The discontinuation of service from an asset through an act outside the owner’s control.
When accounting for an involuntary conversion, an owner removes the asset (and the accumulated depreciation associated with that asset) from the balance sheet and records a gain—if the amount of payment received (e.g., insurance proceeds) is more than the book value of the asset.
The company records a loss if the payment is less than the book value of the asset.
The loss is usually an extraordinary loss on the income statement.
For tax purposes, the taxpayer can avoid a gain on involuntary conversion if replacement property is purchased.
An example of an involuntary conversion is the loss of a factory building because of a fire, flood, or earthquake, or
because of expropriation by a government.