Long-Lived Assets

Revsine/Collins/Johnson/Mittelstaedt: Chapter 10

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning objectives

1. What measurement base is used for long-lived assets.

2. What kinds of costs are capitalized and how joint costs are allocated among assets.

3. How GAAP measurement rules complicate trend analysis and comparisons across companies.

4. Why the carrying values of internally developed intangibles often differ from their real values.

5. What asset “impairment” means and how it is recorded.

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Learning objectives concluded

6. How to account for asset retirement obligations and assets held for sale.

7. How different depreciation methods are computed.

8. How analysts can adjust for different depreciation assumptions and improve comparisons across companies.

9. How to account for exchanges of long-lived assets.

10.The key differences between GAAP and IFRS requirements for long-lived asset accounting.

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Long-lived operating assets

An asset generates future economic benefits and is under the exclusive control of a single entity.

This chapter concentrates on operating assets expected to yield their economic benefits (service potential) over a period longer than one year.

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Initial asset measurement rules

The initial balance sheet carrying amount of a long-lived asset is governed by two rules:

1. All costs necessary to acquire the asset and make it ready to use are included in the asset account (meaning they are capitalized costs). Other costs are “expensed” to income.

$$ $$

$$ $$

Capitalized Expensed

Price paid for land

Cost of clearing land

Monthly equipment rental

Cost to repair damaged equipment

$200 delivery and installation fee

Equipment A

Equipment B

$100

$100

2. Joint costs incurred in acquiring more than one asset are apportioned among the acquired assets.

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Initial asset measurement rules:Interest capitalization

Authoritative accounting literature requires capitalization of avoidable interest payments on self-constructed assets.

Interest paid to lenders during the construction period is considered to be a cost necessary to prepare the asset for its intended use.

Here is Canyon’s calculation of avoidable interest:

Follows from initial asset measurement rule 1.

Construction expenditures

If the interest rate is 10%, then Canyon’s avoidable interest is $715,000.

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Capitalization criteria:Costs incurred after initial use

GAAP capitalizes costs incurred after the asset has been placed in use as long as the expenditure:

Extends the asset’s useful life Increases its productive capacity (e.g. attainable production units) Increases its production efficiency (e.g., fewer raw materials) Or, increases the asset’s other economic benefits

If there is no increase in economic benefits (or future service potential), the expenditure is charged to income as an expense.

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Financial analysis and fixed assets:

Assume: No new capital expenditures. Prices rise at 3% per year.

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Financial analysis and fixed assetsWhy ROA appears to increase

Increase 3% each year

Asset base declines each year

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Intangible assets:Overview

Intangible assets are long-lived assets that do not have physical substance. They include:

Patents Copyrights Trademarks Brand names Customer lists Licenses Technology Franchises Employment contracts

The accounting for acquired intangible assets is straight-forward:

The asset is first recorded at the arm’s length transaction price.

Then amortized (think “depreciation”) over its expected useful life.

Difficult financial reporting issues arise when the intangible asset is developed internally instead of being purchased.

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Intangible assets:Research and development (R&D)

Recoverability of R&D expenditures (i.e., the future benefit) is highly uncertain at the start of a project.

So, GAAP requires virtually all R&D expenditures to be expensed as incurred.

In the pre-Codification document for research and development costs, the FASB justified expensing all R&D for three reasons:1. The future benefits are highly uncertain and difficult to predict.

2. A causal relationship between current R&D and future revenue (the benefit) has not been demonstrated.

3. Whatever benefits may arise cannot be objectively measured.

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Asset impairment:Long-lived Asset Impairment Guidelines

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Depreciation:Basic concepts

The costs of productive assets must be apportioned to the periods in which they provide benefits (matching principle).

The cost to be allocated to periods is the asset’s original historical cost minus its expected salvage value.

Depreciation is not intended to track the asset’s declining market value.

Depreciation

Amortization

Depletion

• Buildings• Equipment

• Intangibles

• Mineral deposits• Wasting assets

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Exchanges of Nonmonetary assets

Sometimes firms exchange one nonmonetary asset like inventory or equipment for another nonmonetary asset.

Unless certain exceptions apply, the recorded cost of the acquired asset is the fair market value of the asset given up.

FMV of truck plus cash

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Global Vantage PointComparison of IRFS and GAAP Long-Lived Asset Accounting

Tangible Long-Lived Assets

IAS 16 allows two different models

Cost Method – same as U.S. GAAP

Revaluation Method – asset is carried at a revalued amount reflecting fair market value at the revaluation date. Subsequent depreciation is based on fair value, not original cost. The amount of the write-up is credited to an owners’ equity account called Revaluation Surplus (equivalent to Accumulated other comprehensive income).

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Global Vantage PointComparison of IRFS and GAAP Long-Lived Asset Accounting

Intangible Long-Lived Assets Similar to U.S. GAAP except that a revaluation method is allowed,

but an active market must be available for the intangible. IAS 38 distinguishes between research and development

Research is expensed Development may be capitalized if certain criteria is met.

Impairment of Assets Similar to U.S. GAAP unless the impairment loss occurs if the

carrying value exceeds the recoverable amount

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Summary

The need for reliable and verifiable numbers causes long-lived assets to be measured using historical cost.

The balance sheet amounts for intangible assets often differ from their real value.

Changes in the amount of capitalized interest from one period to another can distort earnings trends.

When comparing return on assets (ROA) ratios across firms, remember that ROA drifts upward as assets age.

Asset impairment write-downs depend on subjective forecasts and could be used to manage earnings.

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Summary concluded

Depreciation differences can complicate comparisons across firms. Footnote details can be used to improve these comparisons.

International practices for long-lived assets are sometimes very different from those in the United States.

Some of the key differences between IFRS and GAAP relate to the revaluation of tangible assets, investment property, capitalization of intangible development costs, and impairments losses.

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