Accounting for leases under IAS 17 Leases (‘IAS 17’) and SSAP
21 Lease Accounting and Hire Purchase Contracts (‘SSAP 21’) is
driven by the lease classification which is based on the extent to
which the risk and rewards of ownership are transferred under
the lease agreement. Both standards classify leases as either
finance leases (i.e., one that transfers substantially all the risks
and rewards incidental to ownership) and operating leases, with
different accounting treatments for each.
UK GAAP, SSAP 21 addresses the classification of standalone
lease transactions. FRS 5 Reporting the Substance of
Transactions (‘FRS 5’) requires leases to be classified
in accordance with their substance and for some lease
arrangements, e.g., for sale and leasebacks with repurchase
options, FRS 5 includes more specific guidance. This section is a
comparison of the requirements in IAS 17 and SSAP 21.
A lessee records a finance lease by recognising an asset and
a liability, measured at the lower of the present value of the
minimum lease payments or the fair value of the asset. The
minimum lease payments are apportioned between repayment
of the lease liability and interest payments so as to produce
a constant rate of interest on the remaining lease liability. An
asset held under a finance lease is accounted for in the same way
as other assets of the same category. Operating lease rental/
income is recognised on a straight-line basis over the lease term,
unless another systematic basis is more representative of the
time pattern of benefits.
A manufacturer-dealer lessor does not recognise a selling profit
on an operating lease of an asset (until the asset is ultimately
sold) and restricts the selling profit on a finance lease of an asset
to that which would apply if a market interest rate was charged.