...Merritt 7 PO Box 5116 Norwalk CT 06856-5116 Dear FASB Technical Director, Thank you for your time and efforts to compose the exposure draft on leases to improve the accuracy of financial reporting. As accountants in Boulder Leasing Corporation, we believe that the new accounting models for both lessee and lessor will increase the accuracy of financial reporting by recognizing leasing assets on lessee’s balance sheet and disclosing the value and risks related to residual assets of lessor. However, we show great concerns that the revised exposure draft may lead to potential misstatements of assets and liabilities and users’ difficulty of making decisions. Thus, we hope to elaborate our concerns on how the new exposure draft may influence the following aspects: IDENTIFYING A LEASE We believe that the proposed definition of a lease in the revised exposure draft will greatly eliminate the situations when lessees keep their large amount of operating leasing assets off balance sheet. This change will improve the accuracy of financial reporting by requiring both lessees and lessors to reveal the leased asset on financial statements. The information users can acquire a better understanding and transparency of the leasing transactions from both parties. But the more specific and complicated criteria of identifying a lease in the proposed exposure draft may cause negative impacts for users of the financial reporting. As the boards require more extensive reconciliations of financial...
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...Proposed Accounting Standards Update (Revised) Issued: May 16, 2013 Comments Due: September 13, 2013 Leases (Topic 842) a revision of the 2010 proposed FASB Accounting Standards Update, Leases (Topic 840) This Exposure Draft of a proposed Accounting Standards Update of Topic 842 is issued by the Board for public comment. Comments can be provided using the electronic feedback form available on the FASB website. Written comments should be addressed to: Technical Director File Reference No. 2013-270 The FASB Accounting Standards Codification is the source of authoritative generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) recognized by the FASB to be applied by nongovernmental entities. An Accounting Standards Update is not authoritative; rather, it is a document that communicates how the Accounting Standards Codification is being amended. It also provides other information to help a user of GAAP understand how and why GAAP is changing and when the changes will be effective. Notice to Recipients of This Exposure Draft of a Proposed Accounting Standards Update The Board invites comments on all matters in this Exposure Draft and is requesting comments by September 13, 2013. Interested parties may submit comments in one of three ways: Using the electronic feedback form available on the FASB website at Exposure Documents Open for Comment Emailing a written letter to director@fasb.org, File Reference No. 2013270 Sending written comments to ―Technical Director, File Reference...
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...differences between them, and ultimately make the standards fully compatible. In 2010, to increase efficiency the boards decided to focus on the priority projects. Two of those projects, fair value measurement and statement of other comprehensive income, are poised for release. Now, the “big three” remain—financial instruments, revenue recognition, and leases. The IASB is also working to its monster project on insurance contracts, with the FASB closely engaged in the discussion. Therefore, bellow is the list of the active joint FASB/IASB projects according to current technical plan on the fasb.org website: - Accounting for Financial Instruments (Updated November 10, 2011): • Classification and Measurement (Updated November 10, 2011); • Impairment (Updated November10, 2011); • Hedging (Updated November 10, 2011). - Revenue Recognition (Exposure Draft issued November 14, 2011); - Leases (Updated November 15, 2011); - Balance Sheet – Offsetting (Updated August 15, 2011); - Consolidation: Policy and Procedures (Exposure Draft issued November 3, 2011 and updated November 23, 2011; - Investment Companies (Exposure Draft issued October 21, 2011 and updated November 20, 2011); - Insurance Contracts (Updated November 22, 2011). Also, a list of active and inactive joint FASB/IASB projects is presented in Appendix A. Accounting for Financial Instruments – Joint project of FASB and IASB According to...
