Business valuation standard

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Business Valuation Standards (BVS) are codes of practice that are used in business valuation. Examples of business appraisal standards are as follows:

Contents

In addition, each of the three major United States valuation societiesthe American Society of Appraisers (ASA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA/ABV), and the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA)has its own set of Business Valuation Guidelines, which it requires all of its accredited members to adhere to. [2] The AICPA's standards are published as Statement on Standards for Valuation Services No.1 and the ASA's guidelines are published as the ASA Business Valuation Guidelines, which largely follow the USPAP Standard requirements. All AICPA members are required to follow SSVS1. Additionally, the majority of the State Accountancy Boards have adopted VS Section 100 for CPAs licensed in their state.

Features

All of the standards have the following in common: [2]

A requirement of independence
The appraiser must not act in favor of the client or any other party.
A requirement that fees be not contingent on appraised value
Fees based upon, for example, a percentage of the valuation are unethical and are not allowed.
A requirement that all limiting conditions be explicitly stated
The reader must be informed of all assumptions made as part of the valuation. For example, if a lawsuit is pending against a business, the valuation must explicitly state that the impact of the outcome of the lawsuit will have an unknown effect on the value, and what assumptions about the outcome have or have not been made.
A requirement that all people participating in the valuation be disclosed
All professionals participating in a valuation report must sign it, and must have certification of their independence, fee arrangements, and other factors.
A requirement that all information sources be stated
Readers must be able to replicate valuation reports for themselves. Therefore, all sources used in compiling the report must be stated.
Minimum requirements for contents of reports
The precise minimum requirements vary from society to society, but roughly they include the purpose and scope of the assignment, the standard of value and specific valuation date being employed, an identification of the specific interest being evaluated, the relevant state and federal laws that govern the entity being valued, the scope of the procedures employed during valuation, the nature and history of the business, the historical financial information on the business, a thorough financial analysis of the business comparing the business's performance with industry trends, an overview of the industry in which the business operates and the impact of market conditions on the business, and the current investment climate.

Concepts employed

This is a list of some of the common concepts employed in business valuation that are defined by business valuation standards.

Marketability discount
In the ASA BVS, a marketability discount is "an amount or percentage deducted from an equity interest to reflect lack of marketability" [3]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Certified Public Accountant</span> Title of qualified accountants in many countries

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is the title of qualified accountants in numerous countries in the English-speaking world. It is generally equivalent to the title of chartered accountant in other English-speaking countries. In the United States, the CPA is a license to provide accounting services to the public. It is awarded by each of the 50 states for practice in that state. Additionally, all states except Hawaii have passed mobility laws to allow CPAs from other states to practice in their state. State licensing requirements vary, but the minimum standard requirements include passing the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, 150 semester units of college education, and one year of accounting-related experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valuation (finance)</span> Process of estimating what something is worth, used in the finance industry

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Business valuation is a process and a set of procedures used to estimate the economic value of an owner's interest in a business. Here various valuation techniques are used by financial market participants to determine the price they are willing to pay or receive to effect a sale of the business. In addition to estimating the selling price of a business, the same valuation tools are often used by business appraisers to resolve disputes related to estate and gift taxation, divorce litigation, allocate business purchase price among business assets, establish a formula for estimating the value of partners' ownership interest for buy-sell agreements, and many other business and legal purposes such as in shareholders deadlock, divorce litigation and estate contest.

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Highest and best use is a concept in real estate appraisal that originated with early economists such as Irving Fisher, who conceptualized the idea of maximum productivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination</span> Exam

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The Appraisal Foundation (TAF) is the United States organization responsible for setting standards for the real estate valuation profession. The organization sets the congressionally authorized standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers, and provides voluntary guidance on recognized valuation methods and techniques for all valuation professionals. The aim is to ensure appraisals are impartial, objective and independent, are conducted without bias and are performed in an ethical and competent manner.

Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) can be considered the quality control standards applicable for real property, personal property, intangible assets, and business valuation appraisal analysis and reports in the United States and its territories. USPAP, as it is commonly known, was first developed in the 1980s by a joint committee representing the major U.S. and Canadian appraisal organizations. As a result of the savings and loan crisis, the Appraisal Foundation (TAF) was formed by these same groups, along with support and input from major industry and educational groups, and TAF took over administration of USPAP.

The International Valuation Standards Council (IVSC) is an independent, not-for-profit, private sector standards organisation incorporated in the United States and with its operational headquarters in London, UK. IVSC develops international technical and ethical standards for valuations on which investors and others rely.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Society of Appraisers</span> American nonprofit organization

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The California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA) is a division of the California Department of Consumer Affairs responsible for real estate appraiser licensing and certification in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CBV Institute</span>

The CBV Institute, formerly known as the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators (CICBV), is a Canadian business valuation organization. The CBV Institute is a not-for-profit valuation professional organization that establishes the practice standards, educational requirements, and ethical guidelines for its members.

References

  1. "Practice Standards". CICBV. CICBV. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 D. Larry Crumbley; G. Stevenson Smith & Lester E. Heitger (2003-01-01). Forensic and Investigative Accounting. CCH Tax and Accounting. pp. 5–33–5–35. ISBN   0-8080-1001-8.
  3. Robert F. Reilly & Robert P. Schweihs (1999-09-01). The Handbook of Advanced Business Valuation . McGraw-Hill Professional. p.  100. ISBN   0-07-134769-0.

Further reading