Intangibles and goodwill

ASC 350-10 is the Overall subtopic that sets the scope and structure for the Intangibles—Goodwill and Other Topic. It governs the subsequent measurement, presentation, and disclosure of goodwill and other intangible assets (through Subtopics 350-20, 350-30, 350-40, 350-50, and 350-60), but expressly excludes accounting at acquisition for goodwill and intangibles acquired in a business combination, an NFP acquisition, or recognized by a joint venture upon formation. It also directs that derecognition of nonfinancial assets within the Topic follow Subtopic 610-20 or Topic 606, as applicable.

ASC 350-20 governs the accounting for goodwill after its initial recognition (initial recognition/measurement is in 805-30, 805-60, or 958-805) and prohibits capitalizing internally developed goodwill. Under the general model, goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment at least annually at the reporting unit level, with an optional qualitative "more likely than not" screen; if the quantitative test shows the reporting unit's carrying amount exceeds its fair value, a loss is recognized for that excess, capped at the goodwill allocated to the unit. Private companies and not-for-profit entities may elect accounting alternatives to amortize goodwill over 10 years or less and to test only upon a triggering event, and/or to evaluate triggering events only as of the end of each reporting period.

ASC 350-30 governs the accounting for intangible assets other than goodwill — their recognition when acquired individually or in an asset group, the expensing of internally developed intangibles that are not specifically identifiable, and, for all intangibles (including those from a business combination), their subsequent measurement, impairment, presentation, and disclosure. The core rule is that accounting after acquisition turns on useful life: finite-lived intangibles are amortized over their useful life (residual value presumed zero) and tested for impairment under Subtopic 360-10, while indefinite-lived intangibles are not amortized and are tested for impairment at least annually by comparing fair value with carrying amount.

ASC 350-40 governs the accounting for costs of computer software acquired, developed, or modified solely for an entity's internal needs (with no substantive plan to market it externally), and for implementation costs of hosting arrangements that are service contracts. Under current guidance, preliminary project stage costs and training/data conversion costs are expensed, while internal and external direct costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized (350-40-25-1 through 25-6) once management authorizes and commits funding and completion is probable (350-40-25-12). Capitalized amounts are amortized straight-line beginning when the software is ready for its intended use (350-40-35-4 through 35-6) and tested for impairment under Section 360-10-35.

ASC 350-50 tells you which website development costs get capitalized and which get expensed, organized by five stages: planning, application and infrastructure development, graphics development, content development, and operating. Planning-stage costs, content input costs, data conversion costs, and operating-stage costs are expensed as incurred; website software (including graphics, which are treated as a component of software) is capitalized under ASC 350-40 for internal-use software or ASC 985-20 if a plan exists to market the software externally, and domain registration costs are capitalized under ASC 350-30. The entire Subtopic is superseded by ASU 2025-06 effective for fiscal years beginning after December 16, 2027 (transition guidance in 350-40-65-4).

ASC 350-908 tells airlines how to account for purchased take-off and landing slots. Because the Department of Transportation permits airlines to sell or trade slots, a purchased slot is a salable right recorded as an intangible asset under Topic 350 (350-908-25-1). Slots acquired by exchanging slots with another airline are nonmonetary assets measured under Topic 845 and then accounted for under Topic 350 (350-908-35-2).

This Subtopic governs intangible-type costs incurred by cable television systems, principally programming and other system costs during the "prematurity period" and franchise application costs. During the prematurity period, fixed system costs incurred in anticipation of a fully operating system are split between current operations (expensed) and future operations (capitalized) using the subscriber-based fraction in 922-360-35-3, and amortization is computed using that same fraction. Costs of successful franchise applications are capitalized and amortized under Topic 350, while unsuccessful or abandoned franchise costs are expensed.

This Subtopic carves oil- and gas-producing entities out of the general intangible asset balance sheet classification and disclosure rules for their drilling and mineral rights. Because the oil and gas accounting framework turns on the level of established reserves rather than on whether an asset is tangible or intangible, the scope exception in 350-10-15-4(b) extends to the disclosure provisions, with disclosure instead governed by Section 932-235-50. Entities may voluntarily provide additional information about drilling and mineral rights but may not analogize this exception to other items in 350-10-15-4.

This subtopic applies Topic 350's goodwill and intangibles guidance to entities with regulated operations. Its core rule is that goodwill is not amortized and is tested for impairment under Topic 350 unless a regulator permits amortization of goodwill as an allowable cost for rate-making purposes, in which case the regulator's action provides reasonable assurance of a regulatory asset that is amortized over the period allowed for rate-making. It also addresses long-term power sales contracts acquired in a business combination and the need to review such contracts for loss-contract status.

ASC 350-985 is a link-only subtopic: it contains no substantive rules of its own but points readers to Subtopic 985-20 for the capitalization of computer software costs as intangible assets. Specifically, it directs users to 985-20-25-3 (costs of producing product masters incurred after technological feasibility is established) and 985-20-25-10 (purchased software having an alternative future use).

ASC 720-45 governs the accounting for costs of business process reengineering (BPR) activities, including those bundled into information technology transformation projects (e.g., enterprise software installations). The core rule is that BPR costs—whether performed internally or by third parties—must be expensed as incurred, even when they are part of a project to acquire, develop, or implement internal-use software. When a bundled third-party consulting contract covers multiple activities, the contract price must be allocated among activities based on objective evidence of relative fair values.

