The first report, 'Accounting for Intangibles: A Quantitative Analysis of UK Financial Reports', provides an overview of the nature and extent of current reporting of intangibles by UK listed companies. The report:

• analyses the current reporting practice among listed companies, to examine how they account for intangibles (including capitalisation and expensing), together with any associated disclosure;
• looks at the relationship between acquisitions and intangible assets recognition, providing evidence on the extent to which intangible assets are recognised, predominantly as a result of business combinations; and
• provides an estimate of intangibles expenditure potentially not recognised as assets by UK listed companies.

The findings of the report provide evidence on the current reporting practices, some of their limitations, and the prevalence of intangibles beyond the information found on the face of the financial statements in the UK.

The second report, ‘Accounting for Intangibles: A survey of users’ views’, explores, by means of a survey, users’ perspectives on the accounting for and reporting of intangibles in financial statements. The survey addressed the economic importance of intangibles before examining in detail users’ views of the current IFRS accounting for, and reporting of, intangibles. It also examined possible future accounting by presenting respondents with a range of different types of intangibles and considering possible future accounting treatments and disclosures.  The findings provide evidence about the views of investors and other users of financial statements.

These reports follow the UKEB's first report, 'Accounting for Intangibles: UK Stakeholders’ Views', published in March 2023, which set out stakeholder views on the accounting for intangibles under International Accounting Standards within the context of the wider economic impact of intangibles in the UK. 

All three reports are part of the UKEB's research project on intangibles and the findings will be used by the UKEB as an evidence base in its future work on intangibles, as it develops its own views on accounting for intangibles.

Please click to access the reports on the UKEB website.  Also available on the UKEB website is a short video introducing the reports and a summary brochure which provides an overview of the key findings.