction or acquisition of the item of property, plant and equipment
- costs of testing whether the asset is functioning properly, after deducting the net proceeds from selling any items produced while bringing the asset to that location and condition
- professional fees
What cannot be capitalised as an asset:
- costs of opening a new facility
- costs of introducing a new product or service (including costs of advertising and promotional activities)
- costs of conducting business in a new location or with a new class of customer (including costs of staff training)
- by finance lease => separate treatment in IAS 17
- by bank loan => IAS 23 has to be followed
- by trade credit when payment for the asset is deferred beyond normal credit terms => the arrangement contains a financial component and IAS 23 applies similarly as for bank loans
- with a government grant => IAS 20 is applied
The acquisition costs of an item of PPE obtained through a barter transaction (having commercial substance) are measured:
- at the fair value of the asset acquired, if reliably measurable; or
- at the fair value of the asset disposed, if reliably measurable; or
IAS 16 allows an accounting choice of PPE measurement as at balance sheet day between
- traditional cost model
- revaluation model (using fair value)
Conditions for revaluation model:
- revaluations shall be made with sufficient regularity to ensure that the carrying amount does not differ materially from that which would be determined using fair value at the end of the reporting period
- if an item of property, plant and equipment is revalued, the entire class of property, plant and equipment to which that asset belongs shall be revalued
Accounting for the revaluation:
- the increase shall be recognised in other comprehensive income and accumulated in equity under the heading of revaluation surplus; however, the increase shall be recognised in profit or loss to the extent that it reverses a revaluation decrease of the same asset previously recognised in profit or loss
- the decrease shall be recognised in profit or loss; however, the decrease shall be recognised in other comprehensive income to the extent of any credit balance existing in the revaluation surplus in respect of that asset
- the revaluation surplus included in equity shall be transferred directly to retained earnings when the asset is derecognised (i.e. no reclassification to P&L)
- alternatively, the revaluation may be partly transferred to retained earnings; the amount of the surplus transferred would be the difference between depreciation based on the revalued carrying amount of the asset and depreciation based on the asset’s original cost
Depreciation is the systematic allocation of the depreciable amount of an asset over its useful life
Depreciable amount is the cost of an asset, or other amount substituted for cost (e.g. fair value), less its residual value
Residual value of an asset is the estimated amount that an entity would currently obtain from disposal of the asset, after deducting the estimated costs of disposal, if the asset were already of the age and in the condition expected at the end of its useful life
Useful life is:
- the period over which an asset is expected to be available for use by an entity; or
- the number of production or similar units expected to be obtained from the asset by an entity
Each part of an item of property, plant and equipment with a cost that is significant in relation to the total cost of the item shall be depreciated separately
Parts with the same depreciation method and the same useful life may be grouped for the calculation of depreciation charges
Unit of depreciation is:
- a single asset in most cases
- a bundle of (small) assets of similar function (e.g. kit of tools)
- a component of a single asset with different useful life and/or depreciation method from the remainder (e.g. aircraft; heavy machinery; buildings; etc.)
The depreciation method used shall reflect the pattern in which the asset’s future economic benefits are expected to be consumed by the entity
The selection of an appropriate method is based on the nature of an asset and its expected usage by the entity:
- means of transport (cars; vehicles; aircraft); machinery and production lines => usually unit of production method (or accelerated methods as a proxy)
- other assets straight-line method
The choice of depreciation method is inseparable from the determination of depreciation period; depreciation period shall reflect:
- expected usage of the asset (expected capacity or physical output)
- expected physical wear and tear (depending on repair and maintenance programme)
- technical or commercial obsolescence
- legal or similar limits on the use of the asset (e.g. finance leases)
The residual value and the useful life of an asset:
- shall be reviewed at least at each financial year-end
- if expectations differ from previous estimates, the change(s) shall be accounted for as a change in an accounting estimate (IAS 8)
The depreciation method applied to an asset:
- shall be reviewed at least at each financial year-end
- if there has been a significant change in the expected pattern of consumption of the future economic benefits embodied in the asset, the method shall be changed to reflect the changed pattern
- the change of a depreciation method is a change in an accounting estimate (IAS 8)
- starts when it is available for use (when it is in the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by management start vs finish)
- ceases if the asset is derecognised or reclassified as held for sale (IFRS 5)
- does not cease when the asset becomes idle or is retired from active use (unless the asset is fully depreciated), if time-based methods are applied
- under units-of-production method, no depreciation charge is incurred, if there is no production
Land and buildings:
- are accounted for separately, even when they are acquired together
- an increase in the value of the land on which a building stands does not affect the determination of the depreciable amount of the building
Impairment loss is the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its recoverable amount
