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How do firms react to the prohibition of long-lived asset impairment reversals? Evidence from China

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  • Zhang, Ran
  • Lu, Zhengfei
  • Ye, Kangtao

Abstract

New Chinese Accounting Standards (CAS) released on February 15, 2006, prohibit the reversal of long-lived asset impairments, effective for reporting periods beginning January 1, 2007 and later. This development in the Chinese market provides a unique experimental setting to directly investigate how firms react to the ban on previously-allowed long-lived asset impairment reversals, especially firms that use impairment charges as "cookie jar reserves." By contrasting write-off recognition and reversal across the pre- and post- new CAS announcement regimes, we show that firms listed on Chinese stock exchanges recognized less impairment charges during the "transition" period--after announcement of the new standard and before the effective date--than in pre-announcement periods. Meanwhile, firms with substantial previous write-downs reversed more impairment charges to achieve their earnings targets in the transition period. The new CAS also constraints "big bath" reporting by loss firms. As US GAAP prohibits these reversals and IFRS allows them, our empirical evidence depicts firms' possible reactions in other regimes contemplating doing away with such reversals.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Ran & Lu, Zhengfei & Ye, Kangtao, 2010. "How do firms react to the prohibition of long-lived asset impairment reversals? Evidence from China," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 424-438, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jappol:v:29:y::i:5:p:424-438
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    Cited by:

    1. Kim Trottier, 2013. "The Effect of Reversibility on a Manager's Decision to Record Asset Impairments," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), pages 1-22, March.
    2. Xia Chen & Qiang Cheng & Ying Hao & Qiang Liu, 2020. "GDP growth incentives and earnings management: evidence from China," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1002-1039, September.
    3. Gaëlle Lenormand & Lionel Touchais, 2014. "Le test de perte de valeur avec l'IAS 36 : difficultés et risques Le cas du groupe PSA," Post-Print hal-03125451, HAL.
    4. Huilong Liu & Jianqiu Liu & Hong Wang & Dan Yang, 2023. "Does the Prohibition of Long‐lived Asset Impairment Reversals Affect Corporate Innovation? Evidence from a Quasi‐experiment in China," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 59(1), pages 134-162, March.
    5. Donghua Zhou & Ahsan Habib, 2013. "Accounting Standards and Earnings Management: Evidence from China," Accounting Perspectives, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(3), pages 213-236, September.
    6. Hasnah Shaari & Tongyu Cao & Ray Donnelly, 2017. "Reversals of impairment charges under IAS 36: evidence from Malaysia," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 14(3), pages 224-240, August.
    7. Gaëlle Lenormand & Lionel Touchais, 2014. "Le test de perte de valeur avec l’IAS 36 : difficultés et risques," Post-Print hal-01737388, HAL.
    8. Qiang Ye & Jie Gao & Weiguang Zheng, 2018. "Accounting Standards, Earnings Transparency and Audit Fees: Convergence with IFRS in China," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 28(4), pages 525-537, December.

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