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February 2016
Financial Reporting Quick Hits: (P)Lease Help! Understanding and
Preparing for the New Lease Standard
Ryan Crowe, Partner | Risk Advisory
Sean Prince, Senior Manager | Risk Advisory
Jim Ewart, Director | Forensics & Valuation
In Under a Minute
• The FASB’s new lease standard is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2019 for public companies. Early adoption is
permitted. At the adoption date, the standard must be applied to the earliest comparative reporting period presented.
• The most significant impact of the new standard is the requirement that lessees account for all leases – both operating
and finance – on the balance sheet, recognizing both an asset for the right to use the leased asset and an obligation to
make lease payments over the lease term.
• The new lease standard retains the notion of “lease classification” – i.e., operating versus finance – and the related income
statement profile for each lease type. The lease classification criteria are substantially the same as those in existing lease
guidance.
• Existing lessor accounting remains largely intact, with certain changes made to the lease classification criteria, leveraged
leases, initial direct costs and real estate leases.
On February 25, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU)
2016-02, Leases, a new standard that will govern the accounting for lease contracts for public companies beginning
January 1, 2019.1 ASU 2016-02 represents the culmination of the FASB’s decade-long project to improve the accounting
for leases, especially the transparency of a company’s obligations arising from lease contracts.
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While the new lease standard isn’t scheduled to go into
effect until 2019, given the pervasiveness of lease financing
(e.g., for the use of corporate real estate, vehicles, copiers,
etc.) and the substantial impact the accounting changes
could have on a company’s financial position and reported
results, companies should begin now to understand how
the new standard differs from existing guidance and assess
how such changes will likely impact their business.
the balance sheet (with the exception of certain short-term
leases addressed below). Specifically, the new standard
requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet at lease
commencement both:
This paper discusses some of the key changes to the
accounting guidance and implementation issues companies
will need to think through as they prepare to adopt the new
lease standard.2
• A lease liability, representing the lessee’s contractual
obligation to make lease payments over the term of the
lease.
• A right-of-use (ROU) asset, representing the lessee’s
right to use the leased asset over the term of the lease;
and,
The lease liability is initially recorded at an amount equal to
the present value of the remaining lease payments4 due over
the lease term, discounted at the rate implicit in the lease.5
In essence, it is accounted for like any other financial liability
(e.g., debt obligation) of the company.
Definition of a Lease
The new lease standard defines a lease as “a contract … that
conveys the right to control the use of identified property,
plant, or equipment … for a period of time in exchange for
consideration.”3 While this definition is essentially the same
as that in existing accounting guidance, the new lease
standard provides new detailed guidance companies will use
to determine when that definition is met. For a contract to
meet the definition of a lease under the new standard, it must
meet both of the following criteria:
Lease
Liability
On the other side of the balance sheet, the ROU asset is
initially recorded at an amount equal to:
• The contract depends on the use of an identified asset.
This analysis must consider whether the supplier of the
asset holds any substantive substitution rights.
• The initial lease liability; plus
• Any lease payments
commencement; plus
• The contract conveys to the lessee the right to control the
use of the identified asset, meaning that the lessee has
the right to 1) direct how and for what purpose the asset
is used and 2) obtain substantially all of the economic
benefits from the use of the asset.
made
at
or
before
lease
• Any initial direct costs incurred by the lessee; less
• Any lease incentives received from the lessor.
Lease Liability
Because the new lease standard requires all leases to
be accounted for on the balance sheet (see below), the
determination as to whether a contract contains a lease
takes on much greater significance in the accounting
analysis. Furthermore, due to the changes made to the
implementation guidance, companies may need to reassess
certain arrangements and use judgment in determining
whether contracts that were previously accounted for as
service arrangements will be treated as a lease under the
new standard or vice versa.
