(a) The entity has a present right to payment for the asset—if a customer is
presently obliged to pay for an asset, then that may indicate that the
customer has obtained the ability to direct the use of, and obtain
substantially all of the remaining benefits from, the asset in exchange.
(b) The customer has legal title to the asset—legal title may indicate which
party to a contract has the ability to direct the use of, and obtain
substantially all of the remaining benefits from, an asset or to restrict
the access of other entities to those benefits. Therefore, the transfer of
legal title of an asset may indicate that the customer has obtained
control of the asset. If an entity retains legal title solely as protection
against the customer’s failure to pay, those rights of the entity would not
preclude the customer from obtaining control of an asset.
(c) The entity has transferred physical possession of the asset—the
customer’s physical possession of an asset may indicate that the
customer has the ability to direct the use of, and obtain substantially all
of the remaining benefits from, the asset or to restrict the access of other
entities to those benefits. However, physical possession may not coincide
with control of an asset. For example, in some repurchase agreements
and in some consignment arrangements, a customer or consignee may
have physical possession of an asset that the entity controls. Conversely,
in some bill-and-hold arrangements, the entity may have physical
possession of an asset that the customer controls. Paragraphs B64–B76,
B77–B78 and B79–B82 provide guidance on accounting for repurchase
agreements, consignment arrangements and bill-and-hold arrangements,
respectively.