participation features, for which the underlying items include investment property,
and will specify that for the purposes of applying paragraph 32A (as discussed above)
and the amended paragraph 32B of IAS 40 only, insurance contracts include
investment contracts with discretionary participation features.
The amended paragraph 32B of IAS 40 will clarify that an entity is not permitted to
measure the property held by the fund (as described above) or property that is an
underlying item partly at cost and partly at fair value.
An entity will apply the above consequential amendment when it applies IFRS 17
(see 13.1 below).
6
THE FAIR VALUE MODEL
Under this model all investment property is measured at its fair value at the end of the
reporting period (except in the cases described in 6.2 and 6.3 below) and a gain or loss
arising from changes in the fair value in the reporting period is recognised in profit or
loss for that period. [IAS 40.33, 35].
IFRS 13 provides a fair value measurement framework that applies whenever fair value
measurement is permitted or required (see Chapter 14). IFRS 13 does not specify when
an entity is required to use fair value, but rather, provides guidance on how to measure
fair value under IFRS when fair value is required or permitted by IFRS.
IFRS 13 defines fair value as ‘the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to
transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the
measurement date.’ [IFRS 13.9, IAS 40.5].
While entities cannot presume this to be the case, in practice, the fair value estimate
arrived at under IFRS 13 may be similar to that estimated for ‘market value’ as defined
by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (‘RICS’) and the International Valuation
Standards Council (‘IVSC’). Their definition of ‘market value’ being ‘the estimated
amount for which an asset or liability should exchange on the valuation date between a
willing buyer and a willing seller in an arm’s length transaction, after proper marketing
and where the parties had each acted knowledgeably, prudently and without
compulsion.’19
Many entities use an external valuer to estimate fair value based on the RICS and/or IVSC
Valuation Standards. Indeed, the use of an independent valuer with a recognised and relevant
professional qualification and with recent experience in the location and category of the
investment property being valued is encouraged by IAS 40, albeit not required. [IAS 40.32].
The price in the principal (or most advantageous) market used to measure fair value
shall not be adjusted for transaction costs. This is because transaction costs are not a
characteristic of an asset or a liability; rather, they are specific to a transaction and will
differ depending on how an entity enters into a transaction for the asset or liability.
[IFRS 13.25].
Transaction costs incurred by a purchaser on acquisition are dealt with at 6.4 below and
in Chapter 14 at 9.1.2.
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6.1
Estimating fair value
When estimating the fair value of the property in accordance with IFRS 13, the objective
is to estimate the price that would be received to sell an investment property in an
orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date under current
market conditions. [IFRS 13.2]. This objective applies regardless of the techniques and
inputs used to measure fair value.
IAS 40 has certain requirements in addition to those in IFRS 13. In particular, IAS 40
requires that the fair value reflects, among other things, rental income from current
leases and other assumptions that market participants would use when pricing
investment property under current market conditions. [IAS 40.40]. For example, in a
transaction to sell an investment property, it is likely that market participants would
consider the existing lease agreements in place.
This is consistent with the general requirement in IFRS 13 that an entity should measure the
fair value using the assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset
or liability, assuming that market participants act in their economic best interest. [IFRS 13.22].
Extract 19.3 below describes Unibail-Rodamco’s approach to valuations:
Extract 19.3: Unibail-Rodamco SE (2017)
5.2.
NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS [extract]
NOTE 5
INVESTMENT PROPERTIES, TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS, GOODWILL [extract]
5.1. Investment
properties [extract]
5.1.1. Accounting
principles [extract]
Investment properties (IAS 40 & IFRS 13)
Under the accounting treatment recommended by IAS 40, investment properties are shown at their market value.
According to IFRS 13, the fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to
transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date (i.e. an exit
price). Expectations about future improvements or modifications to be made to the property interest to reflect its
highest and best use have to be considered in the appraisal, such as the renovation of or an extension to the
property interest.
Unibail-Rodamco complies with the IFRS 13 fair value measurement rule and the position paper(1) on IFRS 13
established by EPRA, the representative body of the publicly listed real estate industry in Europe.
Transaction costs incurred for an asset deal are capitalised in the value of the investment property. Capitalised
expenses include capital expenditures, evictions costs, capitalised financial interests, letting fees and other internal
costs related to development projects.
Investment Properties Under Construction (IPUC) are covered by IAS 40 and are eligible to be measured at fair value.
