14/06/2026
🤖 A client asked me something a few weeks ago that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.
He runs a small manufacturing business near Hayes. Half-joking, he said: "Jude, if I bought one of these humanoid robots for the factory floor — where would that even go on my balance sheet?"
My first instinct was the textbook answer: fixed asset, capitalise it, depreciate it, done.
But the more I thought about it on the drive home, the more I realised it's actually a fascinating problem. Because here's the thing — every fixed asset I've ever depreciated gets less valuable over time. These robots might not.
Imagine ten humanoid robots on a factory floor, bought for ÂŁ40,000 each. Three years later, they've:
âś… Found efficiencies no consultant ever spotted
âś… Trained new starters faster than HR could
âś… Flagged a supplier quality issue before it caused a recall
âś… Drafted next year's efficiency plan without being asked
The balance sheet still shows a shrinking number through depreciation. What the business actually has is worth several times more. And none of that "learned value" appears anywhere in the accounts.
I've written up my full thinking on this — covering:
📊 How FRS 102 and IFRS treat robots today
⚖️ Where the rules start to creak as robots get smarter
🏠What needs to change in financial reporting (and what doesn't)
đź’· The HMRC capital allowances question
It's a long read, but I think it's going to matter to a lot of SME owners sooner than people expect.
👉 Full article: www.westridgeaccountants.co.uk
As always, if you've got questions about how any of this applies to your business — drop us a message or give us a call.
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