LOS B requires us to:
compare the financial reporting of the following types of intangible assets: purchased, internally developed, acquired in a business combination
a. Intangible assets are assets that lack physical substance. These are the assets that cannot be touched or seen, but their benefits are derivable over the economic life of the asset.
b. There are two types of tangible assets, i.e. the one with a finite life and the ones with infinite life.
c. The carrying value asset with the finite life is usually amortized over the useful life of the asset, whereas, the value of assets with an indefinite life is not amortized. The assets with indefinite lives are tested annually for impairment.
1. Identifiable Intangible Assets
a. IFRS provides definitional criteria for the identifiable intangible assets. It provides a list of characters for an asset to be called intangible. They are:
i. the asset must be separable from the entity or arise from legal rights.
ii. the asset must be under the company’s control.
iii. and finally, it must be expected to earn future economic benefits for the company.
b. Apart from the definitional criteria, IFRS also provides the recognizable criteria to term an asset as intangible. They are:
i. it should be probable that the future economic benefits would flow to the entity, and
ii. the cost of the asset can be measured reliably.
2. Unidentifiable Intangible Assets
Unidentifiable intangible assets are those assets that cannot be purchased separately and may have an indefinite life.
The accounting for the unidentifiable intangible assets depends upon the manner of its acquisition. Different manners of acquisition and their respective treatments are:
2.1. Purchase of Assets
When an intangible asset is purchased from an outside source:
i. its accounting treatment is the same as tangible asset purchased,
ii. it is recorded at fair value, which is usually the purchase price of the asset,
iii. the cost of acquisition becomes the investing cash outflow, and
iv. if the asset is acquired as a group of assets, its purchase price is allocated to each asset separately.
2.2. Developed Internally
a. When a tangible asset is developed internally, there is a level of certainty that the asset so developed will have economic benefit; but when an intangible asset is developed (such as research is undertaken), there is no or very low certainty that the asset so developed will have an economic life or benefits. Therefore as a measure of conservatism, such costs are expensed as they are incurred.
i. Under IFRS, all the research expense is expensed. However, some development expense may be capitalized, if the development of the asset is technically feasible and the firm intends to use the intangible asset.
ii. Under S. GAAP, all the expense on both research and development is expensed. However, there is one exception to this rule; the cost of developing software may be capitalized.
# If the software is developed for sale, it may only be capitalized if its technical feasibility has been established.
# If however, the software is developed for internal use, it may be capitalized if it is certain that the project will be completed and the software would be used as intended.
iii. Thus when the asset is purchased, it results in the capitalization of non-current assets, and thus there is operating cash outflow. Whereas in case the assets are expensed, there is no asset generated and there is an outflow of operating cash.
The treatment whether an expense should be capitalized or not depends upon the technological feasibility under the IFRS, which requires subjective judgment. Whereas, under the GAAP; it depends upon the completability of the project, which is much easier to establish.
2.3. Assets Acquired in a Business Combination
a. When an intangible asset is acquired in a business combination, it should be accounted for using the acquisition method, under both IFRS and GAAP. As per this method, any amount paid, at the time of acquisition, over and above the fair value of the asset purchased is the goodwill. That is

b. Under IFRS, when the acquired intangible assets meet the definitional and the recognition criteria, then they should be recorded as separate intangible assets; else, they could be added to the goodwill.
c. Under S. GAAP, if:
i. the asset can be separated from the company, or
ii. the asset has arisen, as a result of, contractual/legal rights
then it may be capitalized as a separate identifiable intangible asset, else it should be added to goodwill.