What is Impairment of Assets? Impairment of assets means a decline in the value of assets due to unforeseen circumstances. Assets are impaired when the carrying value of assets increases its market value or “realizable value”. Impairment can be caused due to factors that are internal or external toRead more
What is Impairment of Assets?
Impairment of assets means a decline in the value of assets due to unforeseen circumstances. Assets are impaired when the carrying value of assets increases its market value or “realizable value”.
Impairment can be caused due to factors that are internal or external to the firm. Internal factors such as physical damage, obsolescence or poor management and external factors such as a change in legal or economic circumstances, increased competition or reduction in asset’s fair value in the market result in impairment.
Impairment Vs Depreciation
Asset impairment is often confused with asset depreciation, which is rather a recurring and expected event, unlike impairment that reflects an abrupt decrease in the value of the asset.
Impairment Loss
Impairment is always treated as a loss in accounting. It is the amount by which the carrying value or the asset’s book value exceeds its fair market value.
Before recording Impairment loss, a company must determine the recoverable value of the asset which is higher of the asset’s net realizable value or value in use. Then it is to be compared with the book value of the asset.
If the carrying value exceeds the recoverable value then the impairment loss is to be recorded at the exceeding value i.e. difference of carrying value and realizable value.
Example
Suppose a company Royal Ltd. has an asset with a carrying value of 50,000, which has suffered physical damage. According to the company’s calculation, the asset has a net realizable value of 30,000 and a value in use of 25,000.
Then, the recoverable value would be higher of the asset’s net realizable value or value in use, i.e., 30,000 which is still lower than the carrying amount of 50,000. Therefore, Royal ltd. will have to record 20,000 (50,000-30,000) as impairment loss.
This is will increase Royal Ltd’s expenses by 20,000 and decrease the asset’s value by the same amount.
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A profit and loss account is a financial statement which shows the net profit or net loss of an enterprise for an accounting period. It reports all the indirect expenses and indirect income including gross profit or loss derived from trading accounts for an accounting period. When the total revenueRead more
A profit and loss account is a financial statement which shows the net profit or net loss of an enterprise for an accounting period. It reports all the indirect expenses and indirect income including gross profit or loss derived from trading accounts for an accounting period.
When the total revenue i.e. credit side of profit and loss a/c is more than the total of expenses i.e. the debit side of profit and loss a/c, it results in net profit whereas when the total revenue is less than the total of expenses, it results in a net loss.
The debit balance of the profit and loss account is the net loss incurred during the accounting period by an enterprise. It is transferred to a capital account thereby reducing the capital or can be shown as a debit balance on the asset side.
Accounting entry for loss transferred is as follows :
Capital A/c …Dr.
To Profit & Loss A/c
(being net loss transferred to capital account)
Example
A Business has a total income of $50,000 in an accounting year and has expenses amounting to $60,000 in that particular year. The profit and loss account will show a net loss of $10,000 ($60,000-50,000). Net loss will be transferred to capital A/c. Capital of the business will be reduced by $10,000. This loss can also be shown on the asset side of the balance sheet.
Extract of a Profit and loss a/c showing net loss is as under:
Profit and loss A/c for the year ended …..
The debit balance for a non-corporate entity is shown as a reduction from the capital account
Extract of the Balance sheet showing the debit balance of Profit & Loss A/c is as under :
Balance Sheet as on…
Less: Profit & Loss A/c
While the Debit balance of profit and Loss A/c of a corporate entity is shown as a reduction in Reserves and surplus. If the business doesn’t have reserves then the debit balance is shown on the asset side.
Extract of the Balance sheet showing the debit balance of Profit & Loss A/c is as under :
Balance Sheet as on..
Less: Profit & Loss A/c
Conclusion: Debit balance of profit and loss a/c represents that expenses are more than the income of a business in an accounting period. Debit balance of profit and loss a/c indicates that company need to increase its income or cut down on unnecessary expenses.
The business needs to find out the reason of excessive expenses because accumulated losses are not good for the health of the company.
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