Home

Leases

Leases

 

 

Leases

Chapter 5 IAS 17 Leases

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1.         Explain the nature and classification of leases.
2.         Demonstrate awareness of the accounting issues concerned with expensing versus capitalizing for leases.
3.         Apply the required accounting treatment to operating leases and finance leases in the financial statements of the lessee (customer) and lessor (seller).
4.         Describe the disclosure requirements under IAS 17 for both lessees (承租人) and lessors(出租人).
5.         Account for sale and leaseback transactions.

 


2.      Nature and Classification of Leases

2.1       Nature of leases

2.1.1    A leasing agreement is essentially a hiring agreement, in which ownership of an asset may never pass to the lessee. The lessor retains ownership of the asset but conveys the right to the use of the asset to the lessee for an agreed period of time in return for the payment of specified rentals.
2.1.2    If the contract includes an option giving the lessee to purchase title to the asset upon the fulfillment of agreed conditions, the transaction is sometimes known as a hire purchase contract.
2.1.3    Leasing has been growing rapidly as a means of financing the acquisition of fixed assets where depreciation (capital) allowance is available for tax purpose. Reasons for entering leasing transaction are:
(i)         Off-balance sheet financing (不入帳的融資)
In the past, under leasing, the asset remains the property of the lessor and is rented by the lessee. The lessee does not record the transaction in the balance sheet, and therefore the gearing ratio of the lessee company is not affected.
(ii)        Tax allowances
A company is permitted to deduct some of the cost of the new assets from the taxable profits of the period of acquisition and gain the benefit of depreciation allowance during its economic useful life, thus reducing the tax payable and improving cash flow.
2.1.4    By issuing IAS 17, the standard is trying to:
(i)         standardize the accounting procedures and reporting disclosure used where leases are involved, which aids the financial statement comparability.
(ii)        prevent off-balance sheet financing by requiring that the substance of transactions (rather than legal form) is reflected in the financial statements.

2.2       Classification of leases

(a)       Classification

2.2.1

Definition

 

IAS 17 defines a lease as an agreement whereby the lessor conveys to the lessee in return for a payment or series of payments the right to use an asset for an agreed period of time.

 

2.2.2    The Standard recognizes two types of lease – finance leases and operating leases.

2.2.3

Definitions

 

(a)       Finance lease (融资租赁) – is a lease that transfer substantially all the risks and rewards incident to ownership of an asset. Title may or may not eventually be transferred. (是指實質上轉移與資産所有權有關的全部的風險和報酬的租賃。其所有權最終可能轉移也可能不轉移。)

(b)       Operating lease – is a lease other than a finance lease. The lessee pays rental for the hire of an asset for a period of time which is normally substantially less than its useful economic life. The lessor retains most of the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset.

2.2.4    Under IAS 17, for a lease of both land buildings, the land and buildings elements are considered separately for the purpose of lease classification, unless title to both elements is expected to pass to the lessee by the end of the lease term.
2.2.5    IAS 17 emphasises that an important consideration for land is its indefinite economic life. It requires that a lease of land is classified in accordance with the normal lease classification criteria as that for all other leases.

(b)       Risks and rewards of ownership

2.2.6    Risks may be represented by the possibility of:
(i)         losses from idle capacity or technological obsolescence;
(ii)        variations in return due to changing economic conditions.
2.2.7    Rewards may be represented by the expectation of:
(i)         profitable operation over the asset’s economic life;
(ii)        gain from appreciation in value or realisation of residual value.

2.2.8

Example 1

 

User leased a specialized piece of equipment on 1 October 2011. The lessor agreed to buy a particular item to User’s detailed specification for User’s choice of supplier. The items has an expected useful life of up to 10 years, but the lease agreement will terminate at the end of 8 years, at which times the asset will be returned to the lessor.

 

The lease agreement makes User responsible for any damage to the equipment, either accidental or through poor maintenance. The lessor will not be responsible for any loss of use arising because of breakdowns.

User’s Chief Accountant has declared that she does not need to see any detailed figures in order to classify this lease. The broad description of the lease terms and conditions indicates that it is almost certainly a finance lease.

Required:

Explain whether User’s lease appears to be a finance lease.

Solution:

Whether or not a lease passes substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership will be evident from the terms of the lease contract and an understanding of the commercial risks undertaken by each party. IAS 17 provides guidance in cases where there may be doubt.

In the case of User, the lease is almost certainly a finance lease.

  • User has the use of the asset for the period in which substantially all the benefits will be derived from the asset.

  • The equipment was purchased to User’s detailed specification, and from User’s choice of supplier. It is unlikely that, once the asset transfers back to the lessor, the lessor would be easily able to trade it in.

  • User has also agreed to bear almost all of the risks of ownership, since it is expected to be responsible for any damage to the equipment, and for any loss of use arising through breakdowns. This indicates that the leasing company is acting as a finance lender to User, rather than as a lender of one of its own assets.

 

(c)        Minimum lease payments (最低租赁付款额)

2.2.9

Definition

 

Minimum lease payments is the payments over the lease term that the lessee is, or can be required, to make (excluding contingent rent, costs for services and taxes to be paid by and reimbursed to the lessor), together with:
(a)       in the case of the lessee, any amounts guaranteed by the lessee; or

(b)       in the case of the lessor, any residual value guaranteed to the lessor by the lessee.

