The Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008

SECTION B U.K. HISTORICAL COST ACCOUNTING RULES

Preliminary U.K.

16.  Subject to Sections C and D of this Part of this Schedule, the amounts to be included in respect of all items shown in a company's accounts must be determined in accordance with the rules set out in this Section.

Fixed assets U.K.

General rules U.K.

17.—(1) The amount to be included in respect of any fixed asset must be its purchase price or production cost.

(2) This is subject to any provision for depreciation or diminution in value made in accordance with paragraphs 18 to 20.

Rules for depreciation and diminution in value U.K.

18.  In the case of any fixed asset which has a limited useful economic life, the amount of—

(a) its purchase price or production cost, or

(b) where it is estimated that any such asset will have a residual value at the end of the period of its useful economic life, its purchase price or production cost less that estimated residual value,

must be reduced by provisions for depreciation calculated to write off that amount systematically over the period of the asset's useful economic life.

19.—(1) Where a fixed asset investment falling to be included under item B.III of either of the balance sheet formats set out in Part 1 of this Schedule has diminished in value, provisions for diminution in value may be made in respect of it and the amount to be included in respect of it may be reduced accordingly. U.K.

(2) Provisions for diminution in value must be made in respect of any fixed asset which has diminished in value if the reduction in its value is expected to be permanent (whether its useful economic life is limited or not), and the amount to be included in respect of it must be reduced accordingly.

[F1 (3) Provisions made under sub-paragraph (1) or (2) must be charged to the profit and loss account and disclosed separately in a note to the accounts if not shown separately in the profit and loss account.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 1 para. 19(3) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(a) (with reg. 3)

20.—(1) Where the reasons for which any provision was made in accordance with paragraph 19 have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision must be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary. U.K.

[F2 (1A) But provision made in accordance with paragraph 19(2) in respect of goodwill must not be written back to any extent.]

[F3 (2) Any amounts written back under sub-paragraph (1) must be recognised in the profit and loss account and disclosed separately in a note to the accounts if not shown separately in the profit and loss account.]

Textual Amendments

F2 Sch. 1 para. 20(1A) inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (No. 2) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/1672), regs. 2(1), 4(2)

F3 Sch. 1 para. 20(2) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(b) (with reg. 3)

[F4 Intangible Assets U.K.

21.— (1) Where this is in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice, development costs may be included in “other intangible assets” under “fixed assets” in the balance sheet formats set out in Section B of Part 1 of this Schedule.

(2) If any amount is included in a company's balance sheet in respect of development costs, the note on accounting policies (see paragraph 44 of this Schedule) must include the following information—

(a) the period over which the amount of those costs originally capitalised is being or is to be written off, and

(b) the reasons for capitalising the development costs in question.]

Textual Amendments

F4 Sch. 1 paras. 21, 22 substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(c) (with reg. 3)

[F4 22.— (1) Intangible assets must be written off over the useful economic life of the intangible asset.

(2) Where in exceptional cases the useful life of intangible assets cannot be reliably estimated, such assets must be written off over a period chosen by the directors of the company.

(3) The period referred to in sub-paragraph (2) must not exceed ten years.

(4) There must be disclosed in a note to the accounts the period referred to in sub-paragraph (2) and the reasons for choosing that period.]

Textual Amendments

F4 Sch. 1 paras. 21, 22 substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(c) (with reg. 3)

Current assets U.K.

23.  Subject to paragraph 24, the amount to be included in respect of any current asset must be its purchase price or production cost.

24.—(1) If the net realisable value of any current asset is lower than its purchase price or production cost, the amount to be included in respect of that asset must be the net realisable value.

(2) Where the reasons for which any provision for diminution in value was made in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) have ceased to apply to any extent, that provision must be written back to the extent that it is no longer necessary.

Miscellaneous and supplementary provisions U.K.

Excess of money owed over value received as an asset item U.K.

25.—(1) Where the amount repayable on any debt owed by a company is greater than the value of the consideration received in the transaction giving rise to the debt, the amount of the difference may be treated as an asset.

(2) Where any such amount is so treated—

(a) it must be written off by reasonable amounts each year and must be completely written off before repayment of the debt, and

(b) if the current amount is not shown as a separate item in the company's balance sheet, it must be disclosed in a note to the accounts.

Assets included at a fixed amount U.K.

