Zur Bewertbarkeit von aktiven Rechnungsabgrenzungsposten

Abstract

The main opinion in the current German literature and the present jurisdiction on topics of accounting point out that prepaid expenses are not evaluable at all. In contrast to (intangible) assets, prepaid expenses are supposed to have no going concern value and that is why they are not subject to the valuation rules of German accounting law. On the contrary special legal provisions concerning prepaid expenses only demand the allocation of payments to definite accounting periods according to an accrual basis of accounting. Thus main parts of the current literature and the jurisdiction conclude a missing necessity to normal and extraordinary depreciation at all. This article works out that according to present German law prepaid expenses pass the recognition criteria of (intangible) assets as well; proceeding from this evident similarity between these two balance sheet positions it is shown that an unrestricted evaluation of prepaid expenses as well from an economic as a legal point of view is cogent. Not least that is how the attitude of the 4th Directive towards this question has to be understood.