Can Investors Unravel the Effects of Goodwill Accounting?
聚焦商誉会计，探讨美国会计准则下收购成本超过可辨认净资产公允价值的部分应如何资本化并在不超过40年内摊销，以及这一做法引发的不同反应。
Abstract The article focuses on goodwill accounting. The cost of an acquired company in excess of the fair value of its identifiable net assets should undergo capitalization and amortization over a period not exceeding 40 years under U.S. accounting standards. Since its adoption in 1970, this accounting practice for purchased goodwill has solicited differing reactions due to its amortization requirement. Some see it as having indefinite life and that it penalizes reported earnings, while some see it as having a short life and that its wide range of amortization period allows the overstatement of reported earnings.