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The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) aims to comprehensively review IAS 38 Intangible Assets.

The IASB has started its review in a focused way, by exploring two initial streams:

  • assessing user needs for information about recognised and unrecognised intangible assets and expenditure associated with them in the financial statements; and
  • considering whether to update the definition of an intangible asset, associated guidance and some aspects of the recognition criteria, by initially using, as test cases, application issues related to newer types of intangible assets and new ways of using them; and then considering the effects of any potential amendments on the broader population of intangible assets.

Once work on the initial streams is completed, the IASB will consider whether it can make discrete meaningful improvements to IAS 38 or whether more work is needed before considering any changes to the Standard.

IASB® Update September 2026

The IASB met on 22 September 2026 to continue discussing potential changes to some aspects of the definition of an intangible asset in IAS 38 Intangible Assets and to the supporting requirements.

Specifically, the IASB discussed further developments to a model it is developing for customer accounting for intellectual property licensing contracts. The model uses as a test case a cloud-based software delivery contract in a ‘Software as a Service’ (SaaS) arrangement.

The IASB was not asked to make any decisions.  

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