UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FIXED ASSET CAPITALIZATION POLICY

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1 UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FIXED ASSET CAPITALIZATION POLICY The term capitalized fixed assets includes land, improvements to land, easements, buildings, building improvements, vehicles, machinery, furniture, equipment, works of art and historical treasures, infrastructure, and all other tangible and intangible assets that have initial useful lives extending beyond a single reporting period. A fixed asset is capitalized only if it meets all of the following conditions: Owned or considered owned by the University Held for operations (not for resale) Has a useful life that exceeds one year Meets the capitalization threshold Assets that do not meet these criteria are expensed and not depreciated for financial reporting purposes. EQUIPMENT Equipment refers to tangible property that has an estimated useful life if at least one year. If the cost of an item is $5,000 or more, it should be charged to the appropriate Equipment general ledger account ( ). If the item has an estimated life of at least one year, but costs less than $5,000, an Expendable Equipment account ( ) should be charged. Expenditures for equipment that are capitalized include: The invoiced cost less any discounts. Any applicable transportation charges. For depreciation purposes, all charges of this nature are recorded as having been incurred at the same time as the related item of equipment was purchased. The cost of assembly and installation relating to the item of equipment, including site preparation costs. Non-capital expenditures include: Expenditures for repairs, maintenance or replacement of component parts which do not extend the unit s original life or significantly enhance its net value. Expenditures incurred in demolishing or dismantling equipment including those expenditures related to the replacement of units or systems. Expenditures incurred in connection with the rearrangement, transfer, or moving of equipment from one University location to another, including expenditures incurred in dismantling, transporting, reassembling, and reinstalling such items in a new location. The additional cost of maintenance agreements and extended warranties are not capitalized because they can be separately identified and are not required to place the asset into service. Interest costs. Depreciation Equipment over $5000 is depreciated. Equipment is depreciated for a full month in the month of acquisition. Any subsequent additions or upgrades to equipment with an acquisition cost over $5000 will be depreciated regardless of upgrade or addition value.

2 Additions and upgrades are depreciated over the remaining useful life of the asset. If the asset is completely depreciated once an addition or upgrade is made, the addition or upgrade will be depreciated in full in the year of acquisition. SAP Notes LAND Asset types may not be changed across fiscal years. For example, an asset may not be an F5 one year and an F10 the next. Acquisition dates may not be changed across fiscal years. For example, an asset may not have an acquisition date of 4/30/2006 one year and 6/30/2996 the next. Land costs that should be capitalized include all costs connected with acquisition and incurred to prepare the land for its intended purpose. These costs include but are not limited to the following: The purchase price of land. Additional professional costs such as legal, recording, and title fees, surveying fees, appraisal fees, real estate commissions, escrow fees, and damage payments. Payment of non-current taxes accrued on the land at the date of purchase if payable by the purchaser. Expenditures for demolishing any buildings which were acquired with the land to make the land available for new construction or other use. Any salvage values resulting from the sale of such buildings and related building facilities should be credited to Land. The cost of perpetual easements or rights of way. Fees for surveys, title searches, geological opinions, contamination testing, legal, and other expert services incidental to the acquisition of land which is purchased on the basis of such data or services. Expenditures for initial clearing and grading of land; excavation; removal, relocation, or reconstruction of property of others, such as railroads and telephone and power lines; and the construction of retaining walls. Land costs that should be excluded from capitalization include: Expenditures relating to the disposal of refuse. Fees for surveys, title searches, etc., applicable to land which was NOT PURCHASED. The cost of easements or rights of way which are limited as to time. Expenditures for initial landscaping, including initial seeding and top soil, initial sodding, trees and shrubs, and artificial lakes and dams. Expenditures (net of any salvage value received) for demolishing a building or structure because it is a nuisance or to remove the facility from the property tax roll. Special Land Issues Assets acquired together - If land and building are acquired as a single parcel, the total cost is allocated among the individual assets on the basis of fair market value or appraisal. Cost of demolished buildings The decision to demolish a building at the time of site acquisition results in an assignment of the building s value and demolition cost to the cost of the land. This decision is based on the intended use of the acquired building. Any decision to demolish a building after site acquisition results in the cost of demolition being assigned to the cost of new construction and the building being written off. If no new construction is intended, the demolition costs involved should be expensed. Land as an investment - Land acquired for speculation is not capitalized as land. It is recorded as an investment. IMPROVEMENTS OTHER THAN BUILDINGS