In accordance with the Group’s investment properties valuation method, they are measured at fair value by an external
appraiser twice a year. Projects for which the fair value is not reliably determinable are measured at cost until such
time that a fair value measurement becomes reliable, or until one year before the construction completion.
According to the Group, a development project is eligible for a fair value measurement once all three of the following
criteria are fulfilled:
• all administrative authorisations needed to complete the project are obtained;
• the construction has started and costs are committed toward the contractor; and
• substantial uncertainty in future rental income has been eliminated.
If the time to delivery is less than one year, the project is accounted for at fair value.
Investment
property
1381
(1)
EPRA position paper on IFRS 13 – Fair value measurement and illustrative disclosures, February 2013.
For properties measured at fair value, the market value adopted by Unibail-Rodamco is determined on the basis of
appraisals by independent external experts, who value the Group’s portfolio as at June 30 and December 31 of each
year. The gross value is reduced by disposal costs and transfer taxes(2), depending on the country and on the tax
situation of the property, in order to arrive at a net market value.
For the Shopp
ing Centres and Offices portfolios, the independent appraisers determine the fair market value based
on the results of two methods: the discounted cash flow methodology as well as the yield methodology. Furthermore,
the resulting valuations are cross-checked against the initial yield, value per m2 and the fair market values established through actual market transactions.
Appraisers have been given access to all information relevant for valuations, such as the Group’s rent rolls, including
information on vacancy, break options, expiry dates and lease incentives, performance indicators (e.g. footfall and
sales where available), letting evidence and the Group’s cash flow forecasts from annually updated detailed asset
business plans. Appraisers make their independent assessments of current and forward looking cash flow profiles and
usually reflect risk either in the cash flow forecasts (e.g. future rental levels, growth, investment requirements, void
periods, incentives) or in the applied required returns or discount rates.
The sites of the Convention & Exhibition portfolio are qualified as Investment property.
For the Convention & Exhibition portfolio, the valuation methodology adopted is mainly based on a discounted cash
flow model applied to total net income projected over the life of the concession, or over the life of the long-term lease (notably the Porte de Versailles long-term lease) or leasehold, if it exists or otherwise over a 10-year period, with an
estimation of the asset’s value at the end of the given time period, based either on the residual contractual value for
concessions or on capitalised cash flows over the last year. The valuations carried out by the appraisers took into
account total net income, which comprised net rents and ancillary services, as well as net income from car parks. The
cost of maintenance works, major repairs, refurbishments, redevelopments and extensions, as well as concession or
leasehold fees, are included in projected cash flow figures.
The income statement for a given year (Y) records the change in value for each property, which is determined as
follows: market value Y – [market value Y–1 + amount of works and other costs capitalised in year Y].
Capital gains on disposals of investment properties are calculated by comparison with their latest market value
recorded in the closing statement of financial position for the previous financial year.
Properties under construction carried at cost are subject to impairment tests, determined on the basis of the estimated
fair value of the project. The fair value of a project is assessed by the Development & Investment teams through a
market exit capitalisation rate and the targeted net rents at completion. When the fair value is lower than net book
value, an impairment provision is booked.
Properties held for sale are identified separately in the statement of financial position.
(2)
Transfer taxes are valued on the assumption that the property is sold directly, even though the cost of these
taxes can, in certain cases, be reduced by selling the property’s holding company.
6.1.1
Methods of estimation
IFRS 13 does not specify or rank the techniques an entity must use to measure fair value.
However, it requires them to be consistent with one or more of the three broad
approaches: the market approach; the income approach; and the cost approach.
[IFRS 13.62]. As discussed at 6.1.2 below, IFRS 13 does require an entity to prioritise
observable inputs over unobservable inputs. See Chapter 14 at 14 for further discussion
on selecting appropriate techniques and inputs.
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When a lessee uses the fair value model to measure an investment property that is held
as a right-of-use asset, it will measure the right-of-use asset, and not the underlying
property, at fair value. [IAS 40.40A].
