Identified Intangible and Goodwill
Where intangible assets are acquired within a business combination there is no exemption from the necessity of applying IAS 12. If the intangible in question is not tax deductible on either consumption or sale, a deferred tax liability based on the value of the intangible and the prevailing tax rate will be recognised. The corresponding debit entry will increase goodwill.
In certain jurisdictions, the amortization of intangible assets is deductible for tax purposes. This generates additional benefits for the owner of the asset which impacts the fair value of the asset. This is the tax amortization benefit (TAB). On a business combination any TAB that would be available if the asset were acquired separately should be reflected in the fair value of the asset. The TAB will increase the intangible value and reduce goodwill. However, the deferred tax on the intangible asset will increase goodwill.
DTL on intangible assets in a business combination may be significant, as there may be no tax deduction for these assets. This leads to the recognition of a higher amount of goodwill. A value in use calculation, which is a pre-tax value, may lead to an impairment charge soon after an acquisition is made, due to the higher amount of goodwill that is recorded as a result of recognised a deferred tax liability.