Goodwill Impairment

Sellhorn, Thorsten (2004): Goodwill Impairment. An Empirical Investigation of Write-Offs under SFAS 142. Bochumer Beiträge zur Unternehmensführung, Vol. 70. Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien: Peter Lang.

Abstract

In 2001, goodwill amortization in the US was eliminated in favor of an impairment-only approach, which, according to critics, gives managers vast discretion and opportunities for earnings management. Prior research suggests that discretionary asset write-offs are associated with economic factors and managers’ financial reporting objectives. Based on a systematic literature review, this study investigates for a comprehensive sample of US firms the determinants of goodwill write-off behavior. Regression analysis shows that write-off behavior is significantly explained by firms’ economic properties. Only in large, high-profile firms, incentives appear to be significant determinants. These findings suggest that the impairment-only approach does capture goodwill impairment at least to some extent.

• Item Type: Monograph
• Faculties: Munich School of Management > Institute for Accounting, Auditing and Analysis
• Subjects: 300 Social sciences > 330 Economics
• ISBN: 9783631754986 ; 9783631527078
• Place of Publication: Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien
• Annotation: Zugl.: Bochum, Univ., Diss., 2004. Digitale Originalausgabe 2018
• Language: English