Accounting For Leases
FAS No. 13

Lease Definition-- A Lease is a contract whereby one party, referred to as the Lessor, provides real or personal property for the use of another, referred to as the Lessee, in return for a periodic consideration, referred to as the rent.
Accounting problem-- to identify those situations that are in substance equivalent to the purchase of the property, but are legally disguised as a lease arrangement.
 
A lease that transfers substantially all of the benefits and risks incident to ownership of property should be accounted for as the acquisition of an asset and the incurrence of an obligation by the lessee and as a sale or financing by the lessor.  In a lease that transfers substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership, the economic effect on the parties is similar, in many respects, to that of an installment purchase.  (FAS No. 13, para. 60)

 

I. Types of Leases

A.  Lessee:


1. Operating lease


2. Capital lease


Capital lease criteria: (any one of the following)


a. Transfer of title


b. Bargain purchase option


c. Lease term at least 75% of economic life of the leased property


d. PV of minimum lease payments at least 90% of fair value of leased property at the inception of the lease

B. Lessor:


1. Operating lease


2. Capital lease


Capital lease criteria:


a. same as the lessee, plus


b. collection of the lease payments is reasonably predictable


c. there are no important uncertainties surrounding the amounts of future unreimbursable costs to be incurred by the lessor


Direct Financing leases--only income in the form of interest


Sales type leases--some element of manufacturer or dealer profit
II. Accounting for Capital Leases

A. Lessee

B. Lessor


1.  Direct Financing


2. Sales type
III. Accounting for Operating Leases

A. Lessee

B. Lessor
IV. Special Problems

A. Residual values


1.  Guaranteed


2. Unguaranteed

B. Initial Direct Costs

C. Leases Involving Real Estate flowchart for Land and Building Leases

D. Sale/leaseback transactions

E. Executory costs


Review Questions
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