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Allocating the cost of a business combination to the assets acquired and liabilities and contingent liabilities assumed

36. The acquirer shall, at the acquisition date, allocate the cost of a business combination by recognising the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities that satisfy the recognition criteria in paragraph 37 at their fair values at that date, except for noncurrent assets (or disposal groups) that are classified as held for sale in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations, which shall be recognised at fair value less costs to sell. Any difference between the cost of the business combination and the acquirer’s interest in the net fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities so recognised shall be accounted for in accordance with paragraphs 51-57.

37. The acquirer shall recognise separately the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities at the acquisition date only if they satisfy the following criteria at that date:

(a) in the case of an asset other than an intangible asset, it is probable that any associated future economic benefits will flow to the acquirer, and its fair value can be measured reliably;

(b) in the case of a liability other than a contingent liability, it is probable that an outflow of resources embodying economic benefits will be required to settle the obligation, and its fair value can be measured reliably;

(c) in the case of an intangible asset or a contingent liability, its fair value can be measured reliably.

38. The acquirer’s income statement shall incorporate the acquiree’s profits and losses after the acquisition date by including the acquiree’s income and expenses based on the cost of the business combination to the acquirer. For example, depreciation expense included after the acquisition date in the acquirer’s income statement that relates to the acquiree’s depreciable assets shall be based on the fair values of those depreciable assets at the acquisition date, ie their cost to the acquirer.

39. Application of the purchase method starts from the acquisition date, which is the date on which the acquirer effectively obtains control of the acquiree. Because control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity or business so as to obtain benefits from its activities, it is not necessary for a transaction to be closed or finalised at law before the acquirer obtains control. All pertinent facts and circumstances surrounding a business combination shall be considered in assessing when the acquirer has obtained control.

40. Because the acquirer recognises the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities that satisfy the recognition criteria in paragraph 37 at their fair values at the acquisition date, any minority interest in the acquiree is stated at the minority’s proportion of the net fair value of those items. Paragraphs B16 and B17 of Appendix B provide guidance on determining the fair values of the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities for the purpose of allocating the cost of a business combination.

Acquiree's identifiable assets and liabilities

41. In accordance with paragraph 36, the acquirer recognises separately as part of allocating the cost of the combination only the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities of the acquiree that existed at the acquisition date and satisfy the recognition criteria in paragraph 37. Therefore:

(a) the acquirer shall recognise liabilities for terminating or reducing the activities of the acquiree as part of allocating the cost of the combination only when the acquiree has, at the acquisition date, an existing liability for restructuring recognised in accordance with IAS 37 Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets; and

(b) the acquirer, when allocating the cost of the combination, shall not recognise liabilities for future losses or other costs expected to be incurred as a result of the business combination.

42. A payment that an entity is contractually required to make, for example, to its employees or suppliers in the event that it is acquired in a business combination is a present obligation of the entity that is regarded as a contingent liability until it becomes probable that a business combination will take place. The contractual obligation is recognised as a liability by that entity in accordance with IAS 37 when a business combination becomes probable and the liability can be measured reliably. Therefore, when the business combination is effected, that liability of the acquiree is recognised by the acquirer as part of allocating the cost of the combination.

43. However, an acquiree’s restructuring plan whose execution is conditional upon its being acquired in a business combination is not, immediately before the business combination, a present obligation of the acquiree. Nor is it a contingent liability of the acquiree immediately before the combination because it is not a possible obligation arising from a past event whose existence will be confirmed only by the occurrence or nonoccurrence of one or more uncertain future events not wholly within the control of the acquiree. Therefore, an acquirer shall not recognise a liability for such restructuring plans as part of allocating the cost of the combination.

44. The identifiable assets and liabilities that are recognised in accordance with paragraph 36 include all of the acquiree’s assets and liabilities that the acquirer purchases or assumes, including all of its financial assets and financial liabilities. They might also include assets and liabilities not previously recognised in the acquiree’s financial statements, eg because they did not qualify for recognition before the acquisition. For example, a tax benefit arising from the acquiree’s tax losses that was not recognised by the acquiree before the business combination qualifies for recognition as an identifiable asset in accordance with paragraph 36 if it is probable that the acquirer will have future taxable profits against which the unrecognised tax benefit can be applied.

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