What is the allocation of the cost of an intangible asset?
Isabella Turner
Updated on January 02, 2026
Amortization refers to the allocation of the cost of an intangible asset over its estimated economic life. This expense is similar to depreciation expense. Some examples of intangible assets include the following: A business may purchase the customer list of another company that is going out of business.
What is amortization of intangible assets?
Amortization of intangibles is the process of expensing the cost of an intangible asset over the projected life of the asset for tax or accounting purposes. Intangible assets, such as patents and trademarks, are amortized into an expense account.
What is amortization and depletion?
Depreciation spreads out the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life, depletion allocates the cost of extracting natural resources, such as timber, minerals, and oil from the earth, and amortization is the deduction of intangible assets over a specified time period; typically the life of an asset.
What is the difference between amortization and depreciation?
Amortization and depreciation are two methods of calculating the value for business assets over time. Amortization is the practice of spreading an intangible asset’s cost over that asset’s useful life. Depreciation is the expensing of a fixed asset over its useful life.
Do intangible assets have to be amortized?
Intangible assets are non-physical assets on a company’s balance sheet. If an intangible asset has a finite useful life, the company is required to amortize it, a process very similar to how physical assets are depreciated over time.
Which intangible assets are amortized over their useful life?
Intangible assets with identifiable useful lives (limited-life) include copyrights and patents. These items are amortized on a straight-line basis over their economic or legal life, whichever is shorter. Some examples of indefinite-life intangibles are goodwill, trademarks, and perpetual franchises.
What is an intangible asset give at least three examples?
An intangible asset is an asset that is not physical in nature. Goodwill, brand recognition and intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, are all intangible assets. Intangible assets exist in opposition to tangible assets, which include land, vehicles, equipment, and inventory.
Amortization of intangibles is the process of expensing the cost of an intangible asset over the projected life of the asset for tax or accounting purposes. Intangible assets, such as patents and trademarks, are amortized into an expense account. Tangible assets are instead written off through depreciation.
What is an example of amortization?
Amortization refers to how loan payments are applied to certain types of loans. Your last loan payment will pay off the final amount remaining on your debt. For example, after exactly 30 years (or 360 monthly payments), you’ll pay off a 30-year mortgage.
What is amortization example?
What does it mean to amortize an intangible asset?
The same to depreciation, it is the process of reducing asset balance to amortize expenses in income statement. The amortize expense will depend on the total cost of asset, and it is expected useful life as it is highly likely to have no residual value. The intangible asset with limited useful life such as copyright, patent, and trademark.
Which is the periodic allocation of an intangible asset?
The periodic allocation of the cost of an intangible asset to the periods it benefits. Nice work! You just studied 22 terms! Now up your study game with Learn mode.
How is the measurement of intangible assets done?
All costs related to building the software or purchase cost if we buy from external party. For the subsequent measurement of intangible asset, the entity has the option to use the cost model or revaluation model. Cost Model: Intangible assets must be presented at cost less accumulated amortization and impairment loss, if any.
Which is an example of an intangible asset that has no residual value?
The amortize expense will depend on the total cost of asset, and it is expected useful life as it is highly likely to have no residual value. The intangible asset with limited useful life such as copyright, patent, and trademark. So we use the full cost amount to calculate with the Straight line method.