Impairment of Non-Cash-Generating Assets (This Article Was Originally Published in "Roeh Haheshbon" the Professional Journal of the Israeli ICPA's)
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Impairment of Non-Cash-Generating Assets (This article was originally published in "Roeh Haheshbon" the Professional Journal of the Israeli ICPA's) support other asset units that do generate commercial return as a whole. IPSASB's work is based on international private sector accounting published by the IASB. Deviation from guidelines set for private sector, including (but not limited to) changes of guidelines set in private sector standards and publishing of * Ron Alroy , C.P.A. (Isr.) u n i q u e s t a n dards for the public sector, is being carried only when public sector specific issues arise and require separate reference. This standard is an example of such public sector specific issue1. Emphasis on the Scope Although IAS 36 does not exclude from its scope cash- ** Ran Tal , C.P.A. (Isr.) generating property, plant and equipment carried at revalued amounts at the reporting date, IPSAS 21 does not apply to NCG assets carried at revalued amounts at the reporting date 1. Introduction under the allowed alternative treatment in International Public In its July 2004 meeting, the International Public Sector Sector Accounting Standard IPSAS 17, "Property, Plant and Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) of IFAC, approved the Equipment". The reason for this deviation with regard to the publication of an International Public Sector Accounting scope will be further explored later on in this article. Standard (IPSAS) No. 21 "Impairment of Non-Cash- Generating Assets" (the standard). Terms and terminology 2. Definitions used in the standard reminds the reader the revised IPSAS 21 adds and changes a number of definitions from IAS International Accounting Standard (IAS) No. 36, "Impairment 36 in order for them to suite the public sector more adequately: of Assets". However, the uniqueness of the standard steams 2.1 Recoverable service amount - the higher of a NCG from its scope: Applies only to assets that do not generate cash asset‘s fair value less costs to sell and its value in use. flows. IPSAS 21 explicitly states that cash generating assets or 2.2 An impairment - a loss in the future economic benefits or assets which are part of cash generating groups will be tested service potential of an asset, over and above the for impairment using private sector accounting (IAS 36). In systematic recognition of the loss of the asset‘s future the near future, a public sector standard for testing impairment economic benefits or service potential through of cash generating asset, will be published by the IPSASB. depreciation. 2.3 An impairment loss of a non-cash-generating asset - It is worth mentioning however, that state owned enterprises the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset or Government Business Enterprises (GBE) as defined in the exceeds its recoverable service amount. standard are not within the scope of the IPSASB's publications 2.4 Value in use of a non-cash-generating asset - the and therefore they apply private sector accounting standards, present value of the asset‘s remaining service potential. i.e. IFRSs (previously, IASs). In a similar way, state owned enterprises in Israel apply private sector accounting standards In the public sector, stages taken in order to account for published by the Israeli Accounting Standards Board (which is impairment losses of assets are similar to the stages set in the committed to adopt IASB's publications). private sector. Testing assets for impairment consists of two stages. The first stage is identifying indications that an asset Except Non-for-Profit entities and corporate assets which may be impaired. In the second stage, depending on the contribute to the future cash flows of cash generating assets or outcome of the first stage, a quantitative analysis is being units, None-Cash-Generating (NCG) assets are the solely the carried in order to determine whether and to what extent an estate of the public sector. Business enterprises do not hold impairment loss is present. assets which do not generate commercial return or, at least, * Later on, it will be shown that although an impairment loss of Chief Accountant, Accountant General's Office, State of Israel. a NCG asset should reflect a decline in the utility of an asset to Board Member, IPSASB, Chair, Israeli Public Sector Accounting Standards Board. 1 ** Financial Advisor to the Chief Accountant, BDO Israel. Technical Examples of public sector specific issues which are due to be Advisor, IPSASB. Technical Director, Israeli Public Sector published as Exposure Drafts within the near future are: Revenue Accounting Standards Board. from Non-Exchange Transactions (Including Taxes and Transfers), and Accounting for Social Policies of Governments. 1 the entity that controls it, this utility is not measured by the use 4.1 External sources of information of cash flows, but rather by the service potential embedded in the asset. 4.1.1 Cessation, or near cessation, of the demand or need for services provided by the asset although the asset still maintains the same service potential. For example: 3. Identifying an Asset that may be Impaired (a) A school closed because of a lack of demand for The indications set for determining that an asset may be school services arising from a population shift to impaired are familiar to the reader from IAS 36. However, other areas. It is not anticipated that this within the external sources of information, it was decided to demographic trend will reverse in the foreseeable omit the controversial indication from IAS 36: An increase future. during the period of market interest rates or other market rates (b) A school designed for 1,500 students currently has of return, and those increases are likely to affect the discount an enrollment of 150 students - the school cannot rate used in calculating an asset's value in use and decrease the be closed because the nearest alternative school is asset's recoverable amount significantly. 100 kilometers away. The entity does not envisage the enrollment increasing. At the time of Also, it was decided to omit the indication relating to establishment enrollment was 1,400 students - the circumstances under which the carrying amount of the net entity would have acquired a much smaller facility assets of the reporting enterprise is more than its market had future enrollment been envisaged to be 150 capitalization. students. The reason for the omission of the first indication is that the 4.1.2 Significant long-term changes with an adverse effect on value in use of an NCG asset cannot be set by discounting non the entity in the technological environment in which the existent cash flows, not to mention the debate surrounding this entity operates. For example: indication with regard to cash generating assets in the first (a) Medical diagnostic equipment that is rarely or place. Regarding the second indication, market capitalization never used because a newer machine embodying is irrelevant when it comes to measuring the net assets of a more advanced technology provides more accurate public sector entity. results. (b) Software that is no longer being supported by the In addition, maybe in order to indicate reduced significance, external supplier because of technological advances the emphasis given to the first indication provided in the and the entity does not have the personnel to private sector for identifying an asset that may be impaired (in maintain the software. the form of bold lettering) was removed. The indication from IAS 36 (Paragraph 12 (a)) is: during the period, an asset‘s 4.1.3 Significant long-term changes with an adverse effect on market value has declined significantly more than would be the entity in the legal or government policy expected as a result of the passage of time or normal use. environment in which the entity operates. For example: (a) An automobile that does not meet new emission A new indication can be found within the frame of the external standards or a plane that does not meet new noise sources of information: Cessation, or near cessation, of the standards. demand or need for services provided by the asset. A near (b) A school that can no longer be used for instruction cessation refers to a situation in which demand for an asset's purposes due to new safety regulations regarding services is so low that the entity would not have attempted to its building materials or emergency exits. respond to that demand, or would not have acquired the asset at all. This determination is especially relevant to NCG assets 4.2 Internal sources of information which are held by the public sector in order to provide goods and services, directly and indirectly, to the citizens. Evidence is available of physical damage of an asset which would likely result in the asset being unable to provide the All the internal sources of information established in the level of service that it once was able to provide. private sector can be found in the public sector as well. In 4.2.1 . For example: addition, a new indication was added: A decision to halt the (a) A building damaged by fire or flood or other construction of the asset before it is complete or in a usable factors. condition. Even though this situation is more common in the (b) Sections of an elevated roadway that have sagged, public sector, in our opinion this indication is relevant for the indicating that these sections of roadway will need private sector as well. At this stage, we would like to remind to be replaced in 15 years rather than the original that the lists of indications are not exhaustive. design life of 30 years. (c) A water treatment plant whose capacity has been 4.