+
ROU Asset
=
• Lease payments
made at or
before lease
commencement
• Initial direct costs
-
Changes to the Accounting by Lessees
All Leases Going on Balance Sheet
Lease incentives
received from the
lessor
Perhaps the most significant change arising from the new
lease standard is the requirement that lessees recognize all
lease contracts – both operating and finance leases – on
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=
Present value of
lease payments due
over the lease term
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Under the new standard, lease term is defined as:
The requirement to recognize the rights and obligations arising
from all leases on the balance sheet addresses the primary
criticism of existing lease accounting guidance – namely, that
the contractual obligations arising from operating leases are
left off of the balance sheet.
The non-cancellable period for which a lessee has the
right to use an underlying asset, together with all of
the following:
a. Periods covered by an option to extend the lease
if the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise that
option.
Depending on the size and composition of a company’s
existing lease portfolio, this change could bring significant
ROU assets and lease liabilities onto the balance sheet.
Possible negative effects of this “gross up” of a company’s
balance sheet include (among others):
b. Periods covered by an option to terminate the lease
if the lessee is reasonably certain not to exercise that
option.
• Unfavorable impacts on debt covenants
c. Periods covered by an option to extend (or not to
terminate) the lease in which exercise of the option
is controlled by the lessor.
• Unfavorable impacts on key performance metrics
• For certain industries, unfavorable impacts on regulatory
capital requirements6
In determining whether it is reasonably certain that a renewal
option (or termination option) will be exercised, a company
must consider “all relevant factors that create an economic
incentive for the lessee …” to exercise the option, including
contract-, asset-, entity- and market-based factors. Examples
of such factors identified in the new lease standard include:7
Implications for Key Metrics and Debt Covenants
The new lease standard could have a significant impact on
the key metrics companies report to their investors as well
as on a company’s debt covenant computations. Below are
a handful of some of the key ratios that may be impacted
by the new lease accounting standard. This assumes the
lessee has a mixture of both operating and capital leases on
the balance sheet.
• Contractual terms and conditions for the optional periods
compared with current market rates.
• Leasehold improvements that are expected to have
significant value to the lessee when the option becomes
exercisable.
Key Metric
Expected
Effect
Leverage Ratio – Debt/Equity
Increases
Current Ratio –
Current Assets/Current Liabilities
Decreases
• Costs related to the termination of the lease and the
signing of a new lease, such as negotiation costs,
relocation costs, etc.
Debt to EBITDA – Debt/EBITDA
Increases
• The importance of the underlying asset to the lessee’s
operations.
Return on Assets – Net income/
Assets
Decreases
“Reasonably certain” hurdle
Under existing accounting guidance, companies only
consider renewal periods as part of the lease term if it is
reasonably assured the renewal option will be exercised.
An Exception for Short-Term Leases
As an exception to the general requirement that all leases be
recognized on balance sheet, the new lease standard allows
companies to account for a lease whose lease term is 12
months or less off the balance sheet – similar to an operating
lease under existing accounting guidance.
However, if a
company elects to apply this short-term lease exception, it
must do so for all similar qualifying leases within the same
asset class (e.g., all qualifying short-term laptop leases).
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While the new standard uses the term “reasonably certain”,
the standard explains that “[r]easonably certain is a high
threshold that is consistent with and intended to be applied
in the same way as the reasonably assured threshold in the
previous leases guidance.”
Refer to Appendix A, An Example of Short Term Leases, for
an explanation of how a company would determine if a lease
contract qualifies for the short-term lease scope exception.
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Lease Classification … and Subsequent Measurement
While lease classification no longer affects whether leases
are recorded on the balance sheet, it does drive how leases
impact the income statement and the statement of cash
flows. For finance leases, companies will recognize interest
expense (from the lease liability) and amortization expense
(from the ROU asset) separately in the income statement,
which is similar to the presentation for today’s capital leases.
In contrast, for operating leases, companies will recognize a
single lease expense figure in the income statement – similar
to the income statement impact of operating leases under
existing US GAAP.
Similar to existing guidance, the new lease standard requires
lessees to classify all leases – except for short-term leases
accounted for off balance sheet – as either an operating lease
or a finance lease. While lease classification no longer drives
whether a lease is accounted for on (or off) balance sheet,
it does affect how the lease is accounted for in the income
statement and statement of cash flows.
