Where are intangible assets recorded on balance sheet?
John Hall
Updated on February 09, 2026
Assets appear first on the balance sheet. Intangible assets appear after your current assets (liquid assets that can be quickly converted into cash) on the balance sheet. When you amortize intangible assets, you must include the amortized amount on your income statement.
What are 2 intangible assets?
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.
Which intangible assets are listed on the balance sheet?
Examples of intangible assets are patents, copyrights, customer lists, literary works, trademarks, and broadcast rights. The balance sheet aggregates all of a company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholders’ equity. Since an intangible asset is classified as an asset, it should appear in the balance sheet.
What is the most common intangible asset that we find on a balance sheet?
Goodwill
#1 – Goodwill Goodwill is one of the most important types of intangible assets. When one company acquires another company by paying extra amount as premium for customer loyalty, brand value, and other non-quantifiable assets, that premium amount is called Goodwill.
How are intangible assets treated in accounting?
Intangible assets are expensed using amortization. This is similar to depreciation but is credited to the intangible asset rather than to a contra account. Finite intangible assets are typically amortized using the straight-line method over the useful life of the asset.
How do intangible assets affect balance sheet?
An intangible asset’s annual amortization expense reduces its value on the balance sheet, which reduces the amount of total assets in the assets section of the balance sheet. This occurs until the end of the intangible asset’s useful life.
How do you account for intangible assets?
The accounting for an intangible asset is to record the asset as a long-term asset and amortize the asset over its useful life, along with regular impairment reviews. The accounting is essentially the same as for other types of fixed assets.
Why are intangible assets not recorded on balance sheet?
It is very difficult to value the intangible assets on balance sheet as it will not be having any defined value like other tangible assets. It not recorded in the balance sheet of the organization if it is internally created, but if they are acquired then it will be recorded in the balance sheet of the organization.
Which is an example of an intangible asset not amortized?
The examples of goodwill include: Similar to trademarks, goodwill is also not amortized because it has an indefinite life. Business entities report goodwill in the balance sheet under intangible assets.
What are the different types of assets on a balance sheet?
As such, the balance sheet is divided into two sides (or sections). The left side of the balance sheet outlines all of a company’s assets. Types of Assets Common types of assets include: current, non-current, physical, intangible, operating and non-operating.
Why are intangible assets more valuable than tangible assets?
Brand equity is an intangible asset since the value of a brand is determined by the perception of the company’s customers and is not a physical asset. In short, intangible assets add to a company’s possible future worth and can be much more valuable than its tangible assets.