关于资产退废负债

2001年6月末，美国财务会计准则委员会(FASB)理事会一致同意发布第143号财务会计准则公告—资产退废负债(SFAS143)。该项目于1994年发起时，主要是研究核电站退废成本的会计处理，后来将研究范围扩大到所有行业资产寿命期间内发生的类似关闭和移动成本。该准则要求会计主体在资产退废期间记录资产退废负债的公允价值。最初记录负债时，企业应通过增加相关长期资产的账面价值使成本资本化。随时间的延续，负债每期随其现值而增值，资本化成本也在相关资产的有效寿命期内折旧。至负债结算时，企业要么以其所记录的负债金额来结算，要么产生结算损益。该准则自2002年6月15日开始的会计年度生效，但鼓励企业提前应用。

Asset Retirement Obligations provide for future disposal of assets as required by SFAS 143.

Firms must recognize the ARO liability in the period it was acquired, generally acquisition. The liability equals the market value, and if that is not available the present value of cash flows that will be required to extinguish the liability. An asset equal to the initial liability is added to the Balance Sheet, and depreciated over the life of the asset. The result is an increase in both assets and liabilities.

An ARO Example

All numbers in this example are in today’s dollars.

Consider a fixed asset that has a useful life of 7 years, a present value of cash flows equal to $15,000 and the present value of cleanup at the end of the 7th year equal to $5,000. Suppose the firm pays by cash the net present value, that is $10,000. Prior to SFAS 143, the firm would reduce cash by $10,000 and increase fixed assets by $10,000. No changes would result to the totals on either side of the balance sheet. By SFAS 143, the firm needs to also recognize the future liability of $5,000 and a corresponding asset of $5,000. Hence both sides of the balance sheet consequently increase by $5,000.

As the cash flows from the asset come in, the asset of $5,000 is depreciated down to zero in the seventh year. This makes sense as during the seven years the firm has received cash flows of $5,000 in excess of the present value of $10,000 it paid. And the firm uses these cash flows to meet its retirement obligation, and then extinguishes the liability of $5,000. The fixed asset of $10,000 is depreciated in the usual manner.

If the ARO is not recognized as per SFAS 143 then after the cash flows from the asset have been obtained but prior to its “retirement”, the B/S assets will show an excess value of $5,000 that does not actually exist as it would have to be spent on clean up (retirement) costs. When the costs of retirement come in, the B/S assets (and equity on the right side) will drop by $5,000 at one go. Recognizing the ARO keeps the B/S more accurate through time.

The increase of assets and liabilities by $5,000 will affect financial ratios, for example return on assets will decline, debt equity ratio will increase, etc.