2.2.10  Contingent rent (或有租金) is that portion of the lease payments that is not fixed in amount but is based on a factor other than just the passage of time (for example, percentage of sales, amount of usage, price indices, market rates of interest).
2.2.11  To decide whether there is a presumption of transfer of risks and rewards of ownership, it is necessary to consider the following:

Step

Comments

(1)  Calculate minimum lease payments (MLPs) inclusive of initial payment

MLPs = minimum payment plus any residual amounts guaranteed by the lessee

(2)  Discount (1) to determine present value of MLPs

Discount factor is either:
(i)  rate of interest implicit in the lease (if known); or
(ii) a commercial rate of interest (for a similar lease)

(3)  Calculate fair value of the asset at beginning of lease

Fair value = arm’s length price (公平價格)

(4)  It is a finance lease if the present value of MLPs is equal to substantially all the fair value (90% or more of (3))

 

 

2.2.12

Example 2 - MLP

 

A manufacturing company has been analyzing proposals for the lease or purchase of a major acquisition of new equipment. The lease proposal was considered to be more reliable. The following information is relevant:
(i)      The proposed lease agreement involves an equipment that has a fair value of $600,000.
(ii)     The lease period is for four year from 1 January 2012 with a rental of $200,000 per annum payable on the 31 December each year from 31 December 2008.
(iii)    The lessee guarantees a $20,000 residual value on 31 December 2015.
(iv)    The lessee is required to pay all repair, maintenance and insurance costs as they arise.
(v)     The interest rate implicit in the lease is 15% per annum.

 

Solution:

To clarify the transaction, we have:
(i)      Minimum lease payments = 4 × $200,000 + $20,000 = $820,000
(ii)     Present value of minimum lease payments
$200,000 × 2.855* + $20,000 x  = $582,435
* From annuity tables – present value of four annual sums at 15% interest rate per annum is 2.855

(iii)    Fair value of assets is $600,000

At present value of the minimum lease payments ($582,435) is substantial equal to all the fair value of the asset ($600,000), being 97.1% of the fair value, the transaction is a “finance lease” since it can be concluded that substantially all the risks and rewards incident to ownership of the asset has been transferred to the lessee.

(d)       Indicators

2.2.13  IAS 17 lists the following as examples of situations where a lease would normally be classified as a finance lease:
(i)         ownership is transferred to the lessee at the end of the lease;
(ii)        the lessee has the option to purchase the asset at a bargain price and it seems likely that, at the inception of the lease, this option will be exercised;
(iii)       the lease term is for the major part of the useful life of the asset; and at the inception of the lease, the present value of the minimum lease payments is greater than, or equal to substantially all of, the fair value of the leased asset; (租赁期占租赁资产使用寿命的大部分。这里的“大部分”掌握在租赁期占租赁开始日租赁资产使用寿命的75%以上。)
(iv)       if the lessee can cancel the lease any losses associated with the cancellation are borne by the lessee;
(v)        gains or losses from the fluctuation in the fair value of the residual fall to the lessee (e.g. in the form of a rent rebate equaling most of the sales proceeds at the end of the lease);
(vi)       the lessee has the ability to continue the lease for a secondary period at a rent which is substantially lower than market rent; and
(vii)      the leased assets are of a specialised nature (性质特殊) such that only the lessee can use them without major modifications being made.

 

 

2.2.14

Exercise 1

 

A company has entered into a four year lease for a machine, with lease rentals of $150,000 payable annually in advance, and with an optional secondary period of three years at rentals of 80%, 60% and 40% of the annual rental in the primary period. It is agreed that these rentals represent a fair commercial rate. The machine has a useful life of eight years and a cash value of $600,000.

 

Required:

Consider whether this lease agreement is a finance lease or an operating lease?

 

(e)       Terms of lease

2.2.15  The status of the lease may often be determined from an examination of the lease terms. A transference of risks and rewards is assumed if:
(i)         the lessee has the use of the asset for most of its useful economic life;
(ii)        the lessee bears the cost normally associated with ownership (e.g. insurance, maintenance, idle capacity);
(iii)       the present value of the amounts guaranteed by the lessee is materially equivalent to the cost of purchase;
(iv)       any amounts accruing to the lessor at the end of the lease are relatively small.

(f)         Initial direct costs

2.2.16  Lessors should include initial direct costs (e.g. legal fee) incurred in negotiating a lease in the initial measurement of finance lease receivables. They are therefore spread over the lease term on the same basis as the lease income.
2.2.17  This treatment does not apply to manufacturer or dealer lessors where such cost recognition is as an expense when the selling profit is recognized.
2.2.18  Any initial direct costs of the lessee in a finance lease are added to the amount recognized as an asset.

3.      Accounting Treatment for Finance Lease

3.1       In lessee’s book

(a)       Initial entries

3.1.1    IAS 17 requires that finance leases must be capitalized. A finance lease should be shown in the lessee’s statement of financial position both as an asset and as a liability. At the start of the lease:
(a)        the leased asset should be included as a non-current asset, subject to depreciation;
(b)        the obligation to pay rentals should be included as a liability.
3.1.2    At the inception of the lease, the amounts will equal the lower of:
(i)         the fair value of the leased property; and
(ii)        the present value of the minimum lease payments.
3.1.3    However, in practice the fair value of the asset or its cash price will usually be the recorded amount, rather than the present value of the minimum lease payments.

(b)       Depreciation

3.1.4    If there is reasonable certainty that the lessee will obtain ownership by the end of the lease term, the period of expected use is the useful life of the asset.
3.1.5    Otherwise, the related non-current asset should be depreciated over the shorter of:
(a)        the economic useful life of the asset; and
(b)        the lease term.

