White paper

Accounting for the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets

Updated November 2024

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Audit Intangibles & other assets Financial reporting

Accounting for the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets is complex because there are different models depending on the type of asset involved. Each model uses a different unit of account and each has a different impairment recognition threshold. The frequency with which impairment must be assessed and the basis used to measure an impairment charge varies across some of these models as well.

Our white paper, Snapshot: Accounting for the impairment of goodwill and other long-lived assets, helps with this complexity by providing a side-by-side comparison and brief summary of the relevant accounting guidance in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification related to the impairment of goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, long-lived assets to be held and used, and long-lived assets to be disposed of by sale.