Die effek van die rekeningkundige hantering van klandisiewaarde op maatskappy-resultate

[摘要] English: The main purpose of the study was to quantify the expected effect of the new accounting statement, AC 131, on company results. AC 131 came into effect on 1 January 2000. It requires that goodwill should be recognized as an asset and that it should be amortized over its useful life. Before the effect of AC 131 on company results could be analyzed, the current treatment of goodwill by South African companies had to be established. It was found that 58% of the selected companies wrote goodwill off against equity. The transitional provisions of AC 131 do not require companies to apply the statement retrospectively if goodwill was previously written off against equity. The analyses of the 1998 annual financial statements of 100 companies yielded the following results: �?If AC 131 had applied during 1998, the earnings per share and return on equity figures of companies would respectively have been 33% and 24% lower than the figures actually reported by the companies. �?Goodwill of R 20 904 965 000 was written off against equity during 1998. This represents approximately 10% of total assets and 23% of equity. The amounts of goodwill written off against equity were therefore substantial. As a result, company results will be overstated for many years to come, since goodwill will never be amortized against future income. The majority of companies do not disclose the cumulative amounts of goodwill written off against equity in the past. The absence of this information makes it very difficult to evaluate the real performance and profits of a company. It also hampers comparisons between the financial results of companies. The recommendation of the study is that AC 131 should be amended to require the retrospective application thereof. Goodwill that was written off against equity before 1 January 2000 should be restated and treated as a change in accounting policy in accordance with AC 103. Alternatively, companies should be required to disclose all amounts pertaining to goodwill write-offs that were made against equity before 1 January 2000.

[发布机构] University of the Free State