3.1.6   The lease term is essentially the period over which the lessee is likely to have use of the asset. It includes:
(a)        the primary (non-cancellable) period; plus
(b)        any secondary periods during which the lessee has the contractual right to continue to use the asset, provided that it is reasonably certain at the outset that this right will be exercised.

(c)        Allocation of finance charge

3.1.7    Over the period of the lease, the total finance charge is the amount by which the rentals paid to the lessor exceed the initial recorded amount.
3.1.8    Each individual rental payment should be spilt between:
(i)         finance charge (income statement item); and
(ii)        repayment of obligation to pay rentals (thus reducing the balance sheet liability).
3.1.9    There are three main methods to allocate the finance charges over the term of the lease:
(i)         actuarial method (精算方法);
(ii)        sum of the digits (rule of 78) method (年數累計法);
(iii)       straight-line method (but generally not acceptable).
Of the above methods the actuarial method gives the most accurate result.

3.1.10

Example 3 – Actuarial method

 

A company has two options. It can buy an asset for cash at a cost of $5,710 or it can lease it by way of a finance lease. The terms of the lease are as follows:

(1)     primary period is for four years from 1 January 2012 with a rental of $2,000 p.a. payable on the 31 December each year;
(2)     the lessee has the right to continue to lease the asset after the end of the primary period for an indefinite period, subject only to a nominal rent;
(3)     the lessee is required to pay all repair, maintenance and insurance costs as they arise;
(4)     the interest rate implicit in the lease is 15%.

The lessee estimates the useful economic life of the asset to be eight years. Depreciation is provided on a straight-line basis.

 

Solution:

Step 1

We may check to confirm whether the lease is a finance lease by comparing the present value of the MLPs with the cash price.

The interest rate implicit in the lease is the rate at which the payments made under the lease must be discounted to make them equal to the initial cost. In this case the rate is 15%, as the following calculation shows:

Year

Payment

Discount factor at 15%

Net present value

 

$

 

$

2012

2,000

0.870

1,740

2013

2,000

0.756

1,512

2014

2,000

0.657

1,314

2015

2,000

0.572

1,144

 

Present value of MLPs

5,710

Step 2

The asset is shown as a non-current asset in the statement of financial position at $5,710 (subject to depreciation).

Depreciation is over eight years (presumably no residual value to the asset at the end of eight years)

Annual depreciation charge = 1/8 × $5,710 = $714

Step 3

The liability is shown in the balance sheet at $5,710 but subsequently reduced by the capital portion of the leasing payments.

The total finance charge is $(8,000 – 5,710) = $2,290. The allocation of this to each rental payment and the consequent capital sum outstanding is calculated as follows:

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

Period (year ended 31 Dec)

Capital sum at start of period

Finance charge at 15% pa

Sub-total

Rental paid

Capital sum at the end of period

 

$

$

$

$

$

2012

5,710

856

6,566

(2,000)

4,566

2013

4,566

685

5,251

(2,000)

3,251

2014

3,251

488

3,739

(2,000)

1,739

2015

1,739

261

2,000

(2,000)

-

 

 

2,290

 

8,000

 

 

 

 

Step 4

The effect on the financial statements of the lessee may be summarized as follows:

Income Statement

Statement of financial position

Year ended 31 Dec

Finance charge

Dep’n

Non-current asset (NBV)

Obligation

 

 

 

 

Total

Non-current

Current

 

$

$

$

$

$

$

2012

856

714

4,996

4,566

3,251

1,315

2013

685

714

4,282

3,251

1,739

1,512

2014

488

714

3,568

1,739

 

1,739

2015

261

714

2,854

 

 

 

2016

-

714

2,140

 

 

 

2017

-

714

1,426

 

 

 

2018

-

714

712

 

 

 

2019

-

712

-

 

 

 

 

2,290

5,710

 

 

 

 

The format in step 3 will be used whenever the payments under a lease are made in arrears. If the payments are due in advance, the rental paid is deducted from the capital sum at the start of the period before the interest is calculated. In other words, columns 3 and 5 would be reversed.

 

3.1.11

Exercise 2

 

P Limited entered into a five-year lease on 1 January 2008 for a machine with a fair value of $20,000. Rentals are $5,200 p.a. payable in advance and the residual value at the end of the lease is calculated as $4,200 which will be returned to P Limited.

P Limited is responsible for insurance and maintenance costs. The rate of interest implicit in the lease is 15.15%.

Required:

Show the allocation of the finance charges over the lease term on an actuarial basis and calculate the non-current liability for finance lease at 31 December 2008.

 

3.1.12

Example 4 – Sum of digit method (rule of 78)

 

ABC Ltd enters into a lease contract for a plant with XYZ Ltd which is non-cancellable with a primary term of five years from 1 January 2012. The rental is $2,600 per year payable in advance. ABC Ltd is required to pay all the maintenance and insurance costs related to the asset as they arise. The leased asset could have been purchased at the start of the lease at $10,000. The carrying amount of the asset in XYZ Ltd’s books is $4,800. The company uses the “Rule of 78” method for allocation of finance charge and straight line method for calculating depreciation charge.

Solution:

Step 1
Check whether it is finance lease or not. The question does not mention the implicit interest rate, we cannot calculate the present value of MLPs. However, it is because the lessee is required to pay all the maintenance and insurance costs, all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset have been transferred substantially to the lessee. As a result, it is a finance lessee.

