After reading this article the learner should be able to understand the meaning of intercompany and different types of intercompany transactions that can occur. Understand why intercompany transactions are addressed when preparing consolidated financial statements, differentiate between upstream and downstream intercompany transactions, and understand the concept of intercompany reconciliations.
An intercompany transaction occurs when one unit of an entity is involved in a transaction with another unit of the same entity. Most economic transactions involve two unrelated entities, although transactions may occur between units of one entity (intercompany transactions). An intercompany transaction is a transaction that occurs between two units of the same entity. An intercompany transaction occurs when one unit of an entity transacts with another unit of the same entity. It is a transaction between two associated companies that file a consolidated tax return or financial statement.
While these transactions can occur for a variety of reasons, they often occur as a result of the normal business relationships that exist between the units of the entity. These units may be the parent and a subsidiary, two subsidiaries, two divisions, or two departments of one entity.
It is common for vertically integrated organizations to transfer inventory among the units of the consolidated entity. On the other hand, a plant asset may be transferred between organizational units to take advantage of changes in demand across product lines. Intercompany transactions may involve such items as the declaration and payment of dividends, the purchase and sale of assets such as inventory or plant assets, and borrowing and lending.
An intercompany transaction is recognized in the financial records of both units of the entity as if it were an arms-length transaction with an unrelated party. From the consolidated entity’s perspective, the transaction is initially unrealized because unrelated parties are not involved; therefore, the intercompany transaction needs to be interpreted differently than it was by either of the participating units. The difference in interpretation generally results in the elimination of certain account balances from the consolidated financial statements.
The purpose of consolidated statements is to present, primarily for the benefit of the shareholders and creditors of the parent company, the results of operations and the financial position of a parent company and its subsidiaries essentially as if the group were a single company with one or more branches or divisions. Regardless of the type of transaction, the occurrence of an intercompany transaction, if not removed (eliminated) from the consolidated financial statements, will often result in a misrepresentation of the consolidated entity’s financial position.
Transactions between units of an entity can take several forms and can occur between any units of the entity. Transactions flowing from the parent to the subsidiary are commonly called downstream transactions, transactions from the subsidiary to the parent are commonly called upstream transactions, and transactions between subsidiaries are commonly called lateral transactions. Hence intercompany transactions can be classified as:
Interpreting the impact of intercompany transactions on the financial records of the units involved begins with understanding how the transactions are initially recognized on each unit’s financial records. Intercompany transactions need an effective system to manage them appropriately as it could be a complex affair for globalized companies. Some complexities are streamlining intercompany trading with unlimited trading partners, local statutory compliance with intercompany invoices for each of the trading partners, intercompany reconciliation, and transaction-level balancing for sub-ledger applications and intercompany eliminations at period close.
It is also important to understand how each intercompany transaction impacts the income statement and balance sheet of the units involved in the period of the intercompany transaction as well as in subsequent periods.
Intercompany Transactions are between two or more related internal legal entities with common control, i.e. in the same enterprise. Intracompany transactions are between two or more entities within the same legal entity. Hence intercompany is cross legal entities and intracompany is across various units belonging to the same legal entity. Rules for intracompany processing can be determined by the organization based on internal procedures and guidelines, however, for intercompany transactions, companies need to follow the GAAP and the law.
Intercompany reconciliations are required to ensure that balances owed to and from companies (legal entities) in the same group are in agreement so that when group accounts are prepared the intercompany balances all cancel out on consolidation. As organizations use multi-currency and different accounting systems, balances at business units or subsidiary companies may not match with each other and the yearend process can be delayed. Too many reconciling differences may require investigation or resolution before the balances are acceptable to management and/or auditors.
Some of the factors that give rise to intercompany differences are:
Global Business Services (GBS) Model
Global business services (GBS) is an integrated, scalable, and mature version of the shared services model. Global Business Services Model is a result of shared services maturing and evolving on a global scale. It is represented by the growth and maturity of the Shared services to better service the global corporations they support.
Legal Structures in Businesses
Businesses not only vary in size and industry but also in their ownership. Most businesses evolve from being owned by just one person to a small group of people and eventually being managed by a large numbers of shareholders. Different ownership structures overlap with different legal forms that a business can take. A business’s legal and ownership structure determines many of its legal responsibilities.
An allocation is a process of shifting overhead costs to cost objects, using a rational basis of allotment. Understand what is the meaning of allocation in the accounting context and how defining mass allocations simplifies the process of allocating overheads to various accounting segments. Explore types of allocations and see some practical examples of mass allocations in real business situations.
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Although technically a general ledger appears to be fairly simple compared to other processes, in large organizations, the general ledger has to provide many functionalities and it becomes considerably large and complex. Modern business organizations are complex, run multiple products and service lines, leveraging a large number of registered legal entities, and have varied reporting needs.
For any company that has a large number of transactions, putting all the details in the general ledger is not feasible. Hence it needs to be supported by one or more subsidiary ledgers that provide details for accounts in the general ledger. Understand the concept of the subsidiary ledgers and control accounts.
There are five types of core accounts to capture any accounting transaction. Apart from these fundamental accounts, some other special-purpose accounts are used to ensure the integrity of financial transactions. Some examples of such accounts are clearing accounts, suspense accounts, contra accounts, and intercompany accounts. Understand the importance and usage of these accounts.
Functional Organizational Structures
A functional organizational structure is a structure that consists of activities such as coordination, supervision and task allocation. The organizational structure determines how the organization performs or operates. The term organizational structure refers to how the people in an organization are grouped and to whom they report.
Hierarchical Organization Structures
Hierarchical structure is typical for larger businesses and organizations. It relies on having different levels of authority with a chain of command connecting multiple management levels within the organization. The decision-making process is typically formal and flows from the top down.
Horizontal or Flat Organizational Structures
Flat organizational structure is an organizational model with relatively few or no levels of middle management between the executives and the frontline employees. Its goal is to have as little hierarchy as possible between management and staff level employees. In a flat organizational structure, employees have increased involvement in the decision-making process.
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