Classification criteria
A lease contract is a finance lease if any of the following
criteria are met:
Income Statement
Finance lease
1. The lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset
to the lessee by the end of the lease term.
2. The lease grants the lessee an option to purchase the
underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain
to exercise.
Lessee
3. The lease term is for the major part of the remaining
economic life of the underlying asset. (However, if the
commencement date falls at or near the end of the
economic life of the underlying asset, this criterion shall
not be used for purposes of classifying the lease.)
Lessor
• Amortization
expense (ROU asset)
• Interest income (Net
investment in lease)
• Total lease expense
• Rental/lease income
Statement of Cash Flows
Finance lease
4. The present value of the sum of the lease payments
and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee equals
or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the
underlying asset.
Lessee
5. The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature
that it is expected to have no alternative use to the
lessor at the end of the lease term.
Lessor
• Interest expense –
operating activities
• Principal payment –
financing activities
Operating lease
• Total lease expense
– operating activities
All lease cash flows – operating activities
Lease classification also affects the subsequent measurement
of the ROU asset.
For finance leases, the ROU asset is
accounted for similarly to how property, plant, and equipment
(PP&E) is recorded; in each subsequent reporting period it is
depreciated on a straight-line basis.9 For operating leases,
however, the periodic change in the carrying amount of the
ROU asset is used to achieve a straight-line lease expense in
the income statement.
The new classification criteria are substantially the same
as the existing lease classification criteria with the addition
of the fifth criterion listed above. And while the new criteria
do not reference the “bright-line” tests included in existing
guidance (i.e., the “75%” and “90%” hurdles), the new lease
standard allows companies to use those existing “bright
lines” as a reasonable approach for assessing the third and
fourth criteria listed above.8 Consequently, companies should
not experience significant changes in lease classification
conclusions under the new standard.
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• Interest expense
(Lease liability)
Operating lease
Refer to Appendix B, An Example of the Lessee Accounting
Model, for an example of the lessee accounting model,
including journal entries, under the new lease standard.
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Changes to the Accounting by Lessors
lessee – control being one of the principles underlying the
new revenue standard. In determining whether control has
transferred to the lessee, the lessor would use the same
lease criteria used by a lessee (see discussion above under
“Lease Classification … and Subsequent Measurement”).
The new lease standard keeps existing lessor accounting
largely intact. For example, it retains the current lease
classifications – operating leases, direct-finance leases and
sales-type leases – and generally how each lease type is
accounted for. However, the new lease standard does change
lessor accounting in some noteworthy ways.
The new lease classification criteria also requires a lessor
to assess whether it is probable the lessor will collect the
lease payments due plus the amount necessary to satisfy
any residual value guarantee, which is consistent with the
collectability concept under Step 1 of the new revenue
standard.11
Lease Classification
As noted, the new standard does not change the existing lease
classifications used by lessors.
It does, however change how
a lessor determines the appropriate lease classification for
each lease. This change fulfills the FASB’s goal to maintain
alignment between lessor accounting, an income-generating
activity for lessors, and the FASB’s new revenue standard.10
Finally, the new lease classification criteria remove the
incremental tests that now exist for leases involving real
estate. This too is consistent with the changes made by the
new revenue standard, which no longer differentiates between
transactions involving real estate and all other transactions.
In order to maintain alignment between lessor accounting
and the new revenue standard, the lease classification
analysis has been modified to focus on whether the lease
contract transfers control of the underlying asset to the
The following decision tree provides a high-level overview of
how the lease classification analysis under the lease standard
will work for lessors:12
Does the lease contract meet one or more of the following conditions:
Sales-type Lease
1. It transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the lessee by the end
of the lease term.
2. It grants the lessee an option to purchase the underlying asset that the
lessee is reasonably certain to exercise.
3. The lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of
the underlying asset.
