Goodwill Impairment An Empirical Investigation of Write-Offs under SFAS 142

• Main Author: Sellhorn, Thorsten (auth)
• Format: Electronic Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Bern Peter Lang International Academic Publishers 2018
• Series: Bochumer Beitraege zur Unternehmensfuehrung 70
• Subjects: Accounting: study & revision guides; Budgeting & financial management; Bilanzpolitik; Empirical; Firmenwert; Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; Geschäftswert; Goodwill; Impairment; Investigation; Offs; Sellhorn; SFAS; under; USA; US-GAAP; Wertberichtigung; Write
• Online Access: OAPEN Library: download the publication; OAPEN Library: description of the publication

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.