In finance, a revaluation of fixed assets is an action that may be required to accurately describe the true value of the capital goods a business owns. This should be distinguished from planned depreciation, where the recorded decline in the value of an asset is tied to its age. Fixed assets are held by an enterprise for the purpose of producing goods or rendering services, as opposed to being held for resale for the normal course of business. An example, machines, buildings, patents, or licenses can be fixed assets of a business. The purpose of a revaluation is to bring into the books the fair market value of fixed assets. This may be helpful in order to decide whether to invest in another business. If a company wants to sell one of its assets, it is revalued in preparation for sales negotiations. Reasons for revaluation It is common to see companies revaluing their fixed assets. It is important to make a distinction between a 'private' revaluation and a 'public' revaluation which is carried out in the financial reports. The purposes are varied: To show the true rate of return on capital employed. To conserve adequate funds in the business for replacement of fixed assets at the end of their useful lives. Provision for depreciation based on historical cost will show inflated profits and lead to payment of excessive dividends. To show the fair market value of assets which have considerably appreciated since their purchase such as land and buildings. To negotiate fair price for the assets of the company before merger with or acquisition by another company. To enable proper internal reconstruction and external reconstruction. To issue shares to existing shareholders (rights issue or follow-on offering). To get fair market value of assets, in case of sale-and-leaseback transaction. When the company intends to take a loan from banks or financial institutions by mortgaging its fixed assets. Proper revaluation of assets would enable the company to get a higher amount of loan. Sale of an individual asset or group of assets. In financial firms revaluation reserves are required for regulatory reasons. They are included when calculating a firm's funds to give a fairer view of resources. Only a portion of the firm's total funds (usually about 20%) can be loaned or in the hands of any one counterparty at any one time (large exposures restrictions). To decrease the debt-to-equity ratio ("leverage