Elements of greater importance in companies. They
influence the day to day of the company, in its
processes, but also in its economic valuation.
They are defined as
«Non-monetary assets without physical appearance
susceptible of economic valuation». That is, despite not
having material support, they are capable of generating value
for the company.
Intangible assets exist
1. Intangible assets in
the accounting sense
of the term
Example
Investments in the human capital of workers (for
example, through their training) cannot be
considered an intangible asset because they cannot
be controlled by the company. Once he owns it, it is
the worker who controls his own knowledge.
2. Those elements that can be
counted as intangible
assets
Example
The internally generated brands within the
company are not accounted for, but the acquirer will
be accounted for in the case of a sale. Another
example is the internally generated goodwill, which
could be subject to accounting after a business
combination.
3. The other "intangible assets"
Example
Human capital, clientele, organization or
know-how are just some examples of intangibles
that have a great impact on the life of the
company. Despite not being included in the
accounting, it is very convenient for the company
to worry about how much they can be worth and
if they deteriorate over time or certain events or
if, on the contrary, their contribution to the
valuation of the company It gets stronger over
time.
How can intangible assets help the company?
1. Improving your ability to increase sales
Intangible assets allow us to open new lines of
business in which to obtain new demand. A good
example of this are patents.
2. Reducing production costs
The generation of the appropriate intangibles and their good
management are at the base of the company's productivity growth,
which allows to reduce production costs.
Example
The know-how allows the company to perform tasks that
without that know-how would be impossible in the short
term or that could be approachable in the long term with
very high costs.
3. The transfer of rights of use
over intangible assets
Many companies obtain income derived from the
transfer of rights to use certain intangible assets.
For example
Patents, copyrights, sharing useful company
experiences for their clients, etc. Sometimes the term
royalty is used to refer to this income.
4. The reduction in the tax base of the Corporate
Income Tax on income from certain intangible
assets
Article 23 of the Corporate Tax Law establishes a
reduction in the tax base of income from certain
intangible assets. The amount of the reduction
will be calculated as a percentage of the income
from certain intangible assets.
6. The advantageous position they can
generate in operations between
companies
In certain operations between companies such as
the acquisition of companies, the takeover of a
company, the conduct of joint ventures, the
execution of long-term collaboration contracts
between two or more companies and many
others, the valuation of intangibles can be A
determining element.
5. The sale of intangible assets
In addition to the transfer of use of intangible assets,
the company can generate income from the sale of
said assets, so that the final control of said assets is
transmitted. This is particularly important in
companies dedicated to research or creative activity.