A funny Alphaville Article on TSLA Buying bitcoin, underlying some tidbits got lost in my opinion, due to general excitement:
Just a couple of Excerpts
Tesla and bitcoin: the accounting We will account for digital assets as indefinite-lived intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other. The digital assets are initially recorded at cost and are subsequently remeasured on the consolidated balance sheet at cost, net of any impairment losses incurred since acquisition.
As of 31 December 2020, Tesla had $520m of goodwill and intangible assets on its balance sheet, so expect to see that figure at least quadruple by the next set of quarterly results. Assuming Tesla doesn’t make an acquisition in the next three months, of course.
One quick observation here — the cryptocurrency’s classification as an intangible asset only adds further weight to the already overwhelming argument that bitcoin is not a currency. In fact, Tesla includes US government bonds in its cash and cash equivalents, suggesting sovereign debt is far more of a convertible store of value than the king crypto. After all, no one has ever needed to run an impairment test on the dollar or a Treasury note.
Interesting enough.
But the most important passage is this one, in my opinion:
But the crucial question here is, how will it impact Tesla’s bottom line? Well, the company answered that also. The paragraph quoted above continues:
We will perform an analysis each quarter to identify impairment. If the carrying value of the digital asset exceeds the fair value based on the lowest price quoted in the active exchanges during the period, we will recognise an impairment loss equal to the difference in the consolidated statement of operations.
The cost basis of the digital assets will not be adjusted upward for any subsequent increases in their quoted prices on the active exchanges. Gains (if any) will not be recorded until realised upon sale.
So, in short, Tesla will not recognise a gain on the value of its bitcoin unless some are sold. However, it will recognise a loss if the crypto falls below the price at which the electric vehicle maker purchased its allocation over an accounting period, even if the coins are not sold.
This is a very prudential approach, so the Bitcoin investment is unlikely to add too much volatility to the already quite hectic TSLA stock.