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...Introduction A lease is a contractual arrangement that involves the coming together of two patties for the hire of an asset. The party that owns the asset is called the lessor. The other party in this agreement is the Lessee. The Lessee is the party which hires the asset which is leased. The asset is hired for a specified period of time. During this period, the Lessee makes rental payment to the lessor. After the lease period is over, the asset can be returned to the lessor. However, the asset can also be owned by the Lessee. The nature of ownership of the asset after the lease period is over depends on the initial details of the contract (Young, 2008). During the period of the lease, the Lessee takes care of the asset. The Lessee maintains the asset and is responsible for any damage on the asset. In order to record the leased asset, various entries must be made in the books of the Lessee. The different accounting treatments arise at this point. The accounting treatments are dependent on the nature of the lease. Section A: The three treatments There are three accounting treatments that the Lessee can apply in recording the accounting details for the lease agreement. In the first scenario, the Lessee takes acknowledgement of the fact that the lease is a liability to the business. It is a liability in the sense that payments have to be made for it to be used. The asset has to be returned back to the owner after the end of the lease period. Therefore, the asset is hired for a...
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...Relationship between the IASB and the FASB ACC 541 Relationship between the IASB and the FASB The United States plays an enormous influence on the accounting standards set forth throughout the world in the global economy. The United States follows the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) which has created a large number of accounting standards that are interpreted and accepted by international companies and by the International Accounting Board (IASB). The IASB plays a similar role like the FASB for the rest of the global economy. The IASB is located in London, England and is an independent, privately funded accounting standard-setter. The IASB board consists of members from nine different countries with the IASB’s sole purpose to ‘achieve convergence in accounting standards throughout the world’ (Cellucci, 2011). The IASB and FASB have been collaborating since 2002. This collaboration was derived to create a convergence of the United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The convergence project started when the two organizations met during a joint meeting in Norwalk, Connecticut on September 18, 2002. The two board’s goal for the convergence project was for developing a high-quality compatible accounting standards that can be used for both domestic and cross-border financial reporting. They also promised to use their best efforts to make their existing financial reporting standards compatible as soon as practicable and to coordinate their...
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...Welcome to WritePoint, the automated review system that recognizes errors most commonly made by university students in academic essays. The system embeds comments into your paper and suggests possible changes in grammar and style. Please evaluate each comment carefully to ensure that the suggested change is appropriate for your paper, but remember that your instructor's preferences for style and format prevail. You will also need to review your own citations and references since WritePoint capability in this area is limited. NOTE: WritePoint comments are computer-generated writing and grammar suggestions inviting the consideration and analysis of the writer; they are not infallible statements of right/wrong, and they should not be used as grading elements. Also, at present, WritePoint cannot detect quotations or block-quotes, so comments in those areas should be ignored. Please see the other helpful writing resources in the Tutorials and Guides section of the Center for Writing Excellence. Thank you for using WritePoint. The IASB and FASB have collaborated for the past 10 years. This collaboration was a goal toward convergence of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The convergence project began with the two organizations conducting a joint meeting in Norwalk, Connecticut, on September 18, 2002. The goal for creating the convergence project was for the “development of high-quality compatible accounting...
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...Accounting for leases: Change is coming. By Matthew Rodgers and Peter McElwain, Baker Tilly September 21, 2010 Leasing of equipment, real estate, and other assets has been and continues to be a significant source of financing for businesses in all industries. As a result, the financial reporting rules for the treatment of lease transactions can be significant to the financial statements and the business operations of lessees and lessors alike. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) have undertaken a joint project on leases to improve the financial reporting for lease transactions. The financial reporting standards in the United States currently provide that all lease transactions will be accounted for in one of two ways depending on facts, circumstances, and to some degree the judgment of the users. The two alternative treatments, referred to as operating leases and capital leases, have dramatically different consequences on the financial statements of both lessees and lessors. There are a number of perceived weaknesses in these rules and the manner in which they are applied, which many believe result in inconsistent and incomplete reporting and presentation of an entity’s leasing activities. In response, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) have undertaken a joint project on leases to improve the financial reporting for lease transactions...
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...OFF-BALANCE SHEET FINANCING 1 Leases: Off-Balance Sheet Financing and the Strive for Transparency Today Brian Edman A Senior Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation in the Honors Program Liberty University Spring 2011 OFF-BALANCE SHEET FINANCING Acceptance of Senior Honors Thesis This Senior Honors Thesis is accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation from the Honors Program of Liberty University. 2 ______________________________ Gene R. Sullivan, Ph.D. Thesis Chair ______________________________ James B. Shelton, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ Stephen R. Bowers, Ph.D. Committee Member ______________________________ James Nutter, D.A. Honors Director ______________________________ Date OFF-BALANCE SHEET FINANCING Abstract In today’s world, leases appear far and wide; they are commonplace throughout the business and accounting frontiers. Accounting for leases, however, is not so clear cut. Since there are various ways to account for leases, many companies pick and choose which they feel best suits their situation, even when this sweeps dirt under the rug along 3 the way. The financial procedures for dealing with leases should entail benefits as well as limitations to ensure each company is fairly representing all of its financial information. Off-balance sheet financing is one of the hot topics in accounting for leases because of the implications it imposes...
