In traditional UK accounting practice, 'Dissimilar Activities' served as a reason for excluding a subsidiary undertaking from the consolidated financial statements of a group. It applied to situations where the activities of one undertaking differed significantly from others in the group, potentially compromising the obligation to present a true and fair view. However, current standards under both the Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) applicable in the UK and Ireland and International Accounting Standards (IAS 27) no longer allow exclusions on these grounds.
Severe long-term restrictions impede a holding company's ability to exercise its rights over the assets or management of a subsidiary undertaking. Such restrictions are grounds for excluding a subsidiary from consolidation and treating it as a fixed-asset investment.
