How is Loan Impairment Accounted For? (2024)

How is Loan Impairment Accounted For

A loan becomes impaired when it’s likely that not all the principal and interest amounts will be collected as per the original contractual terms. Loan impairment is a critical concept for financial institutions such as banks and lenders because it directly affects their financial health and stability.

Accounting for loan impairment typically involves recognizing an allowance for loan losses, which is a contra-asset account that reduces the book value of the loans. This process involves two steps:

1. Identifying impaired loans: This can happen through regular loan reviews, monitoring missed payments, or analyzing changes in the borrower’s financial situation. Impaired loans often show signs of distress such as recurring late payments or violation of loan covenants.
2. Measuring impairment loss: Once a loan is identified as impaired, the lender estimates the amount of the loss. This is usually the difference between the carrying amount of the loan (the book value) and the present value of expected future cash flows, discounted at the loan’s original effective interest rate. Alternatively, the fair value of any collateral, if the loan is collateralized, can be used if it’s lower.

Once the impairment loss is estimated, the lender records it by debiting (increasing) an expense account usually named “Provision for Loan Loss” and crediting (increasing) a contra-asset account named “Allowance for Loan Losses”.

When the lender is certain that a specific loan or portion of a loan is uncollectible, that amount is written off by reducing the Allowance for Loan Losses and the Loans receivable.

Here’s a simple example:

• Bank A has a loan of $100,000 extended to a company that has recently filed for bankruptcy. Bank A determines that the loan is impaired and that it’s likely to recover only $60,000.
• The impairment loss is therefore $40,000 ($100,000 – $60,000). Bank A records this by debiting “Provision for Loan Losses” and crediting “Allowance for Loan Losses” by $40,000.
• If later Bank A confirms that indeed $40,000 will not be recovered, it writes off that amount by debiting “Allowance for Loan Losses” and crediting “Loans Receivable” by $40,000.

Please note that the actual process may be much more complex and depends on specific accounting standards (like US GAAP or IFRS) and regulatory requirements applicable to the financial institution.

Example of How is Loan Impairment Accounted For

Let’s expand on the previous example with some additional details.

Imagine a local bank, Main Street Bank, has a loan portfolio of various small business loans. One of their borrowers, XYZ Cafe, is a small coffee shop that borrowed $100,000 a year ago to renovate their premises. The loan is at a 5% interest rate and is to be repaid over 10 years.

Unfortunately, due to a sudden economic downturn, XYZ Cafe’s business slows considerably. They start missing their loan repayments. Main Street Bank becomes concerned about the collectibility of the loan.

Here’s how Main Street Bank might account for the loan impairment:

• Identify the impaired loan: The bank’s credit department reviews the loans and notes that XYZ Cafe has missed three consecutive payments. Given the cafe’s deteriorating financial condition and the economic downturn, the bank determines that this loan is impaired.
• Measure the impairment loss: The bank has to estimate the amount of the loss. After a detailed review of XYZ Cafe’s financials and considering the market conditions, the bank estimates that XYZ Cafe will only be able to repay $60,000 of the outstanding loan. The loan’s book value (outstanding principal) is $95,000. The impairment loss is therefore $35,000 ($95,000 book value – $60,000 expected recovery).
• Record the impairment: Main Street Bank will then make an entry in its books to reflect this. It will debit (increase) the “Provision for Loan Losses” expense account and credit (increase) the “Allowance for Loan Losses” contra-asset account by $35,000:
  • Debit Provision for Loan Losses $35,000
  • Credit Allowance for Loan Losses $35,000
• Write-off the uncollectible amount: If, after some time, it becomes evident that XYZ Cafe indeed can’t pay more than $60,000, Main Street Bank will write off the uncollectible $35,000. The write-off is recorded as a reduction in both the “Loans Receivable” account and the “Allowance for Loan Losses” account:
  • Debit Allowance for Loan Losses $35,000
  • Credit Loans Receivable $35,000

This write-off does not create an additional expense since the bank already recognized the loss when it recorded the impairment.

These steps show how a bank might account for an impaired loan in its financial records. It’s a way for the bank to recognize a probable loss and reflect the reduced collectibility of its loans in a timely manner.