This Subtopic tells cable television entities which industry-specific costs must be expensed rather than capitalized. During the prematurity period (while a cable system is being built out and partially marketed), subscriber-related costs and general and administrative expenses are period costs. Costs of disconnecting/reconnecting subscribers after initial installation, and costs of unsuccessful franchise applications or abandoned franchises, are also charged to expense.

ASC 730-10 governs the identification and accounting for research and development (R&D) costs. The core rule is that R&D costs within scope are charged to expense when incurred (730-10-25-1), because future benefits are too uncertain and unmeasurable to support asset recognition (730-10-05-2 through 05-3). The subtopic also defines which activities count as R&D, which cost elements are R&D costs, and requires disclosure of total R&D expense for each income statement period.

ASC 730-985 is a "link" subtopic: it contains no substantive rules of its own but points readers from the research and development Topic to the software guidance. It directs users to 985-20-25-1 for costs incurred to establish the technological feasibility of software to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed, and to 985-20-25-8 through 25-10 for the cost of purchased software to be marketed.

ASC 805-20 governs one piece of the acquisition method: recognizing and measuring the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed, and any noncontrolling interest (NCI) in the acquiree. The core rules are that at the acquisition date the acquirer recognizes these items separately from goodwill (if they meet the asset/liability definitions and are part of the exchange, not a separate transaction) and measures them at acquisition-date fair value, subject to a closed list of recognition and measurement exceptions (income taxes, employee benefits, indemnification assets, reacquired rights, share-based payments, held-for-sale assets, certain contingencies, leases, PCD assets, contract assets/liabilities). Private companies and NFPs may elect an accounting alternative that subsumes most customer-related intangibles and all noncompetition agreements into goodwill.

ASC 805-60 governs how a newly formed joint venture (or corporate joint venture) accounts for its own formation in its separate financial statements. The joint venture must establish a new basis of accounting at the formation date, recognizing and measuring identifiable assets, liabilities, and any noncontrolling interest under Subtopic 805-20, but without identifying an acquirer. Goodwill, if any, is the excess of the formation-date fair value of the joint venture as a whole over the net of the identifiable assets and liabilities recognized; any excess of net assets over that fair value is credited to additional paid-in capital rather than recognized as a bargain purchase gain.

ASC 958-805 (indexed here as 805-958) governs combinations in which a not-for-profit entity is the reporting entity and combines with other NFPs, businesses, or nonprofit activities. If the participating governing boards cede control to a new NFP, the transaction is a merger accounted for under the carryover method (combine GAAP carrying amounts, no fresh start, no new assets); if one entity obtains control of the other, it is an acquisition accounted for under the acquisition method with NFP-specific rules for identifying the acquirer, goodwill, and inherent contributions.

This Subtopic addresses how airlines account for exchanges of take-off and landing slots. Slots received in an exchange with another airline are nonmonetary assets and must be recorded under the general nonmonetary transaction guidance in Topic 845 (845-908-25-1), with related intangible asset guidance in Subtopic 908-350. Its scope is the same as the airline industry Overall Subtopic scope in Section 908-10-15.

ASC 920-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Entertainment—Broadcasters Topic, which sets out industry-specific financial accounting and reporting standards for broadcasters. It is incremental guidance only: broadcasters must also apply all other applicable GAAP (920-10-15-1). The Topic covers all entities considered broadcasters and all their transactions, including network affiliation agreements, but excludes broadcasters that own the film (program material) they show, which instead follow ASC 926 (920-10-15-2, 15-3).

ASC 922-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Entertainment—Cable Television Topic, which addresses accounting and reporting for costs and expenses of constructing and operating a cable television system (922-10-05-1). It applies to all entities in the cable television industry and provides only incremental industry-specific guidance, so those entities must also follow all other applicable GAAP (922-10-15-1 through 15-2). The Topic is organized into Subtopics covering intangibles/goodwill, property, plant, and equipment, other expenses, and interest.

ASC 928-10 is the overview and scope subtopic for accounting by entities in the record and music industry. It flags the topics covered elsewhere in ASC 928 — licensing of music copyrights and record masters, artist compensation costs (including royalties paid to recording artists), costs of producing record masters, and licensees' accounting for fees and minimum guarantees. The guidance is incremental industry-specific guidance only; entities in scope must still follow all other applicable GAAP.

ASC 985-10 is the Overall subtopic of the Software Topic, which sets the scope umbrella for the industry-specific software guidance (costs of software to be sold, leased, or marketed; inventory; intangibles—goodwill and other; provision for losses; cost of sales and services; and research and development). The Topic provides only incremental industry-specific guidance—entities within its scope must also apply all other applicable GAAP (985-10-15-1). It applies to all entities and to computer software to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed as a separate product or as part of a product or process (985-10-15-2 through 15-3).

ASC 985-20 governs the accounting for costs of computer software to be sold, leased, or otherwise marketed, whether internally developed or purchased. All costs incurred to establish technological feasibility are research and development expensed as incurred (985-20-25-1); costs of producing product masters after technological feasibility is established are capitalized (985-20-25-3) and capitalization ceases when the product is available for general release (985-20-25-6). Capitalized amounts are amortized product-by-product at the greater of the revenue-ratio or straight-line amount (985-20-35-1) and are written down to net realizable value at each balance sheet date (985-20-35-4).