IVAS Tightens the Evidence Discipline for Intangible Asset Valuation

The Institute of Valuers and Appraisers Singapore issued GN-003, Valuation of Intangible Assets: Key Focus Areas and Guidance, on 26 August 2026. The note addresses intellectual property, software, brands, customer relationships and proprietary technologies and supplements the International Valuation Standards.

IVAS operates within Singapore's accountancy and valuation ecosystem, and ACRA published the announcement. The guidance was developed after stakeholder consultation across Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States, giving it an international practice base while retaining a direct Singapore institutional context.

Intangible assets increasingly drive enterprise value but are difficult to observe, separate and compare. Valuation judgments can materially affect transactions, financial reporting, financing and strategic decisions. Greater consistency and disclosure therefore reduce the risk that an untested assumption is presented as a defensible value conclusion.

Valuers and commissioning organisations should document each asset's characteristics and risk profile, whether it is valued alone or with other assets, the basis for hypothetical royalty rates, the selected economic life and the sensitivity of results to key assumptions. Corroborative analysis and expanded report disclosure should be planned at engagement start.

GN-003 identifies concrete focus areas but does not itself validate any particular asset value. Its immediate impact is to raise the minimum evidence expected in the valuation process and final report. Adoption, consistency between firms and acceptance by boards, auditors, investors and lenders will determine practical market effect.

Singapore companies and investors rely heavily on technology, brands and cross-border customer relationships, making intangible-value evidence relevant to capital allocation and corporate transactions. Across ASEAN, more consistent valuation practice could improve comparability, although legal rights, data quality and market evidence differ significantly by jurisdiction.

Watch for adoption by Singapore valuation practices, references in transaction and financial-reporting work, feedback from auditors and capital providers, and future updates to IVS or local guidance. The core test is whether valuation reports expose enough evidence for independent challenge and repeatable review.