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...Project In July, 2006, the Board voted to add to its agenda a project on lease accounting. The project will be conducted jointly with the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and is expected to result in the publication of a joint discussion paper in 2008. The project will reconsider all aspects of lease accounting and is expected to fundamentally revise the way lease contracts are recognized in the financial statements of lessees and lessors. The Board directed the staff to establish a working group of individuals with significant experience and expertise in lease accounting to assist the staff and the Board with this project. (http://www.ifrs.org/Current+Projects/IASB+Projects/Leases/Meeting+Summaries+and+Observer+Notes/IASB+July+2006.htm) To explain the reason for adding the project to the agenda, I find two paragraphs in Exposure Draft that “Leasing is an important source of finance. Therefore, it is important that lease accounting should provide users of financial statements with a complete and understandable picture of an entity’s leasing activities. The existing accounting models for leases require lessees to classify their leases as either finance leases or operating leases. However, those models have been criticized for failing to meet the needs of users of financial statements because they do not provide a faithful representation of leasing transactions. In particular they omit relevant information about rights and obligations that meet the definitions...
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...FASB Statement No. 13: Accounting for Leases Asim Yunus ACC 632 – Critique of Accounting Theory Professor Lynch October 16, 2012 FASB Statement 13: Accounting for Leases FASB Statement 13, Accounting for Leases, was established by the FASB and made effective starting January 1st, 1977. As early as 1949, leasing was recognized as an important financial tool by the accounting business when the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) issued Accounting Research Bulletin No. 38, “Disclosure of Long-Term Leases in the Financial Statements of Lessees.” In the 1960s, the APB recognized how important accounting for leases was when they included it in the top five topics that were to be studied by the AICPA’s Accounting Research Division. In 1962, the Accounting Research Study No. 4, “Reporting of Leases in Financial Statements”, was released and eventually APB picked up the subject. For the next ten years, the APB released four opinions (No. 5, 7, 27 & 31) concerning leases which were improved by three AICPA Accounting Interpretations. Even though progress was made when it came to the topic of Accounting for Leases, certain questions remained. The SEC helped out on the topic as well by issuing three pronouncements concerning leases (Accounting Series Releases No. 132, 141 & 147) on October 5, 1973. Like APB Opinion No. 31, Accounting Research Series No. 147 only dealt with disclosure. There were still many holes in the lease accounting practice. The FASB realized...
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...February 25, 2016 In Focus Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) On February 25, 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) intended to improve financial reporting about leasing transactions. The ASU affects all companies and other organizations that lease assets such as real estate, airplanes, and manufacturing equipment. The ASU will require organizations that lease assets—referred to as “lessees”—to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by those leases. The accounting by organizations that own the assets leased by the lessee—also known as lessor accounting— will remain largely unchanged from current Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) (Topic 840 in the Accounting Standards Codification). “The new guidance responds to requests from investors and other financial statement users for a more faithful representation of an organization’s leasing activities,” stated FASB Chair Russell G. Golden. “It ends what the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and other stakeholders have identified as one of the largest forms of offbalance sheet accounting, while requiring more disclosures related to leasing transactions. “The guidance also reflects the input we received during our extensive outreach with preparers, auditors, and other practitioners, whose feedback was instrumental in helping us develop a cost-effective, operational...
