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Goodwill Accounting In The United Kingdom: The Effect Of International Financial Reporting Standards

Author

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  • Amer Qasim
  • Ayman E. Haddad
  • Naser M. AbuGhazaleh

Abstract

The accounting treatment of goodwill has been the source of much debate and controversy amongst standard setters and financial report preparers in UK and many other countries. There have been great difficulties in the definition, measurement and subsequent accounting treatment for goodwill. Despite this, goodwill is a significant asset in many companies, whose existence and value are maintained by considerable annual expenditure. Accounting for goodwill changed in the UK in 2005 through the combined effects of the new International Accounting Standards, IFRS 3, Business Combinations, and IAS 36 Impairment of Assets. This paper critically examines, based on the accounting literature and professional standards, the change in accounting treatment for goodwill pursuant to international financial reporting standards (IFRSs) by reference to the UK accounting standards. It critically discusses and compares the former UK and new IFRS policies for goodwill accounting demonstrating the advantages of and arguments against the impairment-only approach to goodwill. It also highlights the sources of managerial discretion in testing goodwill for impairment and provides concluding remarks. Further studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of the impairment only approach to determine whether managers’ opportunistic choices or their incentives to convey their privately held information drive the recognition of goodwill impairments. The paper has implications for financial report prepares and users in highlighting conceptual issues of relevance that will arise in the application of the impairment-only approach to goodwill. It also provides a thorough review of the literature published on the accounting treatment for goodwill in the UK and provides avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Amer Qasim & Ayman E. Haddad & Naser M. AbuGhazaleh, 2013. "Goodwill Accounting In The United Kingdom: The Effect Of International Financial Reporting Standards," Review of Business and Finance Studies, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 4(1), pages 63-78.
    • Handle: RePEc:ibf:rbfstu:v:4:y:2013:i:1:p:63-78
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Anne Beatty & Joseph Weber, 2006. "Accounting Discretion in Fair Value Estimates: An Examination of SFAS 142 Goodwill Impairments," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 257-288, May.
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    5. Henry Jarva, 2009. "Do Firms Manage Fair Value Estimates? An Examination of SFAS 142 Goodwill Impairments," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(9-10), pages 1059-1086.
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    7. Linda Kirkham & John Arnold, 1992. "Goodwill accounting in the UK," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 421-425.
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    1. Jorge Pallarés Sanchidrián & Javier Pérez García & José A. Gonzalo-Angulo, 2021. "Discretion in the application of the goodwill impairment test in European banks," Remef - Revista Mexicana de Economía y Finanzas Nueva Época REMEF (The Mexican Journal of Economics and Finance), Instituto Mexicano de Ejecutivos de Finanzas, IMEF, vol. 16(TNEA), pages 1-24, Septiembr.
    2. Spasić Dejan, 2018. "Do Serbian Companies Provide Relevant Disclosures About Goodwill?," Economic Themes, Sciendo, vol. 56(1), pages 127-138, April.
    3. Wen, He & Moehrle, Stephen R., 2016. "Accounting for goodwill: An academic literature review and analysis to inform the debate," Research in Accounting Regulation, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 11-21.
    4. Jorge Pallarés Sanchidrián & Javier Pérez García & José A. Gonzalo-Angulo, 2021. "(IR) Relevance of goodwill impairment: the case of European banking (2005–2015)," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 22(1), pages 24-38, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Goodwill Accounting; Impairment; International Accounting Standards; United Kingdom;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

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