SIC 32 Intangible Assets – Website Costs

Synopsis

SIC 32 concludes that an entity’s own web site that arises from development and is for internal or external access is an internally generated intangible asset that is subject to the requirements of IAS 38.

The interpretation identifies four stages of the development of a website and clarifies the accounting treatment of costs at each stage:

• Planning costs should be expensed as incurred;
• Subject to certain conditions, costs associated with the application and infrastructure development stage should be capitalised as an intangible asset
• Content development costs should be expensed as incurred
• Operating costs should be expensed as incurred 

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Recent amendments

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IFRSs referred to by SIC 32

• IFRS 3 Business Combinations
• IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
• IFRS 16 Leases
• IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements
• IAS 2 Inventories
• IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment
• IAS 36 Impairment of Assets
• IAS 38 Intangible Assets

This page was last updated 4 February 2022