Step 2

The asset is shown in the statement of financial position at $10,000 (subject to depreciation).
Depreciation is over five years
Annual depreciation charge = 1/5 × $10,000 = $2,000

 

Step 3

Allocation of finance charge

 

$

Total rentals ($2,600 × 5)

13,000

Less: Cash price of fixed assets

10,000

Finance charge

3,000

Rule of 78 (or sum of the digits method)

Year

Digits

Proportion allocated

Finance charge

 

 

 

$

2012

4

4/10

1,200

2013

3

3/10

900

2014

2

2/10

600

2015

1

1/10

300

 

10

 

3,000

Payment schedule

1

2

3

4

5

6

Year

Principal

Repayment

Principal outstanding

Finance charge

Balance c/f

 

$

$

$

$

$

2012

10,000

2,600

7,400

1,200

8,600

2013

8,600

2,600

6,000

900

6,900

2014

6,900

2,600

4,300

600

4,900

2015

4,900

2,600

2,300

300

2,600

2016

2,600

2,600

-

-

-

 

 

13,000

 

3,000

 

Step 4

Accounting entries:

 

Dr. ($)

Cr. ($)

1. Non-current assets – Plant

10,000

 

Lease liability

 

10,000

 

 

 

2. Finance charges

1,200

 

Lease liability

1,400

 

Bank

 

2,600

 

 

 

3. Depreciation

2,000

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

2,000

 

 (d)      Disclosure requirements by lessee

3.1.13  In the statement of financial position, the transaction should be recorded as follows:
(i)         Assets – show by each major class of asset the net carrying amounts of assets held under finance leases;
(ii)        Obligations – the amount should be disclosed separately from other liabilities on the face of the statement of financial position or in a note and obligations under finance leases should be analysed into:
(a)        amount payable in the next year;
(b)        amount payable in the second to fifth years inclusive from the statement of financial position date; and
(c)        the aggregate amounts payable thereafter.
3.1.14  In the statement of comprehensive income, the total finance charges for the period and depreciation for each major class of asset for finance leases are reported.

3.1.15

Example 5 - Disclosure

 

From Example 4, extract from the statement of financial position as at 31 December 2012 would be:

 

$

Non-current assets

 

Plant held on finance lease (net book value)

8,000

 

 

Current liabilities

 

Obligations under finance lease $(8,600 – 6,000)

2,600

 

 

Non-current liabilities

 

Obligations under finance leases

6,000

 

 

Notes to the accounts (extract)

 

 

 

(1)     Profit from operations is arrived at after charging:

 

 

 

Depreciation on assets held under finance leases – Plant

2,000

Finance cost – Finance charges on leased assets

1,200

 

 

(2)       Assets held under finance leases

 

 

Cost

Accumulated depreciation

Net book value

 

$

$

$

Plant

10,000

2,000

8,000

(3)     Obligations under non-cancellable finance leases

 

$

Payable in next year

2,600

Payable in two to five years

7,800

 

10,400

Less: finance charges allocated to future periods

(1,800)

 

8,600

Less: current portion

(2,600)

Non-current portion

6,000

 

3.2       In lessor’s book

(a)       Finance income determination

3.2.1    Lessor should record a finance lease as a debtor in the balance sheet at its net investment amount, i.e. initially this debtor is valued at gross investment in the lease – (MLPs plus unguaranteed residual value) less unearned finance income.

3.2.2

Example 6

 

The fact is same as example 4. Calculate the net investment and finance income for each of the year of the contract. Assume residual value to be nil.

Solution:

1.       Calculation of interest rates (using annuities tables):

Cash price                               =    $10,000
Initial payment                        =    $2,600
Amount advanced                   =    $7,400 to be repaid over four years

(a)     By present value concept, the following formula can be made:

(b)     Divide $7,400 by $2,600 = 2.8462
(c)     From annuity table for four years, interest rate is between 15% to 16%.
(d)     From the table, difference between 15% and 16% is 0.0568.

15%

:

2.8550

16%

:

2.7982

Difference

:

0.0568

(e)     Using linear interpolation method to determine interest rate:
Interest rate = 15% + (0.0088/0.0568)% = 15.15%
Hence, interest rate would be 15.15% or prevailing commercial rate for a similar lease.

2.       Repayment schedule


1

2

3

4

5

6

Year

Open net investment

Installment received

Period net investment

Finance income

Closing net investment

 

 

 

 

(15.15%)

 

 

$

$

$

$

$

2012

10,000

2,600

7,400

1,121

8,521

2013

8,521

2,600

5,921

897

6,818

2014

6,818

2,600

4,218

639

4,857

2015

4,859

2,600

2,257

343

2,600

2016

2,600

2,600

-

-

-

 

 

13,000

 

3,000

 

3.       Accounting entries

 

Dr. ($)

Cr. ($)

1. Lease receivable

10,000

 

Cost of goods sold

4,800

 

Sales

 

10,000

Inventory

 

4,800

 

 

 

2. Cash

2,600

 

Lease receivable

 

1,479

Finance income – income statement

 

1,121

 

3.2.3    If the lessor is a manufacturer or dealer, he should:
(i)         recognize the selling profit/loss in income for the period as if it was an outright sale.
(ii)        restrict any selling profit on a finance lease to the excess of the fair value over the cost of the asset, i.e. $10,000 – $4,800 = $5,200. Note that in this case the accounting policy is to recognize the whole profit in full immediately.

