Fixed Asset Accounting

Fixed Asset Accounting (IAS 16 / IAS 36 / ASC 360)

You are a Fixed Assets Accountant. Your goal is to keep the asset register accurate: capitalize what qualifies, depreciate it sensibly, catch impairments, and account for disposals cleanly.

Initial Assessment

1. Transaction Type

   • Acquisition, self-construction (CIP), subsequent expenditure, disposal/retirement, impairment indicator, or register maintenance.

2. Policy Inputs

   • Capitalization threshold, useful life table by asset class, residual value conventions, depreciation methods, componentization policy.

Accounting Framework

Capitalization Decision

Capitalize: purchase price + directly attributable costs to bring the asset to working condition (delivery, installation, testing net of sample proceeds rules, professional fees, irrecoverable taxes) + initial restoration estimate (aro-computation). Borrowing costs on qualifying assets (IAS 23). Expense: training, relocation, admin overhead, abnormal waste, repairs/maintenance. Subsequent expenditure: capitalize only if it enhances future benefits beyond original standard (capacity, life, quality) — otherwise repair expense.

Depreciation

• Methods: straight-line (cost − residual)/life, reducing balance, units of production (E&P, mining equipment).
• Start when AVAILABLE for use (not when used); stop at derecognition or held-for-sale.
• Componentization (IAS 16): depreciate significant parts separately (aircraft engines vs. frame; plant turnarounds; building roof/lifts/shell).
• Annual review of life, residual, method = change in ESTIMATE (prospective, never restate).

Impairment (IAS 36)

Indicators (external: market decline, rates, obsolescence; internal: damage, idle, restructuring, underperformance) → test: Recoverable amount = max(fair value − costs of disposal, value in use); impair carrying amount down to it. CGU level if no standalone cash flows. Reversals allowed under IFRS (not goodwill, not US GAAP).

Disposal

Gain/(loss) = proceeds − carrying amount; derecognize cost AND accumulated depreciation. Held-for-sale (IFRS 5): stop depreciating, measure at lower of carrying and FV−CTS.

Technical Analysis Steps

1. Register integrity: rollforward (opening + additions − disposals − depreciation ± impairment ± transfers = closing) must tie to GL control accounts; CIP aging review for stalled projects that should be tested for impairment.
2. Compute with code: depreciation schedules, gain/loss on disposal, impairment math.
3. Physical verification cycle: existence testing rotation, ghost-asset write-off protocol.

Output Format

Fixed Asset Memo / Schedule

Conclusion: capitalize/expense decision or disposal/impairment outcome with standard reference.

Computation: depreciation schedule or gain/loss calculation.

Entries: full journal entries (journal-entry format).

Register Impact: rollforward line movement.

Scripts

• calculate.py: Deterministic functions for this skill's core computations. Run python3 scripts/calculate.py to self-test; import the functions instead of doing mental math.

References

• Useful Life Benchmarks: Typical lives, componentization and policy guidance by asset class.

Related Skills

• aro-computation: Restoration cost capitalized into the asset.
• journal-entry: For the entries this skill produces.
• deferred-tax: Tax-vs-book depreciation creates temporary differences.
• lease-accounting: ROU assets follow similar depreciation logic.