IFRS 16 specifies the basis for initial recognition of the cost of an investment property
held by a lessee as a right-of-use asset (see 4.5 above). In line with the discussion in 5.1
above, paragraph 33 of IAS 40 will require the investment property held by a lessee as
a right-of-use asset to be remeasured, if necessary, to fair value if the entity chooses the
fair value model. When lease payments are at market rates, the fair value of an
investment property held by a lessee as a right-of-use asset at acquisition, net of all
expected lease payments (including those relating to recognised lease liabilities), should
be zero. Thus, remeasuring a right-of-use asset from cost in accordance with IFRS 16 to
fair value (taking into account the requirements in paragraph 50 of IAS 40 – see 6.1.4
below) should not give rise to any initial gain or loss, unless fair value is measured at
different times. This could occur when an election to apply the fair value model is made
after initial recognition. [IAS 40.41].
For entities that have not yet adopted IFRS 16, if a lease was negotiated at market rates,
the fair value of an interest in a leased property at acquisition, net of all expected lease
payments (including those relating to recognised liabilities), should be zero (‘acquisition’
means the inception of the lease as defined by IAS 17, which is before any lease payments
are due or any other accounting entries are required to be made, see Chapter 23 at 3.4.1).
This was applied regardless of whether the asset and liability are initially recognised at fair
value (as is usually the case with a finance lease) or at the present value of the minimum
lease payments (for an interest under an operating lease). Consequently, re-measuring an
interest in a lease to fair value only gave rise to a gain or loss if the fair value model was
applied after initial recognition and upon subsequent re-measurement.
When an entity first acquires an investment property (or when an existing property first
becomes investment property after a change in use – see 9 below) there could be an
indication that its fair value will not be reliably measurable on a continuing basis. For
example, there might be clear evidence that the variability in the range of reasonable
fair value measurements will be so great, and the probabilities of the various outcomes
so difficult to assess, that the usefulness of a single measure of fair value will be negated.
However, it cannot be over-emphasised that IAS 40 describes such circumstances as
‘exceptional cases’. [IAS 40.48]. This is discussed further at 6.2 below.
6.1.2 Observable
data
When selecting the most appropriate inputs to a fair value measurement from multiple
available inputs, those that maximise the use of observable data, rather than
unobservable data, should be selected. [IFRS 13.67]. Just because the volume or level of
activity in a market has significantly decreased, it does not mean that transactions in that
market are not orderly or do not represent fair value. [IFRS 13.B43].
Entities will need to consider the individual facts and circumstances in making this
assessment. Notwithstanding the need for judgement, an entity must have a reasonable
basis for concluding that a current observable market price can be ignored based on a
view that it represents a liquidation or distressed sale value. [IFRS 13.B43]. This is discussed
further in Chapter 14 at 8.
Investment
property
1383
6.1.3
Comparison with value in use
<
br /> Fair value is not the same as ‘value in use’ as defined in IAS 36. In particular, it does not
take account of the entity specific factors of the holder that would not generally be
available to knowledgeable willing buyers such as additional value derived from holding
a portfolio of investment property assets, synergies between the properties and other
assets or legal rights or tax benefits or burdens pertaining to the current owner. Fair
value is also not the same as net realisable value as, for example, net realisable value
does not have to take account of market required returns but would have to take into
account cost to sell. [IFRS 13.6(c), BC24]. See also Chapter 14 at 2.2.3.
However, in most cases, it is unlikely that the ‘value in use’ of an individual property
will exceed the fair value of that property – see 7.3 below.
6.1.4 ‘Double
counting’
An entity must take care, when determining the carrying amount of investment property
under the fair value model, not to double count assets or liabilities that are recognised
separately. IAS 40 describes a number of situations where this might otherwise happen
as follows:
• equipment such as lifts or air-conditioning is often an integral part of a building and
is generally included in the fair value of the investment property, rather than
recognised separately as property, plant and equipment (see 6.5 below);
• if an office is leased on a furnished basis, the fair value of the office generally includes
the fair value of the furniture, because the rental income relates to the furnished
office. When furniture is included in the fair value of investment property, an entity
does not recognise that furniture as a separate asset (see 6.5 below);
• the fair value of investment property excludes prepaid or accrued operating lease
income, because the entity recognises it as a separate liability or asset (see 6.6
below); and
• the fair value of investment property held by a lessee as a right-of-use asset reflects
expected cash flows, including variable lease payments that are expected to become
payable (or, for entities that have not yet adopted IFRS 16, the fair value of
investment property held under a lease reflects expected cash flows, including
International GAAP® 2019: Generally Accepted Accounting Practice under International Financial Reporting Standards Page 272