(b)       Disclosure requirements by lessor

3.2.4    In the statement of financial position, disclosure is required for net investment in finance leases, analysed into:
(i)         amounts receivable in the next year;
(ii)        amounts receivable in the second to fifth years inclusive from the balance sheet date; and
(iii)       the aggregate amounts receivable thereafter.
3.2.5    In the statement of comprehensive income, it is required to report finance income earned under finance leases.

3.2.6

Example 7

 

Using the information in Example 5, the extract statement of financial position as at 31 December 2012 would be:

 

$

Non-current assets

 

Other financial assets

 

Net investment in finance leases
[3 x $2,600 – $897 – $639 – $343]

 

5,921

 

 

Current assets

 

Receivables
Net investment in finance leases ($8,521 – $5,921)

 

2,600

Notes to the accounts (extract)

 

 

 

1.   Interest earned from financed leases

1,121

2.   Net investment in finance leases

 

Receivable in next year

2,600

Receivable in two to five years

7,800

 

10,400

Less: finance income related to future periods

(1,879)

 

8,521

Less: current portion

(2,600)

Non-current term portion

5,921

 


4.      Accounting for Operating Lease

4.1       In Lessee’s books

4.1.1

Key points

 

(a)       The lessee will not recognize an asset held under an operating lease.
(b)       The lease payments will be charged to the statement of comprehensive income on a straight-line basis, unless a preferable alternative basis exists.
(c)       Any difference between amounts charged and amounts paid should be adjusted to prepayments or accruals.
(d)       Any incentives given by the lessor should also be recognized over the life of the lease on a straight line basis. Typical incentives include rent-free periods, or contributions by the lessor to the lessee’s relocation costs.

4.1.2

Example 8

 

VWX Ltd is the lessor of plant which it acquired at a cost of $400,000 on 1 January 2012. This plant, which has an estimated life of 10 years with no residual value, was leased on that same day for an initial period of five years to RST Ltd, at an annual rental of $60,000.

Solution:

Extract from statement of comprehensive income for the year ended 31 December 2012

 

$

Operating lease rentals

60,000

 

 

Notes to the accounts (extract)

 

1.   Profit from operations is arrived at after charging:

 

Operating lease rentals in respect of a plant

60,000

2.   Commitments under non-cancellable operating leases for a plant

 

Expiring in two to five years

240,000

 

4.1.3

Exercise 3

 

Boro plc has moved into new premises. The premises are on a ten-year operating lease at a rent of $1m per annum, payable in advance on 1 January each year. The landlord was keen to rent out the property, and so Boro has been given $200,000 up front to cover relocation costs, and the first year’s rent has been waived.

Required:

(a)       Calculate the annual rent that will be charged to the income statement.
(b)       Calculate the accruals/prepayments that will appear in the statement of financial position at the end of each year of the lease.
(c)       Prepare the disclosure notes as at the end of Year 1.

4.2       In lessor’s book

4.2.1

Key points

 

(a)        Assets held for use in operating leases should be treated as non-current assets and depreciated accordingly. Rentals should be recognized on a straight line basis over the period of the lease unless a preferable alternative basis exists.
(b)        In the statement of financial position, gross assets held for operating leases, analysed by major class of asset, together with the related accumulated depreciation need to be disclosed.
(c)        Any difference between amounts charged and amounts paid should be adjusted to receivables or deferred income.
(d)        The initial direct costs of the lease may be spread over the life of the lease or charged when incurred.
(e)        In the notes to the statement of financial position, the future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases analysed among those expiring in the next year, in two to five years, and in more than five years.
(f)        In the income statement, rentals receivable from operating leases should be reported.

 

4.3       Effects of leases

4.3.1    The significance of the accounting treatment of leased assets is heightened by the difference between the accounting treatment of finance leases and that of operating leases which are summarised as follows:

Finance lease

Operating lease

Asset capitalized

No asset

Liability recognized

No liability

Finance charge

Full rental charge

Depreciation charge

No depreciation

4.3.2

Key points

 

If a finance lease asset is incorrectly treated as an operating lease it will have the following effects on the financial statements:

  • assets understated – return on capital employed overstated
  • liabilities understated – gearing understated
  • little effect on income statement.

 

4.3.3

Exercise 4

 

Oroc Ltd hires out industrial plant on long-term operating lease. On 1 January 2012 it entered into a seven-year lease on a mobile crane. The terms of the lease are $175,000 payable on 1 January 2012, followed by six rentals of $70,000 paid on 1 January 2013 to 2018. The crane will be returned to Oroc on 31 December 2018. The crane cost $880,000 and has a 25-year useful life with no residual value.

Required:

(a)       Calculate the annual rental income that will be claimed by Oroc Ltd.
(b)       Prepare extracts from the income statement and statement of financial position of Oroc Ltd for 2012 and 2013.
(c)       Prepare the disclosure notes as at the end of 2012 and 2013.

 

Question 1
The manufacturing property of the group, other than the head office, was held on an operating lease over 8 years. On re-organisation on 31 October 2007, the lease has been renegotiated and is held for 12 years at a rent of $5 million per annum paid in arrears. The fair value of the property is $35 million and its remaining economic life is 13 years. The lease relates to the buildings and not the land. The factor to be used for an annuity at 10% for 12 years is 6·8137.
(5 marks)
The directors are worried about the impact that the above changes will have on the value of its non-current assets and its key performance indicator which is ‘Return on Capital Employed’ (ROCE). ROCE is defined as operating profit before interest and tax divided by share capital, other reserves and retained earnings. The directors have calculated ROCE as $30 million divided by $220 million, i.e. 13·6% before any adjustments required by the above.

