Tag: fixed assets

Impairment and the Balance Sheet

~ C.O.R.E. Beliefs ~ Leave a comment

Typically it goes like this, “I googled this accounting term and it says that I am not required to do what you are saying.”  Ugh

Do not put your google search up against my accounting degree and constant hours of study of accounting principles.  Kubae actually saw that on a coffee cup and I thought it was pretty awesome.  Clichéd but awesome.

As I wrote on my other blog today GAAP is an accounting model that is selected by the organization.  If you elected to follow GAAP then, when a situation arises that GAAP covers, you are required to comply.

Or not.  Remember it is a choice.

We have worked with a few businesses recently who needed their financial statements reviewed.  They each have bank loans with covenants that require their financial statements to be prepared in accordance with GAAP.  And have those financial statements reviewed.

In each instance revenues are down year over year.  In each instance the companies have substantial non-cash assets: inventory, property, facilities and equipment, goodwill.  And we have asked each of them if they determined that their assets are impaired in value.

Sorry but this is a necessary question in a review.  GAAP requires that assets be tested for impairment, that is, loss of value.   And since you have a loan covenant requiring GAAP financial statements you have to follow the steps called for by GAAP.

Or you can say you are not going to follow GAAP.

By the way, you should be worried about value impairment in the situation where revenues are dropping and profits are slipping.  It is a sign that perhaps you have surplus inventory, desks that are not being used, expensive plant equipment that is sitting idle, shop space unused.  Why wait until the CPA says something?

That was a rhetorical question.  At this stage businesses have bigger problems than if their assets no longer have value.  Your bank moving you to special assets is chief among them.  You are focused on profitability because you think that is what the bank is concerned with.  And slamming more expenses into your fragile profit and loss statement is the last thing you want to happen.

Testing for impairment doesn’t necessarily lead to a write-off of value.  But if it does, so what?  If you are carrying inventory that you haven’t moved in a year then maybe adjusting its value to what you can get for it is a good move.  Think about it, you are trying to correct for past decisions and return to profitability.  Your inventory, and other assets, were a reflection of those past decisions and not dealing with them will actually hamper your turnaround.

Capitalized leasehold improvements has been a big issue for us on review.  What we find is that the accountant (even us) records the depreciation/amortization over 39 years.  Why?  because it fits with MACRS.  But it isn’t disclosed properly.  And then the problem is compounded by the fact that the company has a 5 year lease with one 5-year extension.

There are three years left on the extension.  Revenues and profits are down and management is looking for smaller, more affordable space.  And the company is sitting on $350,000 net book value of leasehold improvements.  It is painfully obvious isn’t it?

The value is impaired like it or not.  You don’t have a $350,000 asset, you have a huge rock tied to your ankles while you plummet the depth of the ocean.   Ignoring the problem isn’t going to help.  When it is time to move to the new facility the business will have to take a $300,000 write off for the inaccurate reporting of the economic life.  And that is the year your line of credit renews.

We know this isn’t an easy subject but you elected to follow GAAP.  Look at your assets and ask if it is still worth it.  You should do this even if you are vastly profitable since it is highly likely that there are assets or asset classes that you are no longer utilizing.

Or don’t follow GAAP.  The choice is yours.  Just don’t get mad at the CPA because she questions your balance sheet.

Have a great weekend.  If you would like more information about impairment or any other GAAP issue, feel free to contact us through our website.  We look forward to being of service to you.

 

Using accounting to deceive

~ C.O.R.E. Beliefs ~ 1 Comment

I have received a few google alerts recently about companies that are being accused of using their accounting and financial statements to deceive readers.   It is sadly a far too common occurrence.  For readers of financial statements – like those who are owners in a homeowners or condominium association – knowing what to look for can help you determine if the information could be incorrect and maybe even fictitious.

First up on the balance sheet is cash.  While it is difficult to determine if the amount of cash is bogus there are things to look for, especially in associations.  If the financial statements show lots of cash but you are receiving messages from the board saying that they are worried about having to increase assessments – ask how that can possibly be.   There could be a logical explanation but every once in a while something is just flat our wrong.

Accounts receivable is one of the places where potential problems may really lurk.  Accounts receivable are sales that have not been collected – i.e. an IOU from the buyer.  For most businesses, one month’s sales in receivable would be expected, but watch out.  I once worked on an engagement for a hotel chain where the accounts receivable kept increasing and was approaching almost 10 days of revenue.  The a/r was used to hide the theft of cash sales and the controller didn’t catch it.  Ask yourself, if you owned a business like that, would you let someone promise to pay you later?

Inventory is another big area where accounting irregularities can show up.  Ask yourself, does the inventory seem excessive?  An easy way to tell is to divide the cost of goods sold by 12 and then compare that number to the amount reported as inventory.  Is it close to or less than 1:1?  That would mean that inventory is turning every 30 days.  If it is over 1.5:1, or more than 45 days, be careful.  Inventory goes obsolete quickly these days so lots of inventory may mean lots of write-offs coming soon.

Fixed assets, or property, plant and equipment can be gimmicked as well.  WorldCom tried to pull off this method of lying to their investors.  This is one of those areas that is harder to tell if something is wrong but the best thing to do is look at how fast the investment in fixed assets grow.  If sales have grown on average 3% over the last 5 years and fixed assets grew 12% this year, it may be worth questioning.  It is definitely worth looking at when fixed assets grows consistently at 12% year over year and sales isn’t going anywhere.  That is a sign of trouble.  We performed a review this past year where we required management to write down their asset value because we felt that the fixed assets were overstated.

Keep in mind that most entities that want to fool you will want you to focus on their profits – which means that revenues exceed expenses.  The easiest way to do that is to move expenses to the balance sheet; the receivables, the inventory, the fixed assets.  Look at expense trends and if you see an expense, like cost of goods sold, drop as a percentage, and then check if inventory went down that same percentage.  If it went up, it could be a sign something is wrong.

The vast majority of financial statement issuers are above board and honest.  To help keep them that way, remember to read the statement critically and be willing to ask questions, especially if you have a financial interest in the issuer.

Have a great day.