If collection of lease payments is
probable, selling profit is recognized
upfront.
Yes
4. The present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual
value guaranteed by the lessee equals or exceeds substantially all of
the fair value of the underlying asset.
If collection of lease payments is
not probable, account for receipt
of lease payments as deposit
liability (until collectability becomes
probable).
5. The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature that it is expected
to have no alternative use to the lessor at the end of the lease term.
No
Operating Lease
Does the present value of the sum of the lease payments and any
residual value guaranteed by the lessee or by any other unrelated third
party equal or exceed substantially all of the fair value of the underlying
asset?
No
Direct Financing Lease
Yes
Is it probable that the lessor will collect the lease payments plus any
amount necessary to satisfy a residual value guarantee?
No
Yes
Any selling profit is deferred and
amortized over the life of the lease
term.
Refer to Appendix C, An Example of Lease Classification by a Lessor for an example of how a lessor would apply the
decision tree.
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Leveraged Leases
need to ensure they have an adequate process in place for
appropriately identifying lease and non-lease components
(e.g., common area maintenance, supply of utilities).
However, as a practical expedient, the new lease standard
allows lessees to elect – by class of underlying asset – to
account for lease and non-lease components as a single
lease component.
Another change to existing lessor accounting is the FASB’s
decision to eliminate the concept of a leveraged lease. Under
existing accounting guidance, if certain criteria are met, a
lessor can account for its lease investment on the face of
the balance sheet net of the debt used to finance the leased
asset. In the basis for conclusions of the new lease standard
the FASB explains its reasoning for eliminating leveraged
leases:
Initial Direct Costs
The new lease standard also redefines which types of
expenditures qualify as initial direct costs. Under the new
standard, only those costs that would not have been incurred
if the lease had not been obtained (i.e., similar to the notion
of incremental costs in the new revenue standard) qualify.
As a result, costs incurred before a lease is executed (e.g.,
legal fees) as well as allocated costs (e.g., the portion of an
employee’s salary) no longer qualify as initial direct costs.
One reason is because leveraged lease accounting
provides net presentation and some Board members
do not agree with allowing a net presentation for only a
subset of certain lease transactions.
Another reason is
to limit some of the complexity in the lease accounting
guidance by eliminating the unique accounting for
leveraged leases.
Sale-Leaseback Transactions
The new lease standard does, however, grandfather in
existing leveraged leases. Leveraged leases existing as of
the date of adoption would continue to be accounted for
under existing guidance for leveraged leases. This eliminates
the complexities in unwinding the accounting for leveraged
leases upon adoption.
While the new lease standard retains the notion of a saleleaseback transaction, it modifies how the lessee and lessor
determine the appropriate accounting for such a transaction.
Under the new standard, the seller-lessee first assesses
whether the transfer of the underlying asset to the buyerlessor qualifies as a sale under the new revenue standard.
This analysis focuses on whether the buyer-lessor has
obtained control over the asset.
The new lease standard
clarifies that the leaseback arrangement does not preclude
the buyer-lessor from obtaining control unless the lease is
determined to be a finance lease.
Additional Changes Impacting both Lessees and
Lessors
Separation of Lease and Non-Lease Components
The requirement to identify and separately account for lease
and non-lease components is not new. However, under
the new lease standard, the requirement takes on greater
importance because lease components are now accounted
for on the balance sheet whereas non-lease components are
generally accounted for off balance sheet.
If the transfer does not qualify as a sale, the transaction is
accounted for as a financing arrangement. The seller-lessee
continues to record the underlying asset on its balance sheet
and recognizes a liability for any proceeds received from the
buyer-lessor.
In contrast, if the transfer qualifies as a sale, then the sellerlessee derecognizes the underlying asset, recognizes a gain
on sale and accounts for the leaseback in accordance with
the new lease standard (i.e., based on an assessment of
whether control of the asset has been transferred).