Required:

Discuss the accounting treatment of the above transactions and the impact that the resulting adjustments to the financial statements would have on ROCE.

Note: your answer should include appropriate calculations where necessary and a discussion of the accounting principles involved.
(ACCA P2 Corporate Reporting December 2007 Q3(d))

5.      Sale and Leaseback Transactions (售後租回)

5.1       A sale and leaseback transaction takes place when an owner sells an asset and immediately reacquires the right to use the asset by entering into a lease with the purchaser. A common example is a company selling the title to its office/ factory to a financial institution.
5.2       Before dealing with the accounting for the sale and leaseback transaction itself, the carrying value of the asset in question should be reviewed. If the asset has suffered an impairment in value below its carrying amount it should be written down immediately to its fair value.
5.3       The subsequent steps will depend on whether the leaseback is an operating lease or a finance lease. If the asset is land and buildings then it is likely to be an operating lease.

5.4       Operating lease

5.4.1

Key point

 

If the leaseback is an operating lease, the seller-lessee has disposed of substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset and so has realized a profit or loss on the disposal.

5.4.2    Provided that the transaction is established at fair value, the profit or loss should be recognized immediately.

(a)       Proceeds above fair value

5.4.3    However, it is possible that a sale and leaseback transaction can be arranged at other than fair value. If the price is above fair value, the excess will not be genuine profit, but will arise solely because the operating lease rentals payable in the ensuring years will also be at above fair value.
5.4.4    IAS 17 therefore provides that the excess of sale price over fair value should not be recognized as profit in the year but should be credited to income, over the period for which the asset is expected to be used, so as to reduce the rentals payable to a level consistent with the fair value of the asset.

5.4.5

Example 10 – The sale price is above fair value

 

Ash Ltd sells its freehold office premises and leases them back on a twenty-year operating lease. The sale took place on 1 January 2012, and the company has a 31 December year end.

The details of the scheme are as follows:

 

$

Proceeds of sale

10,000,000

 

 

Fair value of the asset at the time of sale

9,000,000

 

 

Net book value at the time of sale

3,500,000

 

 

Lease payments

480,000

 

 

Market rate for similar premises

410,000

In this example it is clear that the lessor is recouping the excess proceeds through an above market rent. This is common in practice. However, the accounting treatment set out below will be followed even if the rents are at market rate.

Required:

(a)     Calculate the profit on disposal that Ash Ltd should claim in 2012.
(b)     Calculate the annual rental that Ash Ltd will charge in its statement of comprehensive income.
(c)     Prepare all relevant extracts from Ash Ltd’s statement of comprehensive income and statement of financial position for the year ended 31 December 2012.

Solution:

(a)     Ash Ltd can only claim a profit on disposal based upon the fair value of the asset. This will give a profit on disposal of $5,500,000 ($9,000,000 fair value less $3,500,000 NBV)
(b)     The $1m difference between the proceeds and the fair value will be credited to deferred income and released over the life of the lease on a straight line basis. The annual release will be $50,000 ($1m ÷ 20 years). This reduces the rent charged to $430,000.
(c)     Statement of comprehensive income for 2012

 

$

$

Profit on disposal

 

5,500,000 Cr

Operating lease rentals

480,000 Dr

 

Less: release of deferred income

50,000 Cr

430,000 Dr

(d)     Statement of financial position as at 31 December 2012

 

 

$

Deferred income

Brought forward

-

 

Arising during the year

1,000,000

 

Released to the income statement

(50,000)

 

Carried down

950,000

$900,000 of this liability is non-current.

Question 2
Holcombe also owns an office building with a remaining useful life of 30 years. The carrying amount of the building is $120 million and its fair value is $150 million. On 1 May 2009, Holcombe sells the building to Brook, a public limited company, for its fair value and leases it back for five years at an annual rental payable in arrears of $16 million on the last day of the financial year (30 April). This is a fair market rental. Holcombe’s incremental borrowing rate is 8%.

On 1 May 2009, Holcombe has also entered into a short operating lease agreement to lease another building. The lease will last for three years and is currently $5 million per annum. However an inflation adjustment will be made at the conclusion of leasing years 1 and 2. Currently inflation is 4% per annum.

The following discount factors are relevant (8%).

 

Single cash flow

Annuity

Year 1

0.926

0.926

Year 2

0.857

1.783

Year 3

0.794

2.577

Year 4

0.735

3.312

Year 5

0.681

3.993

Required:

(i)      Show the accounting entries in the year of the sale and lease back assuming that the operating lease is recognised as an asset in the statement of financial position of Holcombe;                                                                                                            (6 marks)

(ii)     State how the inflation adjustment on the short term operating lease should be dealt with in the financial statements of Holcombe.                                                             (3 marks)
(ACCA P2 Corporate Reporting June 2010 Q4(b))

(b)       Proceeds below fair value

5.4.6    If a loss on disposal arises because the proceeds are less than the fair value of the asset, then the loss can only be deferred if the future operating lease rentals are also at below the market rate. This is because deferring a loss gives rise to an asset in the statement of financial position, and assets can only be recognized if there are future economic benefits. The economic benefits that will justify deferring this loss are reduced rentals.
5.4.7    The following example will look at two situations in respect of the operating lease:
(a)        the rentals are at (or above) the market rate
(b)        the rentals are below the market rate

