Fixed-Asset Schedule

The Anlagenspiegel: the German fixed-asset movement schedule

The Anlagenspiegel is the fixed-asset movement schedule that German notes must contain to show how each category of long-term asset developed over the year. This page explains the requirement under § 284 Abs. 3 HGB, the gross-method roll-forward of cost, the accumulated depreciation columns, and which companies are exempt.

What § 284 Abs. 3 HGB requires

The notes (Anhang) must show the development of each item of fixed assets (Entwicklung der einzelnen Posten des Anlagevermögens). Since the 2015 reform (BilRUG) this requirement lives in § 284 Abs. 3 HGB. The schedule covers all three fixed-asset blocks — intangible assets (immaterielle Vermögensgegenstände), tangible assets (Sachanlagen) and financial assets (Finanzanlagen).

The Anlagenspiegel turns a single net figure on the balance sheet into a transparent story: what the assets originally cost, what came in and went out, and how much has been depreciated. It is one of the more mechanical parts of the notes but also one where readers quickly spot inconsistencies.

The gross method (Bruttomethode)

German practice uses the gross method: the schedule starts from historical acquisition or production cost (Anschaffungs- oder Herstellungskosten), not from net book value. From the opening cost you roll forward through the year's movements to the closing cost, then show accumulated depreciation separately, and finally arrive at net book value.

Presenting cost and depreciation in separate columns — rather than netting them into a single moving figure — is what makes the gross method informative. A reader can see the age and depreciation load of the asset base, not just its current carrying amount.

The columns of the roll-forward

Cost movements

Opening cost, plus additions (Zugänge), less disposals (Abgänge), plus or minus transfers between categories (Umbuchungen), and any write-ups (Zuschreibungen) reversing earlier impairments, giving closing cost.

Accumulated depreciation

Total depreciation to date on each category, with the current year's charge (Abschreibungen des Geschäftsjahres) typically shown so the reader can tie it back to the depreciation expense in the GuV.

Net book value

Cost less accumulated depreciation, shown for both the current and the prior balance-sheet date (Restbuchwert), so the year-on-year change in each asset category is visible at a glance.

How it ties to the rest of the accounts

  • The closing net book values must equal the fixed-asset figures on the face of the balance sheet.
  • The current-year depreciation column should reconcile to the depreciation expense reported in the GuV.
  • Write-ups (Zuschreibungen) reflect reversals of earlier impairments under § 253 Abs. 5 HGB.
  • Disposals remove both the original cost and the related accumulated depreciation of the asset sold or scrapped.

Who has to prepare one

The Anlagenspiegel is part of the notes, so it follows the size-based reliefs. Medium-sized and large corporations must present it. Small corporations are exempt as part of the general § 288 Abs. 1 relief on note disclosures, and micro entities that omit the notes altogether do not prepare one either.

Even where it is not legally required, a small company often keeps an internal fixed-asset register in the same shape, because it feeds the depreciation calculation and the tax fixed-asset schedule (steuerliches Anlagengitter). The commercial and tax versions can differ where depreciation methods or lives diverge.

Frequently asked questions

What is an Anlagenspiegel?

An Anlagenspiegel is the fixed-asset movement schedule in the German notes. Required by § 284 Abs. 3 HGB, it shows how each category of intangible, tangible and financial fixed assets developed over the year — from opening cost through additions, disposals, transfers and write-ups to closing cost and net book value.

What is the gross method in the Anlagenspiegel?

The gross method (Bruttomethode) starts the schedule from historical acquisition or production cost rather than net book value, and shows accumulated depreciation in a separate column. This lets a reader see both the original cost of the asset base and how much of it has been depreciated, not just the current carrying amount.

Do small companies have to prepare an Anlagenspiegel?

No. The Anlagenspiegel is part of the notes, so small corporations are exempt under the general § 288 Abs. 1 HGB relief, and micro entities that omit the notes do not prepare one either. Medium-sized and large corporations must include it. Many small companies still keep one internally for the depreciation calculation.

What is a Zuschreibung in the schedule?

A Zuschreibung is a write-up — the reversal of an earlier extraordinary write-down when the reason for it no longer applies (§ 253 Abs. 5 HGB). It increases the asset's carrying value back up to at most its amortised cost, and appears as its own movement column in the Anlagenspiegel.

How does the Anlagenspiegel tie to the balance sheet?

The closing net book values in the schedule must equal the fixed-asset figures shown on the face of the balance sheet, and the current-year depreciation column should reconcile to the depreciation expense in the GuV. These tie-outs are a standard check that the schedule is internally consistent.