
Accounting for sale and leaseback transactions
- THE NATURE OF LEASEBACKS. A sale and leaseback, or more simply, a leaseback, is a contract between a seller and a buyer where the former sells an asset to the ...
- ILLUSTRATION OF A SUCCESSFUL SALE AND LEASEBACK. Short on cash, Smith Corp. ...
- ILLUSTRATION OF A FAILED SALE AND LEASEBACK. ...
- Effective date delayed. ...
What is a sale and leaseback transaction?
A sale and leaseback transaction occurs when the seller transfers an asset to the buyer, and then leases the asset from the buyer. This arrangement most commonly occurs when the seller needs the funds associated with the asset being sold, despite still needing to occupy the space.
What does new accounting standards mean for leaseback leasebacks?
Also worth noting is that the new accounting standards specifically exclude from sale leaseback accounting those transactions where the lessee obtains legal title of an asset, but does not obtain control of the underlying asset before the asset is transferred to the lessor.
Why is it important to understand accounting guidance for sale and leaseback?
It is important to understand the accounting guidance and key considerations when evaluating a sale and leaseback transaction. Determining whether a sale has occurred in the context of a sale and leaseback transaction is very important and determines the initial and subsequent accounting.
How do you calculate profit on sale leaseback?
Sale-leaseback accounting. If the recognition of profit on the sale part of the transaction is allowed, measure it by subtracting either the present value of minimum lease payments or the recorded amount of the asset from the sale price. Do not include executory costs in the derivation of profit.

What is sale and leaseback with example?
For example, an entity may purchase a vehicle and lease it to a third party under an operating lease. If the entity then sells the vehicle to a bank and leases it back under an operating lease, the entity is now a lessee-sublessor and subject to sale and leaseback accounting, as described in this chapter. PwC.
What is sale and leaseback in finance?
A sale and leaseback, or more simply, a leaseback, is a contract between a seller and a buyer where the former sells an asset to the latter and then enters into a second contract to lease the asset back from the buyer.
What happens when a sale and leaseback occur?
A sale-leaseback transaction occurs when an entity sells an asset it owns and immediately leases the asset back from the buyer. The seller then becomes the lessee and the buyer becomes the lessor. These types of transactions impact the accounting for both the seller-lessee and buyer-lessor.
Is a sale leaseback off balance sheet?
Under previous accounting treatment, sale-leasebacks have been an “off balance sheet” transaction, but after 2022, companies will have to conform to a new rule stating that companies will need to record all future lease obligations on the balance sheet as a liability but can also record the identical amount on the ...
Why do companies do sale and leaseback?
The key advantage of sale and lease back agreements is that they provide an immediate cash injection into the business, while removing the risk of fluctuations in the future value of the asset.
What are the two types of sale and leaseback lease?
There are two types of selling and leaseback transactions in the industry: operational leases and capital leases.
How do you account for sale and lease back?
Sale-leaseback accounting definitionCompare the difference between the sale price of the asset and its fair value.Compare the present value of the lease payments and the present value of market rental payments. This can include an estimation of any variable lease payments reasonably expected to be made.
How do you calculate sale and leaseback?
Investors usually buy sale-leaseback properties on the basis of their returns. To calculate the return on a sale leaseback, called a capitalization rate, you divide the annual income by the price. For example, a property that has annual rental income of $175,000 and costs $2,000,000 has an 8.75 percent cap rate.
Is a sale leaseback a good idea?
There are many reasons that a sale-leaseback can be advantageous to business owners, including tax advantages and greater access to working capital. 1. Greater cash flow: A sale-leaseback allows the previous owner to access capital that would otherwise be tied up in the ownership of the asset.
Is sales leaseback a debt?
A sale-leaseback is neither debt nor equity financing. It is more like a hybrid debt product. With a leaseback, a company does not increase its debt load but rather gains access to needed capital through the sale of assets.
Is sale-leaseback a capital lease?
In an equipment sale-leaseback, you can pledge the asset as collateral and borrow the funds through a $1 buyout lease or equipment finance agreement. Depending on the type of transaction that fits your needs, the resulting lease could be an operating lease or a capital lease.
Is a sale-leaseback an operating lease?
Since the sales price of the underlying asset is not at fair value, the buyer-lessor is required to make an adjustment to recognize the sale and leaseback transaction at fair value. The leaseback is classified as an operating lease by the buyer-lessor.
How do you calculate sale and leaseback?
Investors usually buy sale-leaseback properties on the basis of their returns. To calculate the return on a sale leaseback, called a capitalization rate, you divide the annual income by the price. For example, a property that has annual rental income of $175,000 and costs $2,000,000 has an 8.75 percent cap rate.
Is leaseback a good idea?
