Every business requires research and development to create innovative products for consumers. More innovative and creative products and services are more popular among customers, leading to increased revenue and profits for the business. Creating new products or designing changes and testing existinRead more
Every business requires research and development to create innovative products for consumers. More innovative and creative products and services are more popular among customers, leading to increased revenue and profits for the business.
Creating new products or designing changes and testing existing products also forms a part of research and development.
Examples of Research and Development costs are –
- Salaries of employees
- Cost of making prototypes
- Cost of raw material
- Overhead expenses
Let us now understand how research and development costs are treated in Financial Statements.
Research and Development Costs are generally shown as an expense in the Income Statement.
IAS-38
IAS-38 majorly governs the accounting of research and development costs. There are two phases in R&D:
- Research: During this phase, costs are incurred for understanding or designing the product. These costs are expensed as incurred costs as there is an uncertainty of a future benefit.
- Development: Economic value can be ascertained during this phase and hence, the costs incurred can be capitalized as Intangible assets. To be recognised as intangible assets, the following conditions shall be satisfied:
1. it is developed with the intention of putting it to use in the future
2. the asset shall hold an economic value
3. the costs can be measured reliably
Treatment of R&D costs in the Financial statements:
-
- Income statement: Research costs are shown as expenses in the income statement. However, development costs if capitalized as intangible assets can be amortised over time.
- Balance Sheet: Capitalised development costs are shown as intangible assets under the Assets head of the Balance Sheet.
Conclusion
The above discussion can be summarised as follows:
- Research and development is essential for creating innovative and creative products and services.
- Accounting standard IAS-38 governs the accounting for Research and Development.
- Research costs are usually shown as an expense in the Income statement of the business.
- Development costs when capitalised can be shown as Intangible assets in the Balance Sheet.
Assets can be classified as Financial or Non-financial assets. One might wonder why this is necessary. Let us dive into this concept, beginning with understanding what financial and non-financial assets are and why they are classified as such. What are Assets? Assets are things that have a monetaryRead more
Assets can be classified as Financial or Non-financial assets. One might wonder why this is necessary. Let us dive into this concept, beginning with understanding what financial and non-financial assets are and why they are classified as such.
What are Assets?
Assets are things that have a monetary value and are beneficial for a business. Assets are commonly classified as tangible, intangible, current, fixed, financial, non-financial, etc.
Plant and machinery, land, buildings, cash, bank balance, patents, etc are some of the examples of assets that a business has.
What are Financial Assets?
Financial assets are the things of value that are held by a person for their underlying value. They are intangible and do not have a physical form. For example – Stocks, bonds, debentures, options, futures, etc.
The value of these assets may change over time depending upon the market conditions, changes in government policies, fluctuations in interest rates, etc.
In comparison to non-financial or physical assets, financial assets are more liquid as they can be traded and can be converted into cash.
What are Non-financial assets?
Non-financial assets are tangible or intangible assets that have a value but cannot be easily converted into cash. They are not as liquid and generally not traded.
Examples of such assets are buildings, plant and machinery, patents, trademarks, etc.
Difference between Financial and Non – Financial Asset
From the above discussion, it is clear that financial and non-financial assets are very different. The following are several important reasons why it is important to segregate the same: