/GettyImages-551986071-846eff12544045f9ae9ea825682556e0.jpg "Book Value vs Book Value: What’s the Difference?")
Book Value vs. Book Value: An Overview
Businesses own many assets and the value of those assets is derived from a company’s balance sheet. There are a variety of ways to value and recognize an asset, but the most common is to take the asset’s purchase price and subtract its depreciation cost. This is known as the book value or book value of the asset.
In all respects the two terms are interchangeable. The term book value derives from the accounting practice of recording the value of an asset on the books based on its original cost less depreciation. Book value looks at the value of an asset over its useful life; a calculation that includes depreciation.
Book value can refer to several different financial measures while book value is used in business accounting and is typically distinguished from market value. In most contexts, book value and book value describe the same accounting concepts. In these cases, their difference lies mainly in the types of companies that use them.
The central theses
- Businesses must value their assets and recognize them in their financial statements.
- Book value and book value refer to the process of valuing an asset and both terms refer to the same calculation and are interchangeable.
- To arrive at book value or book value, one must subtract depreciation or amortization from the cost of an asset.
- Historical cost is always used instead of the market value of an asset, even if the value of the asset has changed since it was purchased.
- Book value can also refer to the value of a company less its intangible assets and liabilities.
book value
When defining book value, there are a few possible definitions. Most commonly, however, book value is the value of an asset as it appears on the balance sheet. This is calculated by subtracting accumulated depreciation from the asset’s cost. It is established accounting practice that an asset is held at cost even if the asset’s market value has changed significantly since it was purchased.
Book value can also refer to the total net worth of a company. Book value in this definition is determined as a company’s net asset value, calculated as total assets less intangible assets and liabilities.
This is an important investment metric and helps identify whether stocks are undervalued or overvalued. A company’s book value is determined by the difference between its total assets and the sum of its liabilities and intangible assets such as patents.
book value
When an asset is first acquired, its carrying amount is equal to its original cost. But over time, the value of an asset changes. The book value of an asset is based on figures from a company’s balance sheet. Both depreciation and amortization costs can help identify an asset’s depreciation in value as the item is used over time.
If it is a physical asset, depreciation is used against the original cost of the asset. If the asset is an intangible asset, e.g. A patent, for example, is written off against the cost of the asset.
Special considerations
In each of the above two definitions, book value and book value are interchangeable. Their names derive from the fact that they are assets held on a company’s books, making them independent of current economic or financial considerations.
Book value is also used in a context where it is not generally synonymous with book value; the cost of acquiring a fixed asset. This is the price that can be paid for a security or debt instrument, such as a B. a stock or a bond, is paid.
For example, when shares are sold by an investor, the capital gain is determined based on the sale price less the book value. However, this is also sometimes referred to as book value, most likely due to the historical connection between the two terms.
