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Research And Development Cost Analysis

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Today, companies are increasing their spending on research and development more than ever before. Research and development costs are the costs that a company incurs to either improve its existing products and processes, or develop entirely new endeavors. Thus, as research and development costs are now inevitable for businesses in order to beat out competitors, it is important to understand the accounting treatment for these costs under the guidance of both GAAP and IFRS.
Both research and development costs are expensed as incurred under GAAP; however, there is further guidance regarding the accounting treatment of software development that allows for possible capitalization of related development costs. A report issued by PWC states that, …show more content…

18). Once these criteria are met, development costs can then be capitalized and amortized over a period of time and as a result, would show the recognition of the continuous benefit from the development costs that contributed to the asset.
An important point for companies that are following IFRS guidelines here is to differentiate between costs that are related to research activities and those related to development activities, since they require different treatments. According to KPMG, the definition of what constitutes research costs versus development costs is very similar between IFRS and GAAP; however, neither provides a clear definition that easily differentiates the two categories (IFRS, 2017). Because of the different accounting treatment required, it is imperative that a company develops processes and controls that allow the distinction to be made based on the nature of different activities. This ensures the most accurate representation of research and development costs presented in the financial statements of an entity.
The previously discussed guidance is pertaining to intangible assets that were developed by the entity itself; there is separate guidance regarding research and development costs related to intangible assets obtained through the acquisition of another company. Under GAAP, capitalization depends on both the type of acquisition,

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