More and more retirees are taking advantage of the leaseback option. It gives them the ability to continue living in the home they owned while having more money for retirement. And of course, it is good option for people who have suffered financial reverses due to job loss or other difficult circumstances.
What is a leaseback?
A sale and leaseback, or more simply, a leaseback, is a contract between a seller and a buyer where the former sells an asset to the latter and then enters into a second contract to lease the asset back from the buyer. Benefits for the seller - lessee include:
WHAT CONSTITUTES A SUCCESSFUL SALE AND LEASEBACK?
Relevant to the discussion regarding whether the transaction qualifies or fails to qualify as a sale and leaseback transaction centers upon the seller - lessee and whether control has effectively been transferred to the buyer - lessor. In order for control to be achieved, the sale must meet the requirements of Topic 606, specifically Paragraphs 606 - 10 - 25 - 1 through 606 - 10 - 25 - 8. These paragraphs determine whether a contract exists. Paragraph 606 - 10 - 25 - 30 governs whether performance obligations have been satisfied. However, meeting these provisions is not enough to establish transfer of control and attainment of a successful leaseback; the transaction must result in an operating lease classification for the seller - lessee. Here, none of the criteria of Paragraph 842 - 10 - 25 - 2 establishing recognition as a finance lease must be present. If any one of the criteria under this paragraph is met, control over the underlying asset does not qualify as an effective transfer, the seller - lessee must classify the transaction as a finance lease, and the proceeds of the sale must be treated as a financing. The criteria underlying classification of the transaction as a finance lease are:
What is the lease liability at the end of the lease term?
By the end of the lease term, both the lease liability and the right - of - use asset would be amortized to zero (assuming no initial direct costs and/or incentives) as shown in the table "Amortization Table for Sale and Leaseback Transaction."
Why are leaseback transactions so popular?
Sale and leaseback transactions have long been popular because they present benefits to both seller - lessees and buyer - lessors. The accounting for such transactions has changed significantly, though, with FASB's issuance of new standards for revenue recognition and lease accounting in recent years.
What is the present value of the sum of the lease payments and guaranteed residual value by the lessee?
The present value of the sum of the lease payments and guaranteed residual value by the lessee must equal or exceed substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset; and
When will the seller - lessee record the transaction?
On Dec. 31, 2021, the seller - lessee would record the transaction as shown in the table "Journal Entry Based on Amortization Table."
When does the asset transfer to the lessee?
There is a transfer of ownership of the asset to the lessee at the termination of the lease;
What is sale leaseback accounting?
What is Sale-Leaseback Accounting? A sale and leaseback transaction occurs when the seller transfers an asset to the buyer, and then leases the asset from the buyer. This arrangement most commonly occurs when the seller needs the funds associated with the asset being sold, despite still needing to occupy the space.
What is a reduction in the sale price of an asset accounted for?
Any reduction of the asset’s sale price is accounted for as additional financing provided to the seller-lessee by the buyer-lessor. The seller-lessee should adjust the interest rate on this liability to ensure that:
Can a repurchase be considered a sale?
However, if there is a repurchase option under which the seller can later buy back the asset, then the initial transaction cannot be considered a sale. The only exceptions are when: There are alternative assets readily available in the marketplace, and.
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The accounting treatment will vary depending on whether or not the transfer qualifies as a sale.
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We hope you find the information in this article helpful in giving you some detail into aspects of IFRS 16. If you would like to discuss any of the points raised, please speak to your usual Grant Thornton contact or your local member firm.
What is a Sale and Leaseback Arrangement?
If a company wishes to free up cash on its balance sheet it may consider a sale and leaseback arrangement.
How long does a lease for real estate last?
Financial leases for real estate can last for up to 25 years – significantly longer than standard commercial loans.
Is lease recorded on a company's balance sheet?
Under previous accounting standards, we could have delved into a discussion on operational leases and taking the asset and liability “off balance sheet”, however, with the advent of IFRS 16 all leases beyond one year in length are recorded on a company’s balance sheet.
What is the principle of sale and leaseback accounting?
The IFRIC response is that the principle of the sale and leaseback accounting must be that the economics of the transaction must be reflected. Even if the payments do not seem to qualify for inclusion in the lease liability per paragraphs 26 and 27, the principle is that the seller-lessee has not transferred all the rights embedded in legal ...
What happens if an asset transfer is not a sale?
If it is concluded that the asset transfer is not a sale, the accounting is quite simple. The seller-lessee continues to recognise the asset on its balance sheet, as there is no sale. The seller-lessee accounts for the proceeds as a financial liability per IFRS 9, Financial instruments.
What is IFRIC in lease liability?
In relation to the subsequent treatment of the lease liability, IFRIC is suggesting an amendment to the standard. This would provide further clarification on accounting for the subsequent measurement of the liability under such variable payments.
