Chapter 21 Flashcards
What is a lease?
contractual agreement between the lessor and lessee
What right does the lease give to the lessee?
the right to use specific property
What does the lease specify?
the duration of the lease and rental payments
Who assumes the obligations for taxes, insurance, and maintenance?
The lessor or lessee
Who is the lessee?
the temporary user of an asset
Who is the lessor?
the titleholder and true owner of the property
What are the advantages of leasing?
1) Leases may not require any money down, 2) Lease payments are often fixed, 3) Leases reduce the risk of obsolescence to the lessee (don’t want to be stick with older model), 4) Leases may contain less restrictive covenants than other types of lending arrangements, 5) Leases may be a less costly means of financing, 6) Certain leases may not add to existing debt on the balance sheet
What kind of balance sheet item are leases?
off-balance sheet items
According to the FASB, when should a lease be capitalized?
when a lease transfers substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership
According to the FASB, when can transfer of ownership be assumed?
only if there is a high degree of performance to the transfer, that is, the lease is non-cancelable
According to the FASB, what are operating leases?
leases that do not substantially transfer benefits and risks and can be cancelled
Which standard applies to leases?
SFAS 13
What is the effect on assets and liabilities when a lease is capitalized?
debit asset and credit liability
What is the effect is a lease is classified as operating?
debit rent expense
What are the four criteria for classifying a lease as a capital lease?
1) Leases transferring ownership, 2) Leases with bargain purchase options, 3) Leases with lease terms equal to 75% or more of the economic life (75% rule), 4) Leases where the present value of lease payments is equal to 90% or more of the fair market value (90% rule)
How many criteria must a lease meet in order to be capitalized?
One
What type of accounting bases does the lease standard follow?
Bright-line accounting
In what order does the evidence for capitalization of leases go?
Strongest to weakest, with 1 being the strongest and 4 being the weakest
Which two principles of lease accounting are non-controversial and are similar between IFRS and GAAP?
the first two principles
Why are the first two principles of lease accounting non-controversial?
1) If it says anywhere that there will be a transfer of title, is a transfer of ownership, no matter when the transfer occurs, 2) If option is to purchase for less than FV, then will probably be exercised
How do you determine the value of a bargain purchase option?
Compare purchase prices at end to FV (10% less than FV)
Which two principles of lease accounting are controversial?
the last two principles