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Capitalisation of Intangibles — A Review of Current Practice and the Regulatory Framework
Author(s) -
Wyatt Anne,
Matolcsy Zoltan,
Stokes Donald
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
australian accounting review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.551
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1835-2561
pISSN - 1035-6908
DOI - 10.1111/j.1835-2561.2001.tb00185.x
Subject(s) - accounting , sample (material) , business , discretion , conservatism , capitalization , political science , linguistics , chemistry , philosophy , chromatography , politics , law
This paper reports on capitalisation practices of Australian managers for a large sample of firms in the 1993–97 period, and on accounting regulatory issues in relation to intangibles during and after this period. The data show diversity in capitalisation practices in 1993–97, which we suggest is a consequence of abstract conceptual bases for capitalisation decisions under the Australian regulatory framework. The analysis indicates the framework retains traditional emphasis on conservatism and reliable measurement while providing managers with substantial accounting discretion to capitalise intangible assets. We conclude there is an imperative for research investigating capitalisation decisions for intangibles to guide any further regulation.