26.—(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) , assets which fall to be included—

(a) amongst the fixed assets of a company under the item “tangible assets”, or

(b) amongst the current assets of a company under the item “raw materials and consumables”,

may be included at a fixed quantity and value.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) applies to assets of a kind which are constantly being replaced where—

(a) their overall value is not material to assessing the company's state of affairs, and

(b) their quantity, value and composition are not subject to material variation.

Determination of purchase price or production cost U.K.

27.—(1) The purchase price of an asset is to be determined by adding to the actual price paid any expenses incidental to its acquisition [F5 and then subtracting any incidental reductions in the cost of acquisition].

(2) The production cost of an asset is to be determined by adding to the purchase price of the raw materials and consumables used the amount of the costs incurred by the company which are directly attributable to the production of that asset.

(3) In addition, there may be included in the production cost of an asset—

(a) a reasonable proportion of the costs incurred by the company which are only indirectly attributable to the production of that asset, but only to the extent that they relate to the period of production, and

(b) interest on capital borrowed to finance the production of that asset, to the extent that it accrues in respect of the period of production,

provided, however, in a case within paragraph (b), that the inclusion of the interest in determining the cost of that asset and the amount of the interest so included is disclosed in a note to the accounts.

(4) In the case of current assets distribution costs may not be included in production costs.

Textual Amendments

F5 Words in Sch. 1 para. 27(1) added (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(d) (with reg. 3)

28.—(1) The purchase price or production cost of—

(a) any assets which fall to be included under any item shown in a company's balance sheet under the general item “stocks”, and

(b) any assets which are fungible assets (including investments),

may be determined by the application of any of the methods mentioned in sub-paragraph (2) in relation to any such assets of the same class, provided that the method chosen is one which appears to the directors to be appropriate in the circumstances of the company.

(2) Those methods are—

(a) the method known as “first in, first out” (FIFO),

(b) the method known as “last in, first out” (LIFO),

(c) a weighted average price, and

(d) any other method [F6 reflecting generally accepted best practice].

(3) Where in the case of any company—

(a) the purchase price or production cost of assets falling to be included under any item shown in the company's balance sheet has been determined by the application of any method permitted by this paragraph, and

(b) the amount shown in respect of that item differs materially from the relevant alternative amount given below in this paragraph,

the amount of that difference must be disclosed in a note to the accounts.

(4) Subject to sub-paragraph (5), for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3)(b), the relevant alternative amount, in relation to any item shown in a company's balance sheet, is the amount which would have been shown in respect of that item if assets of any class included under that item at an amount determined by any method permitted by this paragraph had instead been included at their replacement cost as at the balance sheet date.

(5) The relevant alternative amount may be determined by reference to the most recent actual purchase price or production cost before the balance sheet date of assets of any class included under the item in question instead of by reference to their replacement cost as at that date, but only if the former appears to the directors of the company to constitute the more appropriate standard of comparison in the case of assets of that class.

Textual Amendments

F6 Words in Sch. 1 para. 28(2)(d) substituted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(e) (with reg. 3)

Substitution of original stated amount where price or cost unknown U.K.

29.—(1) This paragraph applies where—

(a) there is no record of the purchase price or production cost of any asset of a company or of any price, expenses or costs relevant for determining its purchase price or production cost in accordance with paragraph 27, or

(b) any such record cannot be obtained without unreasonable expense or delay.

(2) In such a case, the purchase price or production cost of the asset must be taken, for the purposes of paragraphs 17 to 24, to be the value ascribed to it in the earliest available record of its value made on or after its acquisition or production by the company.

[F7 Equity method in respect of participating interests U.K.

29A.— (1) Participating interests may be accounted for using the equity method.

(2) If participating interests are accounted for using the equity method—

(a) the proportion of profit or loss attributable to a participating interest and recognised in the profit and loss account may be that proportion which corresponds to the amount of any dividends, and

(b) where the profit attributable to a participating interest and recognised in the profit and loss account exceeds the amount of any dividends, the difference must be placed in a reserve which cannot be distributed to shareholders.

(3) The reference to “dividends” in sub-paragraph (2) includes dividends already paid and those whose payment can be claimed.]

Textual Amendments

F7 Sch. 1 para. 29A inserted (with effect in accordance with reg. 2(2)-(5) of the amending S.I.) by The Companies, Partnerships and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/980), regs. 2(1), 28(3)(f) (with reg. 3)