In addition, because the new lease standard modifies the
interpretive guidance surrounding the definition of a lease
and provides incremental guidance on how to identify and
separate lease and non-lease components, companies
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Disclosures
The new standard also provides certain “practical expedients”
companies may elect at the date of transition to ease the
burden of adoption. These practical expedients would allow
companies to not reassess at the date of initial adoption:
The new lease standard requires lessees and lessors to
provide additional quantitative and qualitative information
about their leases, including significant judgments involved
in the accounting for leases and the amounts recognized in
the financial statements from leases. The objective of the
disclosures is to “enable users of financial statements to
assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows
arising from leases.”13
1. Whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain
leases.
2. The lease classification for any expired or existing leases.
(All existing leases that were classified as operating
leases in accordance with Topic 840 will be classified
as operating leases and all existing leases that were
classified as capital leases in accordance with Topic 840
will be classified as finance leases.)
Certain disclosures required of lessees and lessors under the
new lease standard include:
Disclosure requirements
3. Initial direct costs for existing leases.
Lessee
• Information about the nature of its leases
A fourth practical expedient would allow an entity to use
hindsight in 1) determining the lease term when considering
lessee options to extend or terminate the lease and to
purchase the underlying asset and 2) assessing ROU assets
for impairment.
• Maturity analysis of lease liabilities
• Lease expense, split between operating and
capital leases
• Short-term lease expense
The first three practical expedients must be elected together
(i.e., all or none). In contrast, the fourth practical expedient
may be elected separately; however, if elected, it must be
treated as an accounting policy election.
It cannot be elected
on a lease-by-lease basis.
• Variable lease expense
• Sublease income
• Weighted average remaining lease term
• Weighted average discount rate
For companies that avail themselves of the practical
expedients, the primary effect of adoption will be the grossing
up of the balance sheet for any existing operating leases.
Lessor
• Information about the nature of its leases
• Maturity analysis of lease investments
Preparing for Adoption
• Profit or loss recognized at lease commencement (for
sales-type leases)
For companies that have a meaningful portfolio of lease
contracts – whether as a lessor or lessee, or both –
operationalizing the new lease standard could require
significant effort. As a result, companies impacted by
the change should start working toward implementation
immediately. Key steps all companies should consider
including in their adoption of the new lease standard follow:
• Lease income
• Qualitative and quantitative information about
significant changes in residual values of leased assets
Transition
The new lease standard requires companies to adopt its
provisions using a modified retrospective approach.
Under
this approach companies must apply the new accounting
requirements as of the beginning of the earliest comparative
period presented.
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1. Forming a cross-functional implementation team,
including representation from accounting, finance,
business lines, tax, technology, legal, internal audit and
supply chain.
2. Educating key stakeholders, including management, the
implementation team, the board of directors and others
on the key changes to the accounting guidance, and
the expected impact on the company’s financial results,
accounting processes, internal controls and business
practices.
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5. Performing an inventory of existing lease contracts. As
part of this effort, performing a comprehensive review
of GL activity to ensure completeness of the contract
population.
3. Assessing resources needed to implement the new lease
standard, including the expertise, time commitment and
necessary technology solutions. As part of this effort,
companies should evaluate their information technology
infrastructure to determine whether they have the
mechanisms in place to assess and track leasing activities
prospectively, or whether there is a need to create an
interim technology solution until software providers have
time to review the final standard and create a permanent
solution.
6. Identifying opportunities for aggregating similar lease
contracts to eliminate redundant accounting analyses.
7. Determining which short-term lease contracts, if any, will
be accounted for off balance sheet.
8. Identifying which practical expedients, if any, provided
by the new lease standard will be applied upon adoption.
4. Developing a project plan outlining the key steps,
milestones and testing required to ensure a successful
implementation. As part of this effort, an implementation
timeline should be established.
Figure 1 provides an example implementation plan that
companies might consider as they prepare to adopt the new
lease standard.
Figure 1: Example Implementation Plan
1. Engagement of
Key Stakeholders
2. Create Project
Plan
3. Process of
Discovery
• Discuss financial and operational
impacts of the new standard
• Identify SMEs for each
department who will own the
workstream from a departmental
perspective
• Aggregation of enterprise
contracts for inclusion in
population review
• What is the desired end state?