3 Land improvements consist of betterments, other than buildings, that ready land for its intended use. Land improvements include the initial construction of the following: Parking lots, guard railings, etc. intended for pedestrian, vehicle or storage use; also, the initial cost of metal standards, poles, brackets, fixtures and wiring for outside lighting of these facilities. Fences, including lighting fixtures and wiring which are an integral part thereof. Septic systems, fountains, paths, bleachers, swimming pools, tennis courts, athletic fields and golf courses. Applicable architectural engineering, drafting and other expert services; and the cost of clearing, excavating, filling and grading applicable to the construction of the facilities. Expenditures for initial landscaping including initial seeding and top soil, initial sodding, trees, and shrubs, and artificial lakes, dams, dikes, and retaining walls. Land improvements do not include: Expenditures for reseeding or resodding. Expenditures for repairing or repaving roads, sidewalks, etc. Expenditures for bridges, tunnels, trestles, and ducts used exclusively in connection with outside piping and wiring system. Expenditures for parking apparatus such as ticket gates. Expenditures under $15,000 INFRASTRUCTURE Infrastructure assets are long-lived capital assets that normally are stationary in nature and can be preserved for a significantly greater number of years than most capital assets. Examples of infrastructure include: Streets, roads, and highways These costs should include the cost of pavement, culverts, lighting systems, drainage systems, guardrails, markings, traffic control devices, signage, bridges, tunnels, and other buildings that are an ancillary part of the system. Utility systems These include water distribution systems, sanitary sewer collection systems, gas distribution systems, electric distribution systems, lighting systems, telecommunications systems, and fiber optic cabling systems that are independent of a single building. Additions and improvements to eligible infrastructure assets should be capitalized. Additions and improvements increase the capacity or efficiency of infrastructure rather than preserve the useful life of the asset. Land acquisition costs for infrastructure assets such as rights-of-way are included in the cost of the infrastructure asset and are not shown separately as an asset of the University. BUILDINGS Buildings are structures that are permanent in nature and have an asset life of greater than one year. Buildings valued above $50,000 are capitalized and depreciated. Those valued under $50,000 are expensed. Buildings should be charged with the initial cost of basic building structures including building foundations, outside walls (or siding), sub-flooring, rough ceilings, interior walls of a load-bearing character, roofs (excluding coverings), elevator shafts, stairs and railings, and other such integral or structural components. Other costs that are capitalized as part of a building are: Cost of building permits. Architectural, engineering, drafting, and other expert services attributable to the construction of the building.

4 Extraordinary costs which are inherent construction risk, such as rock blasting, piling, or relocation of the channel of an underground stream. Interest paid to an external entity on funds used to finance construction during the construction period. Insurance premiums connected with acquisition. Costs that should not be capitalized include: Extraordinary costs incidental to the erection of a building, such as those due to strike, flood, fire or other casualty. Cost of incomplete construction that is subsequently abandoned, including the cost of demolition of such partially completed construction and related clean up. Expenditures for demolishing a building or structure or removing the facility from the property tax roll. BUILDING RENOVATIONS AND ADDITIONS A renovation or building addition in capitalized when it meets one or more of the following conditions: Extends the useful life of the building. Enhances or changes the use or purpose of the original space. Expands the total square footage of the building. Examples of building renovations and additions include, but are not limited to, projects such as interior or exterior reconditioning, adding new or significantly improved air-conditioning, heating, or ventilation equipment, fire alarm systems, or emergency lighting. The total cost of the renovation project, less movable equipment expense and other expenses incidental to the project is capitalized. Incidental costs include unrelated repairs which do not lend to the enhancement or the extension of the building life. Distinguishing Capital Improvements from Repairs Professional judgment may be required on a case-by-case basis for distinguishing capital improvements from repairs. The following factors should be considered: A. Does the project increase the future service potential of the asset or does it merely maintain the existing level of service of the asset? If the project does not increase the efficiency or effectiveness of the asset, it should be considered a repair, not a capital improvement. For example, the replacement of an old shingle roof with a new shingle roof would be considered a repair; the replacement with a new fireproof tile roof would be considered a major improvement. Expenditures that bring an asset to its original utility level are considered a repair and are not capitalized. B. Is the cost of the project material? Projects that increase the future service potential of the asset and are greater than $50,000 are capitalized. Projects less than $50,000 are expensed. Examples of non-capitalized expenditures: Roof repairs and replacements Repainting Window replacements Replacement floor and window coverings such as linoleum, tile, carpets, blinds, and drapes. Such costs associated with new construction, however, are capitalizable. LEASEHOLD IMPROVEMENTS