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...bedricky, cfo from: [ zhy ] subject: comment memo on leases ed date: july 8, 2013 ------------------------------------------------- The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) developed common lease accounting requirements to ensure that assets and liabilities from lease contracts are recognized in the balance sheet. August 17, 2010, the FASB issued Proposed Accounting Standards Update – Leases (Topic 840). Because leasing is an important source of finance, the board issued an Exposure Draft (ED) to ensure that this development would be with a complete and understandable picture of an entity’s leasing activities. Following are my opinions about some important questions regarding Proposed Accounting Standards Update – Leases (Topic 840). 1a. Do you agree that a lessee should recognize a right-of-use asset and a liability to make lease payments? Why or why not? If not, what alternative model would you propose and why? I agree that a lessee should recognize a right-of-use asset and a liability to make lease payments. The right-of use concept is an accounting treatment that places assets and liabilities from a leasing contract on the balance sheet of lessees. This treatment would reflect in the financial statement that leased assets and liabilities would be placed on the balance sheet. It would also suitable to most leases agreement. 1b. Do you agree that a lessee should recognize amortization...
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...US GAAP vs. IFRS The basics March 2010 Table of contents 2 5 7 8 11 13 14 16 18 20 26 28 31 33 35 38 40 42 43 44 46 47 Introduction Financial statement presentation Interim financial reporting Consolidations, joint venture accounting and equity method investees Business combinations Inventory Long-lived assets Intangible assets Impairment of long-lived assets, goodwill and intangible assets Financial instruments Foreign currency matters Leases Income taxes Provisions and contingencies Revenue recognition Share-based payments Employee benefits other than share-based payments Earnings per share Segment reporting Subsequent events Related parties Appendix — The evolution of IFRS Introduction It is not surprising that many people who follow the development of worldwide accounting standards today might be confused. Convergence is a high priority on the agendas of both the US Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) — and “convergence” is a term that suggests an elimination or coming together of differences. Yet much is still made of the many differences that exist between US GAAP as promulgated by the FASB and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as promulgated by the IASB, suggesting that the two GAAPs continue to speak languages that are worlds apart. This apparent contradiction has prompted many to ask just how different are the two sets of standards? And where differences exist, why do they exist...
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...In a few cases, leases are contracts by which the lessor transfers the right to use its asset to the lessee against the periodic rentals. There are major two types of lease according to the IAS 17: Finance and Operating Lease. Under the previous IAS 17 “Leases” by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), in operating lease, the lessee does not need to recognize the leased asset in their balance sheet. In 2010, August, the International Accounting Standards Board issued an Exposure Draft (ED), amending various changes to the IAS 17. The effect of the new ED was that lessees would have to recognize a “right-to-use asset” and a lease liability in term of lease interest for their long and short term leases in the balance sheet. On the other hand, “right-of-use” asset would be amortized against the basis of the lease term or the life of the leased asset, whatever is shorter. Since the BonneSante is engaged in operating lease agreements with their lessors that gives them a “right-of-use” of retail outlets and trucks. Since, the revised ED states that the contracting parties must agree on at least 10 years lease term, so the BonneSante must cancel out their lease agreements which are less than 10 years lease term and revise them as per the new requirements. The lessee shall report cash payments against the lease payments as financing activity in the statement of the cash flows but should be separate from other financing...
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...Meeting Week commencing 14 March 2011 IASB Agenda reference FASB Agenda reference 5D Staff Paper Contact(s) FASB ED Session March 9, 2011 Michael Gonzales Danielle Zeyher David Humphreys mgonzales@fasb.org dtzeyher@fasb.org dhumphreys@ifrs.org 143 +1 203 956 3478 +1 203 956 5265 +44 20 7246 6916 Project Topic Leases Accounting for Purchase Options Objective 1. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the accounting by lessees and lessors for purchase options included in a lease contract. 2. This paper analyzes the accounting for all purchase options, including both options that the lessee has a significant economic incentive to exercise (which would usually include bargain purchase options) and options that the lessee does not have a significant economic incentive to exercise (which would usually include non-bargain purchase options). 3. This paper is structured as follows: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) Summary of staff recommendations Summary of the proposals in the leases Exposure Draft Summary of feedback (including comment letters and other outreach) Staff Analysis Staff recommendations Appendix A – preliminary draft wording relating to the accounting for purchase options This paper has been prepared by the technical staff of the IFRS Foundation and the FASB for discussion at a public meeting of the FASB or the IASB. The views expressed in this paper are those of the staff preparing the paper. They do not purport to represent the views of any individual...
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