• To include but not limited to:
»» LOB Finance
»» Controller Groups
»» Tax
»» Treasury
»» Supply Chain
»» AP
»» Technology
• List the key steps, milestones,
and testing required to ensure a
successful go live implementation
• LOB finance and controllers should
do a comprehensive review of GL
activity to ensure completeness of
contract population
• Ensure technology is engaged
early to help identify any potential
technology limitations and
solutions
• Internal Audit to approve scoping
and methodology
»» Legal
»» Accounting Policy
4. Determine Scope
in Population
5. Testing
6. Execution
• Review contracts and categorize
as appropriate
• Accounting policy to opine on
each contract in scope and
classify each lease type as
appropriate.
• Book GL entries
• Short-term (Excluded)
• Small Ticket/Portfolio Level
• Engage Legal department to
determine if each meets the
definition of a lease
• Technology should provide testing
environment to ensure accurate
reporting for implementation date.
• Compare balance sheet impacts
with pro-forma projections
• Finalize project documentation
including work papers, project
plans, and SME sign-offs.
• Leases should be valued, and
accounting entries booked in test
• Finance to create pro-forma
financials to assess the impact
on overall balance sheet capital,
existing debt covenants, and key
ratios.
Conclusion
The new lease standard has the potential to significantly
impact a company’s financial position, reported results and
accounting environment.
Adopting the new standard could
require significant time and effort. Consequently, companies
should start the process of understanding how the new lease
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standard differs from existing guidance and assessing how
changes will impact their business. Starting early will allow
more time for the testing and execution phase of adoption,
giving entities a better chance to “brace for impact.”
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How DHG Can Help
DHG’s Accounting Readiness team is positioned to help
companies think through how the new leases standard will
impact their reported results and accompanying disclosures,
Understand
the guidance
• Provide CPE-eligible
trainings for a company’s
key stakeholders
• Provide DHG thoughtware
on forthcoming accounting
changes
accounting processes and controls, and other areas of
a business.
Assess
the impact
• Help inventory existing
leases population and
related processes and
controls
• Provide a comprehensive
impact assessment
(accounting, tax, operations,
systems, etc.)
Get the
accounting right
• Perform accounting
analyses on existing
lease portfolio
• Design and implement
new accounting
processes and controls
• Draft new leases
disclosures and
accounting policies
For further details about how our Accounting Readiness team can assist your company, please contact:
Ryan Crowe
Partner | Risk Advisory
704.367.7192
ryan.crowe@dhgllp.com
Assurance | Tax | Advisory | dhgllp.com
Sean Prince
Senior Manager | Risk Advisory
203.826.2500
sean.prince@dhgllp.com
9
Jim Ewart
Director | Forensics & Valuation
843.727.3242
james.ewart@dhgllp.com
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APPENDIX A | An Example of Short-Term Leases
This appendix provides an example of how a company would analyze a lease to determine if it qualifies for the new short-term
lease scope exception.
EXAMPLE
Conclusion:
Facts:
• Based on a review of the relevant factors that create an
economic incentive (e.g., the leasehold improvements
involved, the material tax incentive being offered, and
the importance of the building to Darling’s operations),
Darling Widgets concludes it is reasonably certain that
it will exercise the renewal option. As a result the lease
does not qualify as a short-term lease because the lease
term exceeds 12 months.
• Darling Widgets enters into a lease agreement with RE
Rental, Inc. to lease a building for an initial period of 12
months.
• At the end of 12 months Darling Widgets has the option
to renew the lease contract for an additional 36-month
period.
• Darling Widgets intends to use the building for the location
of its new corporate headquarters, which will require the
installation of significant leasehold improvements.
• Had it not been for the factors noted above that make
it reasonably certain Darling Widgets will exercise the
renewal option, the company would have been able to
elect the short-term lease scope exception because, in
this case, the non-cancelable period of the lease is for
only 12 months.
