Fixed assets (anlægsaktiver)
Fixed assets (anlægsaktiver) are assets intended for lasting use in the business, e.g. property, machinery, goodwill, software, and equity stakes in other companies. Their counterpart is current assets.
The figures behind the term
Source: companydata.dk, CVR and annual reports, updated 28 October 2026
Fixed assets fall into three groups: intangible (goodwill, patents, software), tangible (land, buildings, machinery, vehicles), and financial (stakes in subsidiaries and associates, long-term receivables). They are typically depreciated over their useful life, except e.g. land and financial fixed assets.
What do fixed assets tell you?
The composition reveals the business model: a manufacturer typically has large tangible fixed assets, a holding company almost only financial ones, and an acquired business may carry significant goodwill. Large intangible assets deserve scrutiny, their value depends on future earnings.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as non-current assets?
Assets held for continuing use: intangible ones such as goodwill and software, tangible ones such as buildings and machinery, and financial ones such as shares in other companies.
What is the difference between non-current and current assets?
Non-current assets are acquired for continuing use in the business. Current assets are expected to be sold, used or converted within a year.
Why are non-current assets depreciated?
Because their value is consumed as they are used. Depreciation spreads the cost across the useful life instead of charging it to a single financial year.
Related terms
Current assets (omsætningsaktiver)
Current assets (omsætningsaktiver) are assets not intended for lasting use, expected to be converted to cash within a short period, typically inventory, trade receivables, and cash.
Balance sheet total (balancesum)
The balance sheet total (balancesum) is the sum of all the company's assets, and equally the sum of equity and liabilities, since the balance sheet balances by definition. It is used as a measure of company size.
Holding company (holdingselskab)
A holding company (holdingselskab) is a company (typically an ApS or A/S) whose primary purpose is to own shares in other companies rather than run its own operations. The structure is used to separate risk and defer tax.