Recoverable amount is the higher of an asset’s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use
To determine whether an item of PPE is impaired, an entity applies IAS 36
Compensation from third parties for items of PPE that were impaired, lost or given up shall be included in profit or loss when the compensation becomes receivable
Impairments or losses of items of PPE, related claims for or payments of compensation from third parties and any subsequent purchase or construction of replacement assets are separate economic events and are accounted for separately as follows:
- impairments are recognised in accordance with IAS 36
- derecognition of PPE retired or disposed of is determined in accordance with IAS 16
- compensation from third parties are accounted for in accordance with IAS 16
- the cost of items of PPE restored, purchased or constructed as replacements is determined in accordance with IAS 16
The recognition of an item as an intangible asset requires an entity to demonstrate that the item meets:
- the definition of an intangible asset and
- the recognition criteria
Intangible asset is an identifiable non-monetary asset without physical substance
Definitional features:
Identifiability (distinguishable from goodwill):
- asset is capable of being separated or divided from the entity and sold, transferred, licensed, rented or exchanged, either individually or together with a related contract, identifiable asset or liability, regardless of whether the entity intends to do so
- asset arises from contractual or other legal rights, regardless of whether those rights are transferable or separable from the entity or from other rights and obligations
- an entity controls an asset if the entity has the power to obtain the future economic benefits flowing from the underlying resource and to restrict the access of others to those benefits
- in the absence of legal rights, it is more difficult to demonstrate control, but not impossible
Future economic benefits
Recognition criteria:
Standard requirements taken from the Framework, i.e.:
- it is probable that the expected future economic benefits that are attributable to the asset will flow to the entity
Difficulties with an internally generated intangible asset:
- whether and when there is an identifiable asset that will generate expected future economic benefits
- determining the cost of the asset reliably
In some cases, the cost of generating an intangible asset internally cannot be distinguished from the cost of maintaining or enhancing the entity’s internally generated goodwill or of running day-to-day operations
Internally generated goodwill:
Shall not be recognised as an asset:
- it is not an identifiable resource controlled by the entity that can be measured reliably at cost
- difference between the fair value of an entity and the carrying amount of its identifiable net assets cannot represent the cost of intangible assets controlled by the entity
Internally generated brands, mastheads, publishing titles, customer lists and items similar in substance
Shall not be recognised as intangible assets:
- expenditure on these items cannot be distinguished from the cost of developing the business as a whole (i.e. cannot be separated from internally generated goodwill)
Research and development (R&D):
Research is original and planned investigation undertaken with the prospect of gaining new scientific or technical knowledge and understanding
Development is the application of research findings or other knowledge to a plan or design for the production of new or substantially improved materials, devices, products, processes, systems or services before the start of commercial production or use
Some items (Special items B) shall not be capitalised, regardless they are acquired internally of externally:
- expenditure on start-up activities (however it may be included in acquisition costs of PPE)
- expenditure on training activities (no effective control over the staff)
- expenditure on advertising and promotional activities
- expenditure on relocating or reorganising part or all of an entity
However, prepayments for these item is recognised as an asset (with immediate expensing once the services related to the item are consumed)
Expenditures on items, that cannot be recognised if internally generated, can be recognised as an asset, if purchased (or otherwise externally acquired) supposed that general principles for recognition are met
Revaluation model might be used as an alternative, if an asset’s fair value is determined with the reference to an active market:
- a market in which transactions for the asset or liability take place with sufficient frequency and volume to provide pricing information on an ongoing basis
It is uncommon an active market to exist for an intangible asset:
- some exceptions (taxi licences, fishing licences, production quotas, emission quotas)
- never for brands, newspaper mastheads, music and film publishing rights, patents or trademarks, as these assets are always unique
The fact that an active market no longer exists for a revalued intangible asset may indicate that the asset may be impaired and IAS 36 is to be applied
- finite (length of period; number of production units)
- indefinite (no foreseeable limit to the period over which the asset is expected to generate net cash inflows for the entity)
Indefinite (undetermined) does not mean infinite (endless)
Useful life of contractual assets may not exceed the contractual period; the option for renewal prolongs useful life only if there is evidence to support renewal by the entity without significant cost
- are amortised and the procedure is similar to IAS 16
- residual value only with reference to an active market or if there is commitment by a third party to purchase the asset at the end of its useful life
- all estimated subject to regular reviewing (at least annually)
Assets with indefinite useful life:
- are not amortised
- the useful life has to reviewed (at least) annually
- if indefinite changes to finite => start to amortise because of change in estimate (IAS 8)