While preparing a consolidated financial statement, there are two basic procedures that need to be followed: first, cancel out all the items that are accounted as an asset in one company and a liability in another, and then add together all uncancelled items. There are two main type of items that cancel each other out from the consolidated statement of financial position.
"Investment in subsidiary companies" which is treated as an asset in the parent company will be cancelled out by "share capital" account in subsidiary's statement. Only the parent company's "share capital" account will be included in the consolidated statement.
If trading between different companies in one group happen, then the payables of one company will be cancelled by the receivables of another company.
Goodwill arising on consolidation
is treated as an intangible asset in the consolidated statement of financial position. It arises in cases, where the cost of purchase of shares is not equal to their par value. For example, if a company buys shares of another company worth $40,000 for $60,000, we conclude that there is a goodwill worth or $20,000. Proforma for calculating goodwill is as follows: Goodwill Fair value of consideration transferred Plus fair value of non-controlled interest at acquisition Less ordinary share capital of subsidiary company Less share premium of subsidiary company Less retained earnings of subsidiary company at acquisition date Less fair value adjustments at acquisition date
Non-controlled interest
If the parent company does not buy 100% of shares of the subsidiary company, there is a proportion of the net assets that is owned by the external company. This proportion that is related to outside investors is called the non-controlling interest. The proforma for calculating the NCI is as follows: Non-controlling interest Fair value of NCI at acquisition date Plus NCI's share of post-acquisition retained earnings or other reserves
NCI at the reporting date
Intra-group trading
In a group of companies, they can have trade relations with each other. For example, company A buys goods for one price and sells them to another company inside the group for another price. Thus, company A has earned some revenue from selling, but the group as a whole didn't make any profit out of that transaction. Until those goods are sold to an outsider company, the group has unrealised profit.