Does IFRIC have leaseback?
IFRIC said it is currently unaware of any sale and leaseback transactions with payment s that do not meet the definition of lease payments. Respondents did comment that such transactions do exist and may become more common in the retail industry, where some or all of the payments could be based on the seller-lessee’s revenue. Respondents also mentioned energy production facilities, where some or all of the leaseback payments might be based on the electricity produced.
Will lessor accounting be changed?
Lessor accounting will not be changed under IFRS 16, but an area that this column has not discussed much is the new treatment regarding sale and leaseback. With the removal of the distinction between operating and finance leases, the accounting treatment for sale and leaseback arrangements also changed.
Does IFRS 16 require a reassessment of lease liability?
IFRS 16 does not currently permit an entity to reassess the lease liability for changes in variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or rate. IFRIC and respondents recognised that there is a hole in the standard relating to this area, and work will be required.
What is a sale leaseback transaction?
A sale leaseback transaction, in essence, is when an owner sells an asset and then leases it back through a long-term lease, therefore generating cash flow and retaining use of the asset.
What is lease term?
The lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset. The present value of the sum of the lease payments and residual value guaranteed by the lessee equals or exceeds the fair value of the underlying asset.
What is the present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee?
The present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee that is not already reflected in the lease payments and any third-party guarantees by third parties equals or exceeds the fair value of the underlying asset.
What is an operating lease?
If the lease does not have any of the stated criteria, it is considered an operating lease. The lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the lessee by the end of the lease. The lease grants the lessee an option to purchase the underlying asset and the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise.
What is underlying asset?
The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature that it is expected to have no alternative use at the end of the lease term without significant modifications.
What is transaction price allocation?
Allocate the transaction price to separate performance obligations.
Is a finance leaseback a sale leaseback?
Finance leases would not qualify as a sale lease back transaction because a finance lease effectively represents a repurchase of the asset sold. A qualified sale leaseback would be accounted for as two transactions:
What is a sale and leaseback?
Sale and leaseback transactions enable seller-lessees to free up the funds associated with ownership of an asset, while still being able to utilise that asset. For that reason, sale and leaseback transactions are common in a number of industries.
What is a sale and leaseback transaction?
In a sale and leaseback transaction, an entity (the seller-lessee) sells an asset to another entity (the buyer-lessor), which then leases the asset back to the seller-lessee. As illustrated above, in a sale and leaseback transaction, the machine, owned by the seller, remains on the seller’s premises at all times.
What is profit or loss on sale?
Profit or loss on sale is based on fair value of asset sold, not the stated contractual price. IFRS 16 requires the profit or loss on the sale side of the transaction from the seller-lessee’s perspective (and initial measurement of the asset purchased from the buyer-lessor’s perspective) to be determined by reference to the fair value of the asset, ...
What is seller-lessee's profit or loss on disposal?
Instead, the seller-lessee’s profit or loss on disposal will be the amount of consideration attributable to the portion of the asset for which control has passed to the buyer-lessor ( i.e. monies received which do not have to be paid back to the lessor over the leaseback period), less the portion of the asset’s carrying amount attributable to the period after the end of the leaseback and for which control has passed to the buyer-lessor.
Who sells an asset to another entity?
In a sale and leaseback transaction, an entity (the seller-lessee) sells an asset to another entity (the buyer-lessor), which then leases the asset back to the seller-lessee.
Is lease gain deferred?
If the resulting lease is classified as an operating lease, however, the gain is recognised in full if the proceeds of the sale are equal to the asset’s fair value; otherwise the gain is deferred and spread over the lease term.
Does a seller-lessee transfer ownership of the whole asset to the buyer-lessor?
Finally, as a further complication in the calculation of the lessee’s profit or loss on disposal, it needs to be remembered that a seller-lessee does not transfer control of the whole asset to the buyer-lessor, because it continues to control the same asset during the leaseback period.

The Nature of Leasebacks
What Constitutes A Successful Sale and Leaseback?
- Relevant to the discussion regarding whether the transaction qualifies or fails to qualify as a sale and leaseback transaction centers upon the seller-lessee and whether control has effectively been transferred to the buyer-lessor. In order for control to be achieved, the sale must meet the requirements of Topic 606, specifically Paragraphs 606-10-25-1 through 606-10-25-8. These par…
Illustration of A Successful Sale and Leaseback
- Assume the followinginformation: Short on cash, Smith Corp. enters into a contract with Jones Corp. to sell a building used in its operations and then enters into an agreement with Jones to lease back the building from Jones, thereby enabling Smith continued use of the building (see the table "Smith-JonesSale and Lease Terms"). Smith-Jones sale and lease terms