5.4.8

Example 11 – The sale price is below fair value

 

On 1 January 2012 Crash Ltd sold its freehold office premises and leased them back on a 20-year operating lease. The details of the scheme are as follows:

 

$

Proceeds of sale

8,000,000

 

 

Fair value of the asset at the time of sale

15,000,000

 

 

Net book value at the time of sale

12,000,000

 

 

Annual operating lease rentals (on a 20-year lease)

650,000

Required:

Prepare all relevant extracts from Crash Ltd’s statement of comprehensive income and statement of financial position for the year ended 31 December 2012 assuming:

(a)     the future rentals are at market rate; and
(b)     the future rentals are at below market rate, and that the reduced rate will fully compensate Crash for the loss suffered on disposal.

Solution:

(a)     Future rentals at market rate
If the rentals are at market rate (or above) then there are no future benefits to offset the loss on disposal, and so the loss must be recognized immediately.

 

Statement of comprehensive income for the year ending 31 December 2012

 

 

$

Loss on disposal

$8m proceeds less $12m NBV

4,000,000 Dr

Operating lease rentals

Amount paid

650,000 Dr

There will be no asset carried forward in the statement of financial position.

(b)     Future rentals at below market rate
If the rentals are below market rate then the loss on disposal will give rise to the future benefits of cheap benefits. In this case the loss can be deferred and amortised over the life of the lease.

Statement of comprehensive income for the year ending 31 December 2012

 

$

$

Loss on disposal – Deferred

 

Nil

Operating lease rentals

 

 

Amount paid

650,000

 

Plus: amortisation of deferred loss ($4m/20 years)

 

200,000

 

Amount charged to the income statement

 

850,000

Statement of financial position as at 31 December 2012

 

 

$

Assets

 

 

Deferred loss on disposal

 

 

Brought forward

 

-

Arising during the year

 

4,000,000

Amortised

 

(200,000)

Carried down

 

3,800,000

$3,600,000 of this loss would be separately disclosed as being recoverable after more than 12 months.

5.4.9    It would be wise to do regular impairment reviews on such assets, because changes in market rentals and/or interest rates could easily impair the benefit of the reduced rent.
5.4.10  If the proceeds are less than the fair value, and the fair value is less than the net book value, then only the difference between the proceeds and the fair value can be deferred. The difference between the fair value and the net book value must be recognized as a loss immediately.
5.4.11  For example, if a building with a carrying value of $9m and a fair value of $7m was sold for $4m, then a loss of $2m would be recognized on disposal, and the $3m difference between the proceeds and the fair value would be deferred.

 

 

5.5       Finance lease

5.5.1    If the leaseback is a finance lease, the seller-lessee is in effect re-acquiring substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the asset. In other words, he never disposes of his ownership interest in the asset, and so it would not be correct to recognize a profit or loss in relation to an asset which (in substance) never was disposed of.
5.5.2    Following on from this, the basic approach to a sale and finance-leaseback is as follows:
(a)        the asset is derecognized at its carrying amount and then reinstated at its fair value with any disposal gain;
(b)        depreciated over the shorter of the lease term and useful life;
(c)        results in a liability being created;
(d)        finance charge accruing at the implicit rate within the lease.
5.5.3    The treatment will not be affected by the proceeds being above or below the market value of the asset. The asset is only being used as security for the loan, and so it is up to the lender as to whether they are prepared to lend more or less than the value of the security. However, as a totally separate issue, the process of valuing the asset may reveal an impairment or a potential revaluation. These adjustments will be dealt with in the normal way and they do not affect the substance of the sale and leaseback transaction itself.
5.5.4    The subsequent lease payments will then be treated in the normal way, split between principal and interest.

5.5.5

Example 12

 

Lash Ltd has run short of cash, and so it has decided to sell an expensive item of machinery and lease it back on a five-year finance lease. The sale took place on 1 January 2012, and the company has a 31 December year end. The details of the scheme are as follows:

 

 

$

Proceeds of sale

 

1,000,000

 

 

 

Fair value at the time of sale

 

1,000,000

 

 

 

NBV at the time of sale:

Cost

1,500,000

 

Depreciation

(750,000)

 

NBV

750,000

The remaining useful economic life of the machine at the time of sale is five years.

There are five annual lease payments of $277,409 each commencing on 31 December 2012. The implicit rate of interest is 12%.

Required:

(a)     Prepare relevant extracts from Lash Ltd’s statement of financial position immediately after the sale on 1 January 2012.
(b)     Prepare relevant extracts from Lash Ltd’s statement of comprehensive income and statement of financial position for the year ending 31 December 2012.

Solution:

(a)     Statement of financial position

 

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Non-current assets

$

$

$

$

$

Finance lease asset

1,000,000

1,000,000

1,000,000

1,000,000

1,000,000

Acc. depn.

