Financial Accounting Standards Board in the context of "Securities and Exchange Commission"

In accounting, goodwill is an intangible asset recognized when a firm is purchased as a going concern. It reflects the premium that the buyer pays in addition to the net value of its other assets. Goodwill is often understood to represent the firm's intrinsic ability to acquire and retain customer business, where that ability is not otherwise attributable to brand name recognition, contractual arrangements or other specific factors. It is recognized only through an acquisition; it cannot be self-created. It is classified as an intangible asset on the balance sheet, since it can neither be seen nor touched.

Under U.S. GAAP and IFRS, goodwill is never amortized for public companies, because it is considered to have an indefinite useful life. On the other hand, private companies in the United States may elect to amortize goodwill over a period of ten years or less under an accounting alternative from the Private Company Council of the FASB. Instead, management is responsible for valuing goodwill every year and to determine if an impairment is required. If the fair market value goes below historical cost (what goodwill was purchased for), an impairment must be recorded to bring it down to its fair market value. However, an increase in the fair market value would not be accounted for in the financial statements.

The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are the set of default accounting standards used by companies based in the United States.

Published and maintained by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the Accounting Standards Codification outlines the specific and authoritative rules governing GAAP for non-governmental organisations. GAAP sources of law for government agencies and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registrants are found in federal securities law and SEC directions.

The expression "operating lease" is somewhat confusing as it has a different meaning based on the context that is under consideration.From a product characteristic standpoint, this type of a lease, as distinguished from a finance lease, is one where the lessor takes larger residual risk, whereas finance leases have no or a very low residual value position. As such, the operating lease is non full payout. From an accounting standpoint, this type of lease (if it fails to meet varied criteria that define a finance lease) results in off balance sheet financing which can be advantageous for companies in terms of gearing and other accounting ratios.

The determination of whether a lease is a finance (also called capital) lease or an operating lease from an accounting point of view is defined in the United States by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 13 (FAS 13). In countries covered by International Financial Reporting Standards, the tests are defined in IAS 17. In July 2006, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) announced the commencement of a joint project to comprehensively reconsider lease accounting. In July 2008, the boards decided to defer any changes to lessor accounting, while continuing with the project for lessee accounting, with the stated intention to recognise an asset and liability for all lessee leases (in essence, eliminating operating lease accounting). This culminated in the issuance of IFRS 16 and FASB Topic 842. Both are effective January 1, 2019. The similarity in the two pronouncements is that leases, which previously qualified as operating leases- and hence resulted in off balance sheet treatment, are now to be capitalized by the lessee.