Specifics of intangible assets formation and their management in a market economy

The article deals with the economic nature of company’s intangible assets. The criteria for the purpose of intangible assets and their characteristic features are identified. They are: no material real (physical) structure, i.e., they are not physically tangible; use for a long time; serve the purposes of production or management of the firm (enterprise); ability to bring economic benefits to the enterprise; under normal conditions there is no need for the user to resell them; income opportunity in the present and the future; high uncertainty level of future profits from their use; long-term operation of the assets. The necessity of evaluating intangible assets is expressed, which occurs in the case of contracts of sale, the reorganization (merger, division, acquisition, etc.), liquidation and bankruptcy of enterprises, revaluation of fixed assets of the company, making up the share capital of the company, transfer of the use of IP-based licensing agreement for the franchise contract, etc. Classification of intangible assets is offered to be completed with a new group, which reflects the income from the use of the educational potential of employees.