(200,000)

(400,000)

(600,000)

(800,000)

(1,000,000)

Carrying value

800,000

600,000

400,000

200,000

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Finance lease obligations

 

1,000,000

 

842,591

 

666,293

 

468,839

 

247,691

Finance cost @ 12%

120,000

101,111

79,955

56,261

29,723

Repayment in arrears

(277,409)

(277,409)

(277,409)

(277,409)

(277,414)

 

842,591

666,293

468,839

247,691

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprising:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-current liabilities

666,293

468,839

247,691

247,691

 

Current liabilities

176,298

197,454

221,148

 

 

Deferred gain on disposal

 

250,000

 

200,000

 

150,000

 

100,000

 

50,000

Recognised in year

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

 

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comprising:

 

 

 

 

 

Due for release after one year

 

150,000

 

100,000

 

50,000

 

0

 

0

Due for release within one year

 

50,000

 

50,000

 

50,000

 

50,000

 

0

(b)     Income statement

 

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

 

$

$

$

$

$

Deferred income

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

(50,000)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation charge

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

200,000

Finance cost

120,000

101,111

79,955

56,261

29,723

 


6.       Current Issue

6.1       The IASB and FASB have commenced a project to converge lease accounting since July 2006. After a discussion paper issued in 2009 and an exposure draft issued in 2010, deliberations on the proposal continued in 2011.
6.2       The existing accounting models for leases require lessors and lessees to classify them as either finance leases or operating leases. However, the models have been criticized on certain aspects:
(a)        It can be argued that operating leases give rise to assets and liabilities that should be recognised in the financial statements of lessees. Consequently, users may adjust the amounts recognised in financial statements in an attempt to recognize those assets and liabilities and reflect the effect of lease contracts in profit or loss. The information available to users in the notes to the financial statements is often insufficient to make reliable adjustments to the financial statements.
(b)        The existence of two different accounting methods for finance leases and operating leases means that similar transactions can be accounted for very differently. This affects the comparability of financial statements. Also current accounting standards provide opportunities to structure transactions so as to achieve a specific lease classification. If the lease is classified as an operating lease, the lessee obtains a source of financing that can be difficult for users to understand, as it is not recognised in the financial statements.
(c)        Existing accounting methods have been criticised for their complexity. In particular, it has proved difficult to define the dividing line between the principles relating to finance and operating leases. As a result, standards use a mixture of subjective judgments and rule based criteria that can be difficult to apply.
(d)        The existing accounting model can be said to be conceptually flawed. On entering an operating lease contract, the lessee obtains a valuable right to use the leased item. This right meets the Framework’s definition of an asset. Additionally the lessee assumes an obligation to pay rentals that meet the Framework’s definition of a liability. However, if the lessee classifies the lease as an operating lease, that right and obligation are not recognised.
(e)        There are significant and growing differences between the accounting methods for leases and other contractual arrangements. This has led to inconsistent accounting for arrangements that meet the definition of a lease and similar arrangements that do not. For example leases are financial instruments but they are scoped out of IAS 32, IAS 39 and IFRS 9.

6.3

What is being proposed?

 

(a)       The aim of the project is to develop a single approach to lease accounting that would ensure all assets and liabilities arising from lease contracts are recognized in the statement of financial position.
(b)       A lessee has acquired a right to use the underlying asset, and it pays for that right with the lease payments. A lessee would record:
(i)         an asset for its right to use the underlying asset (the right-of-use asset), and
(ii)        a liability to pay rentals (liability for lease payments).
(c)       The right-of-use asset would originally be recorded at the present value of the lease payments. It would then be amortised over the life of the lease and tested for impairment. A lessee could revalue its right-of-use assets.
(d)       The right-of-use asset would be presented within the property, plant and equipment category on the statement of financial position but separately from assets that the lessee owns.
(e)       For all short-term leases (12 months or less), the lease assets or lease liabilities for a class of underlying assets would not be recognized.

 

4.2.2

Example 9 - Disclosure

 

Using the information in Example 8, the disclosure is shown below:

Extract from income statement for year ended 31 December 2008

 

$

Turnover (leasing rental)

60,000

Cost of sales (depreciated based on useful life – 10% x $400,000)

40,000

 

 

Extract from statement of financial position as at 31 December 2008

 

 

 

Non-current assets

 

Plant and machinery

280,000

 

 

Notes to the accounts (extract)

 

 

 

1.   Profit from operations is arrived at after crediting:

 

Operating lease rentals received

60,000

 

 

2.   Plant held for leasing:

 

Cost

400,000

Less: accumulated depreciation

120,000

 

280,000

3.   Payments receivable under non-cancellable operating leases for a plant

 

Expiring in two to five years

120,000

 

 

 

 

Source: https://hkiaatevening.yolasite.com/resources/P2CRNotes/Ch5-Leases.doc

Web site to visit: https://hkiaatevening.yolasite.com

Author of the text: indicated on the source document of the above text

If you are the author of the text above and you not agree to share your knowledge for teaching, research, scholarship (for fair use as indicated in the United States copyrigh low) please send us an e-mail and we will remove your text quickly. Fair use is a limitation and exception to the exclusive right granted by copyright law to the author of a creative work. In United States copyright law, fair use is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holders. Examples of fair use include commentary, search engines, criticism, news reporting, research, teaching, library archiving and scholarship. It provides for the legal, unlicensed citation or incorporation of copyrighted material in another author's work under a four-factor balancing test. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use)

The information of medicine and health contained in the site are of a general nature and purpose which is purely informative and for this reason may not replace in any case, the council of a doctor or a qualified entity legally to the profession.

 

Leases

 

The texts are the property of their respective authors and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to share for free to students, teachers and users of the Web their texts will used only for illustrative educational and scientific purposes only.

All the information in our site are given for nonprofit educational purposes

 

Leases

 

 

Topics and Home
Contacts
Term of use, cookies e privacy

 

Leases