D1. Intangible assets

AP Accounting principles

Goodwill

Goodwill arises in connection with business combinations where the consideration transferred exceeds the fair value of the acquired net assets. Goodwill is measured at cost less accumulated impairment and is an intangible asset with an indefinite useful life. This means that goodwill is not amortized, but rather tested annually for impairment. All goodwill is allocated to the cash-generating units that are expected to benefit from the synergies from the business combination. In connection with the sale of Group companies, the remaining carrying amount of the goodwill attributable to the divested unit is included in the capital gain/loss. Goodwill that arises in acquisitions of associated companies or joint ventures is included in the carrying amount of the respective associate or joint venture.

Trademarks

Trademarks can only be recognized when they have been acquired through a separate transaction or through the acquisition of an entire business that includes one or several trademarks. Trademarks are measured at cost after any accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment. Trademarks that have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but rather tested annually for impairment along with the impairment testing of goodwill. Trademarks with a limited useful life are amortized on a straight-line basis during their anticipated useful life, which varies between 3–25 years.

Licenses, patents and similar rights

Intangible assets also include patents, licenses and other similar rights. Acquired assets of this type are measured at cost and are amortized on a straight-line basis during their anticipated useful life, which varies between 3–20 years.

Customer relations

Customer relations are measured at fair value at the time of the acquisition. The value of these customer relations is amortized over their useful life, which is considered to be between 3–15 years.

Research and development

Research expenditure is recognized as an expense as incurred. Identifiable expenditure for development of new products and processes is capitalized to the extent it is expected to provide future economic benefits. In cases in which it is difficult to separate the research phase from the development phase in a project, the entire project is treated as research and expensed immediately. Development costs for packing and packaging materials are expensed directly. In general, development projects are conservatively assessed due to the difficulty in determining what will lead to commercial success. Capitalized expenditure is amortized on a straight-line basis from the date when the asset starts to be used over the estimated useful life of the asset. The amortization period is between 5–10 years.

Impairment testing

Goodwill is tested annually for impairment. When testing for impairment, the assets are grouped in cash-generating units. Essity has defined three cash-generating units for impairment testing, which coincide with the operating segments Consumer Tissue, Professional Hygiene and Personal Care. The test compares the carrying amounts of the cash-generating units with the recoverable amounts. The recoverable amount of each cash-generating unit is determined by discounting future cash flows in order to determine their value in use. The calculation of future cash flows is based on the strategic plans adopted by the Executive Management Team for the next three years. The carrying amount for the cash-generating unit includes goodwill, trademarks with indefinite useful lives and assets with definite useful lives, such as non-current assets, trademarks and working capital. Effects of expansion investments are excluded when calculating the value in use. The value of depreciated assets is tested for impairment whenever there are indications that the carrying amount might not be recoverable. In cases in which the carrying amount of an asset or cash-generating unit exceeds its estimated recoverable amount, an impairment loss is recognized on the asset down to the recoverable amount. An impairment loss recognized earlier is reversed, if the reasons for the impairment no longer exist. The carrying amount after the reversal is limited to what it would have been had no past impairment been recognized. Impairment losses on goodwill are never reversed.

Emission allowances and costs for carbon dioxide emissions

Essity participates in the European system for emission allowances.

When emission allowances relating to carbon dioxide emissions are received from an individual EU state, they are recognized as an intangible asset and as deferred income (liability). Allowances are received free of charge and recognized at market value as of the date when the allocation is received. During the period, the intangible asset is expensed in proportion to carbon dioxide emissions made. At the same time as the deferred income is reversed by the corresponding amount thereby resulting in no net effect in profit or loss. If the emission allowances received do not cover emissions made, Essity makes a provision for the deficit valued at the market value on the balance sheet date. Sales of surplus emission allowances are recognized as income on the delivery date.

If the market price of emission allowances on the balance sheet date is less than recognized cost, any surplus emission allowances that are not required to cover emissions made are impaired to the market price applying on the balance sheet date. In conjunction with this, the remaining part of the deferred income is recognized as income by a corresponding amount and therefore no net effect occurs in profit or loss. The emission allowances are used as payment in the settlement with the state regarding liabilities for emissions.

KAA Key assessments and assumptions

In connection with the annual impairment testing of goodwill, the recoverable amount is calculated. The recoverable amount for the cash-generating units is determined by calculating value in use. Calculation of the value in use is based on the three-year strategy plans adopted by the Executive Management Team, which in turn are based on assessments and assumptions. The most important assessments and assumptions pertain to forecasts for organic growth, the profit margin and the discount rate used. The discount rate used in the present value calculation of the anticipated future cash flows is the current weighted average cost of capital (WACC) established within the Group for the markets in which the cash-generating units conduct operations.

Profit margin assumptions are based on current market prices and costs adjusted for anticipated price and cost changes as well as assumed productivity development. The growth assumption follows the Group’s target of annual sales growth, including organic sales growth and acquisitions, of above 5%, less acquisition-related growth, and is in line with historic outcome and expected global market growth.

The expected sustained future cash flow for periods that are beyond the planning horizon of the strategy plan are extrapolated from the final year of the strategy plan using assumed sustained growth of 2% (2; 2).

Impairment testing

Annual testing for impairment of goodwill is carried out in the fourth quarter. The testing showed that no impairment was needed for 2021, 2020 or 2019. The WACC before tax used in the impairment testing of goodwill is presented in the table below. Sensitivity analyses show that reasonable changes to key parameters do not give rise to any impairment requirement. In addition to annual impairment testing of the cash-generating units, outlined above under the section Impairment testing, goodwill, trademarks with indefinite useful lives and individual assets are also tested when there is an indication of an impairment need. During the period, intangible assets, attributable to the operating segment Personal Care, were impaired by SEK –87m.