5 Improvements to buildings and other structures located on property leased to the University are capitalized if they meet capitalization standards applicable to such improvements on University-owned property. DONATED ITEMS Donated assets should be recorded at their fair market value based on appraisal at the time of acquisition. CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS Construction in Progress is the cost of buildings or other capital projects that are under construction at the end of the fiscal year. Construction in progress represents a temporary capitalization of labor, materials, and equipment of a construction project. When completed, the total cost of a construction project should be capitalized. Expenditures of incomplete construction projects are not depreciated until the project is complete. Determination of When to Remove Projects from CIP The project should be removed from CIP and depreciation should begin when the project is substantially complete. Substantially complete means receipt of an unconditional certificate of occupancy from the appropriate state and/or local building officials and the majority of the expenditures related to the project have been paid. A project is complete when all invoices have been paid and the unexpended plant funds related to that project are closed. Ideally, projects would not be capitalized as a completed asset to be depreciated until the project is complete. The difficulty, however, is that a project may be substantially complete and in operation, but miscellaneous expenditures continue to occur for several years until all invoices are finally paid and the funds are closed. In the meantime, the project has been capitalized as a completed asset, and is not being depreciated. For this reason, the project should be removed from CIP and depreciation should begin when the project is substantially complete. Recording Additional Expenditures after Capitalization Once a project has been capitalized and depreciation has started (i.e. no longer CIP), any additional capitalizable expenditure should be added to the asset s capitalized value. For example, if a $10,000 capitalizable invoice is paid two years after capitalization of a $500,000 building with a 30-year life, the $10,000 would be added to the $500,000 capitalized value. The additional $10,000 would be depreciated over the remaining life of 28 years. Once a project is capitalized and depreciation has started, no additional expenditures related to that project will ever be Construction in Progress. As part of year-end closing procedures, all additional expenditures will be added to the capitalized value of the existing asset. LIBRARY BOOKS Library general collections are library holdings of an institutional library (not departmental library) that are exhaustible by nature and have a useful life of greater than one year. General collections include all library books, newspapers, periodicals, reference materials, microfilm, maps, manuscripts, etc. that are intended for reference or general circulation purposes. These general collections should be capitalized. Books or reference works acquired by University departments that are not intended to be made available to the entire University should not be capitalized. DEPRECIATION

6 Depreciation is computed on a straight-line basis with the exception of library books, which is computed using a composite method. The following useful lives, salvage values, and capitalization thresholds are used to compute depreciation: Est. Useful Lives Salvage Value Capitalization Threshold Buildings 40 years 20% $50,000 Improvements Other Than 20 years 20% $25,000 Buildings Roads 20 years 30% NA Concrete Bridges 50 years 0% NA Timber Bridges 30 years 0% NA Computer Equipment & 3 years 1% $ 5,000 Peripherals Vehicles and Equipment 5 years 10% $ 5,000 Heavy Equipment *** 10 years 10% $ 5,000 Furniture & Fixtures 7 years 10% $ 5,000 Library Books 10 years 0% $0 ***Heavy equipment includes backhoes, dozers, front-end loaders, tractors, etc.