In other words, it is the total value of the enterprise’s assets that owners would theoretically receive if accounting for inventory write downs an enterprise was liquidated. Both depreciation and amortization expenses are used to recognize the decline in value of an asset as the item is used over time to generate revenue. Note that, while buildings depreciate, the land is not a depreciable asset.

The carrying value is also commonly referred to as the carrying amount or the book value of the bond. Once you’ve gathering this information, you can use a carrying value calculator such as a bond price calculator to determine the carrying value of the bond. For information pertaining to the registration status of 11 Financial, please contact the state securities regulators for those states in which 11 Financial maintains a registration filing. Finance Strategists has an advertising relationship with some of the companies included on this website. We may earn a commission when you click on a link or make a purchase through the links on our site. All of our content is based on objective analysis, and the opinions are our own.

These differences usually aren’t examined until assets are appraised or sold to help determine if they’re undervalued or overvalued. In the fixed asset section of the balance sheet, each tangible asset is paired with an accumulated depreciation account. At the end of year two, the balance sheet lists a truck at $23,000 and an accumulated depreciation-truck account with a balance of -$8,000. A financial statement reader can see the carrying amount of the truck is $15,000. The term book value is derived from the accounting practice of recording an asset’s value based upon the original historical cost in the books minus depreciation.

If it is a physical asset, then depreciation is used against the asset’s original cost. If the asset is an intangible asset, such as a patent, then amortization is used against the asset’s original cost. The carrying value of a bond refers to the amount of the bond’s face value plus any unamortized premiums or less any unamortized discounts.

If a company purchases a patent or some other intellectual property item, then the formula for carrying value is (original cost – amortization expense). When an asset is initially acquired, its carrying value is the original cost of its purchase. The carrying value of an asset is based on the figures from a company’s balance sheet.

1. The carrying value concept is only used to denote the remaining amount of an asset recorded in a company’s accounting records – it has nothing to do with the underlying market value (if any) of an asset.
2. Accounting practice states that original cost is used to record assets on the balance sheet, rather than market value, because the original cost can be traced to a purchase document, such as a receipt.
3. Goodwill usually isn’t amortized (except by private companies in some circumstances) because its useful life is indeterminate.
4. In other words, the carrying value generally reflects equity, while the fair value reflects the current market price.
5. Straight-line depreciation is a simple way to calculate the loss of an asset’s carrying value over time.
6. Carrying value is typically determined by taking the original cost of the asset, less depreciation.

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Since interest rates continually fluctuate, bonds are rarely sold at their face values. Instead, they sell at a premium or at a discount to par value, depending on the difference between current interest rates and the stated interest rate for the bond on the issue date. Companies own many assets and the value of these assets are derived through a company’s balance sheet. There are a variety of ways to value an asset and record it, but the most common is taking the purchase price of the asset and subtracting its depreciation cost. Straight-line depreciation is a simple way to calculate the loss of an asset’s carrying value over time.

All three terms can be used interchangeably because they refer to the same thing – the true market value of an asset at any given point in time. The carrying value of an asset is its net worth—the amount at which the asset is currently valued on the balance sheet. Hence, if an enterprise undergoes liquidation, the fair value prediction of assets clearly indicates that the owners (shareholders) cannot receive the net carrying value of assets. Carrying value or book value is the value of an asset according to the figures shown (carried) in a company’s balance sheet.

Accounting for Bond Premiums and Discounts

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It’s a monetary figure reflected by the amount paid in addition to the fair market value of a company when that company is purchased. Goodwill usually isn’t amortized (except by private companies in some circumstances) because its useful life is indeterminate. However, impairment to the book value of goodwill is measured as fair value dips below book value. If current market rates are lower than an outstanding bond’s interest rate, the bond will sell at a premium. If current market rates are higher than an outstanding bond’s interest rate, the bond will sell at a discount.

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Carrying value looks at the value of an asset over its useful life; a calculation that involves depreciation. It’s the amount carried on a company’s balance sheet that represents the face value of a bond plus any unamortized premium or less any unamortized discount. In the next section, you’ll see an example of the calculation using the straight-line amortization method.

How Do You Determine Fair Value?

Assume ABC Plumbing buys a $23,000 truck to assist in the performing of residential plumbing work, and the accounting department creates a new plumbing truck asset on the books with a value of $23,000. Due to factors such as the total mileage and service history, the truck is assigned a useful life of five years. Salvage value is the remaining value of the asset at the end of its useful life. In either of the above two definitions, book value and carrying value are interchangeable. Their names derive from the fact that these are the values carried on a company’s books, making them independent of current economic or financial considerations.

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The result can be a wide divergence between carrying value and market value for the same assets owned by different entities. The carrying value concept is only used to denote the remaining amount of an asset recorded in a company’s accounting records – it has nothing to do with the underlying market value (if any) of an asset. Market value is based on supply and demand and perceived value, and so could vary substantially from the carrying value of an asset. For example, let’s say an investment company has long positions in stocks in its portfolio during an economic downturn.

The carrying value of the truck changes each year because of the additional depreciation in value that is posted annually. At the end of year one, the truck’s carrying value is the $23,000 minus the $4,000 accumulated depreciation, or $19,000, and the carrying value at the end of year two is ($23,000 – $8,000), or $15,000. Although land is considered non-depreciable, factors such as improvements made to the land—as well as buildings and equipment present on the land—means that the overall carrying value of land can still depreciate. Also known as book value, the carrying value of a bond represents the actual amount that a company owes the bondholder at any given time. Bond issuers and the specific bond instruments they offer are rated by credit rating agencies such as Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor’s. Bond issuers who receive higher credit ratings are far likelier to fetch higher prices for their bonds than similar, lower-rated issuers.