• Additionally, Darling Widgets has been offered a material
tax incentive from the local government for relocating
its headquarters. However, to receive the tax incentive,
the company must remain in the locality for at least two
years.
Darling Widgets intends to meet that requirement.
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APPENDIX B | An Example of the Lessee Accounting Model
This appendix provides an example of how a lessee would account for a lease under the new lease standard. Specifically, the
example highlights how the different lease types – operating versus finance –impact a lessee’s income statement presentation
and the subsequent accounting for the ROU asset.
The example makes certain simplifying assumptions (e.g., no initial direct costs, no lease incentives received, etc.) to facilitate
ease of understanding.
EXAMPLE
Facts:
Darling Widgets enters into a lease agreement with RE
Rental, Inc. to lease a building for an initial period of three
years. There are no renewal or termination options.
Under the terms of the lease Darling Widgets will make annual
payments (occurring at the end of each period) to RE Rental,
Inc.
in accordance with the following payment schedule:
Year
Amount
1
$100,000
2
$120,000
3
$140,000
Total
$360,000
Based on the information available the company is unable
to determine the rate implicit in the lease. Therefore, it uses
its incremental borrowing rate of 9.15% to calculate an initial
lease liability of $300,000.14
For simplicity, assume that the company did not incur
any initial direct costs or receive any lease incentives in
connection with the lease.
Conclusion:
The following table and accompanying journal entries outline how Darling Widgets would account for its lease assuming that it
was classified as a finance lease and operating lease, respectively:
Finance Lease
Year
(end of
period)
Cash
Outflows
(A)
0
Lease
Liability
Principal
Paydown
(A-B)
$300,000
ROU
Asset
Interest
Expense
(B)
Operating Lease
Amortization
ROU Asset
Expense*
$300,000
Adjustment
Lease
to ROU
Expense***
Asset**
$300,000
1
$100,000
$227,451
$72,549
$200,000
$27,451
$100,000
$207,451
$92,549
$120,000
2
$120,000
$128,263
$99,188
$100,000
$20,812
$100,000
$108,263
$99,188
$120,000
3
$140,000
$-
$128,263
$-
$11,737
$100,000
$-
$108,263
$120,000
Totals
$360,000
$60,000
$300,000
$300,000
$360,000
* For finance leases, the amortization expense each period equals the initial ROU asset divided by the initial lease term.
**For operating leases, the ROU asset is reduced each period by an amount equal to the difference between (a) the lease expense and (b) the
theoretical interest expense amount.
***The lease expense is equal to the sum of (a) the remaining undiscounted lease payments and (b) any initial direct costs, divided by the remaining
lease term.
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Finance Lease Accounting Entries:
Operating Lease Accounting Entries:
At lease commencement
At lease commencement
ROU Asset
$300,000
Lease
Liability
ROU Asset
$300,000
$300,000
Lease
Liability
Year 1
$300,000
Year 1
Interest Expense
27,451
Lease Expense
120,000
Lease Liability
72,549
Lease Liability
72,549
Cash
Cash
100,000
Amort. Expense
100,000
ROU Asset
100,000
ROU Asset
92,549
100,000
Year 2
Year 2
Interest Expense
20,812
Lease Expense
120,000
Lease Liability
99,188
Lease Liability
99,188
Cash
Cash
120,000
Amort. Expense
ROU Asset
100,000
ROU Asset
120,000
99,188
100,000
Year 3
Year 3
Interest Expense
11,737
120,000
128,263
Lease Liability
Lease Expense
Lease Liability
128,263
Cash
Cash
Amort. Expense
100,000
ROU Asset
140,000
ROU Asset
140,000
108,263
100,000
This example demonstrates how, while the total expense recognized for a finance lease and an operating lease is the same over
the entire term of the lease, expense recognition for finance leases is front-loaded as a result of the declining interest expense
over the term of the lease as depicted in the chart below.
Lease Expense vs.
