* Wants more detail on goodwill tests, loan covenants
* Says could double amount of firms under scrutiny in 2010
* Demand may mean more goodwill impairment charges coming
By Brett Young
HELSINKI, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Finland's financial watchdog wants companies to give more detailed information on goodwill testing and loan covenants, and next year could double the number of firms under scrutiny as the economy slowly recovers.
Tomi Seppala, head of financial reporting at the Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA), said it was possible the watchdog's demand could lead to more impairment charges in coming quarters as firms are forced to slash asset values due to the recession.
"Thinking about Q3, there are still a lot of companies making losses ... and have made public plans to reorganise and cut staff," Seppala told Reuters in an interview on Monday.
"We are still deep in crisis and that should be reflected in the calculations this year," he said.
FIN-FSA issued a report last week citing "deficiencies" in 2008 financial statements about information on goodwill impairment testing and loan covenants.
It said there were "surprisingly small" impairment losses recognised, and reporting on the possible impact of loan covenants being breached was "inadequate". It said less than 10 companies reported breaching covenant terms in 2008.
GOODWILL HUNTING
Goodwill is the amount paid above the fair value of net assets. International Financial Reporting Standards say it must be checked at least annually for writedowns due to a drop in fair value or future cash flow expectations.
While some firms reined in or halted forecasting as the recession bit in late 2008 and visibility evaporated, Seppala said they still had to make future cash flow assumptions to test goodwill for their 2008 annual report.
In many cases these assumptions were not communicated to the market, nor were changes from the previous year, if any, in terms of how companies performed goodwill testing in light of the market's downturn, he said.
The FIN-FSA examined 15 companies in 2008 and is still in talks with seven of these, Seppala said. Next year this number could double as the FIN-FSA has more resources available given the worst of the crisis seems to have passed, he said.
There are 128 companies listed in Helsinki. Those that fail to comply with FIN-FSA demands could face a public warning, fine or have to restate results.
"I expect that (companies) will read our report very thoroughly and pay a lot more attention to the information that they will provide in their financial statements," Seppala said.
"This is a sort of early warning ... we expect that they will understand our message."
A report from investment bank Houlihan Lokey last week said major European companies may be forced into writedowns totalling hundreds of billions of euros as they recognise the fallout from an acquisition binge earlier this decade.
(Editing by David Cowell)