Cash Payments
$150,000
$140,000
$130,000
$120,000
$110,000
$100,000
$90,000
$80,000
Year 1
Year 2
Operating Lease
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Finance Lease
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Year 3
Cash Payments
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APPENDIX C | An Example of Lease Classification by a Lessor
This appendix provides an example of how a lessor would analyze a lease contract using the new lease classification assessment
in the new lease standard.
EXAMPLE
Facts:
Conclusion:
BT Rentals Co. enters into a lease agreement to rent a moving
truck to MoversRUs for a period of four years. The remaining
useful life of the truck at lease commencement is 5 years
and its current carrying amount is $35,000. The estimated
residual value of the truck is $5,000.
BT Rentals’ lease agreement with MoversRUs covers 80%
of the remaining useful life of the moving truck.
Furthermore,
the present value of the anticipated lease payments, which
BT Rentals has assessed as probable of being collected,
amounts to substantially all of the fair value of the moving
truck. Based on these facts, BT Rentals concludes that the
lease should be classified as a sales-type lease with upfront
profit recognition.
Under the lease BT Rentals will receive from MoversRUs
annual payments (occurring at the end of each period) in
accordance with the following payment schedule:
Year
Amount
1
$10,000
2
$12,000
3
$14,000
4
$16,000
Total
As a result, BT Rentals records the following entries at lease
commencement:
$52,000
Net investment in
sales-type lease
Cost of goods sold*
Sales revenue**
Moving truck
$43,500
31,628
$40,128
35,000
* Calculated as the carrying amount of the moving truck less the
present value of the estimated unguaranteed residual value.
Based on BT Rentals’ analysis of the relevant facts and
circumstances, BT Rentals concludes that collectability of
the lease payments from MoversRUs is probable.
** Calculated as the present value of the future lease payments
BT Rentals determines that the rate implicit in the lease is
10.35%. The present value of the lease payments is $40,128.
For simplicity, assume that there are no initial direct costs or
residual value guarantees provided to the lessor.
1. The formal effective date for public companies is annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods therein.
Private companies are
granted a one-year deferral. However, both public and private companies may elect to early adopt the standard.
2. This paper does not cover the changes made by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) to its lease accounting guidance. On January 13, 2016, the IASB
issued International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 16, which amends the accounting for leases for companies complying with IFRSs.
While IFRS 16 and the
FASB’s new lease standard both require leases to be recorded on the balance sheet, significant differences remain between the two standards.
3. Refer to ASC 842-10-20.
4. Lease payments exclude contingent rental payments (e.g., rent based on percent of sales).
5. The rate implicit in the lease is the rate that causes the present value of the net investment in the lease to equal the sum of 1) the fair value of the underlying asset minus
any related investment tax credit retained and expected to be realized by the lessor and 2) any capitalized initial direct costs incurred by the lessor. If a lessee cannot
readily determine the rate implicit in the lease, it would use its incremental borrowing rate as the discount rate. In addition, private companies will have the option to use
the risk-free rate in calculating the present value of lease payments.
6. With respect to possible regulatory capital implications, from informal discussions with the FASB staff, we understand the FASB intentionally remained silent on the
nature of the ROU asset in the final standard so as to avoid any negative impacts of classifying such assets as intangible assets.
7. Refer to ASC 842-10-55-26.
8. Refer to ASC 842-10-55-2.
9. Under the new lease standard the straight-line basis is used “unless another systematic and rational basis is more representative of the pattern in which benefit is
expected to be derived from the right to use the underlying asset” (ASC 842-20-35-7).
10. Refer to ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.
11. Refer to ASC 606-10-05-4.
12. Refer to ASC 842-10-25-2 through 25-3 and ASC 842-30-25-3.
13. Refer to ASC 842-20-50-1 and ASC 842-30-50-1.
14. As explained in the new lease standard, the incremental borrowing rate is “[t]he rate of interest that a lessee would have to pay to borrow over a similar term and with a
similar security the funds necessary to obtain an asset of a similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment.”
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