The principles versus rules debate has long since been a conversation in the accounting world, but the conversation heated up in the early part of the 21st century on the heels of a few highly publicized accounting frauds. In an increasingly globalized business environment, convergence between the more rules-oriented US GAAP and more principles-oriented IFRS is becoming more and more relevant. This study attempts to better inform that debate, exploring the accounting conceptual framework, United States legal environment, and the costs and benefits of adopting a more principles-oriented set of accounting standards. This study concludes that, though there would likely be some costs initially, principles-oriented standards give managers the ability to produce more relevant, comparable, and reliable financial statements, and can even serve to deincentivize fraudulent behavior. By adjusting the incentive structure, managers would no longer be offered protection by bright-line rules, instead required to more faithfully represent the economic reality of their firm. However, though rules-oriented standards like lease accounting are in need of improvement, due to the complex nature of some transactions, not all standards can be solely principles-oriented. As such, the FASB should develop a propensity away from rules, detailed guidance, and exceptions whenever possible.

This thesis deals with the characteristics of leasing, lease development and history over time, accounting for leases, lease showing in the tax system as well as international financial reporting standards. The aim of this thesis is to define the concept of leasing and its species. Clarifying the issue of lease accounting in terms of tenant and landlord.

Redovisning av leasing har diskuterats under många år. Den nuvarande standarden, IAS 17, har kritiserat på grund av att många företag har möjlighet att klassificera sina leasingavtal som operationella för att slippa redovisa leasingen som en tillgång eller skuld i balansräkningen. IASB och FASB jobbar gemensamt för att ändra standarden för leasingredovisning och de engagerar olika grupper av intressenter genom att de skickar in comment letters. Det första förslaget för ändringar av standarden var Exposure Draft 2010/9. Förslaget fick så många kommentarer att det resulterade i ett reviderat förslag som kom ut i maj 2013 och heter Exposure Draft 2013/6. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka attityder från olika grupper (akademiker, upprättare, användare, redovisningsprofession, nationella reglerare och andra internationella intresseorganisationer) i Europa till det nya förslaget i Exposure Draft 2013/6 - Leasing, angående frågorna som handlar om leasingredovisning hos leasingtagare och klassifikation av leasing. Tycker de olika grupperna att det nya förslaget besvarar problemen, angående klassifikation och redovisning av leasing, som finns i den nuvarande internationella redovisningsstandarden (IAS 17) eller skapar det bara nya problem? Vi har också undersökt i vilken utsträckning dessa grupper deltar med kommentarer i comment letters. Studien är en kvalitativ undersökning där vi analyserade och tolkade kommentarer och attityder i comment letters till det nya förslaget. I den teoretiska referensramen tas upp hur forskningen bedrivs för att ta fram nya standarder, hur och i vilken grad de olika grupperna är involverade i detta genom deltagande i comment letters och den kritik som riktats mot det nya förslaget angående klassifikation och redovisning. Resultatet av studien baserades på 151 comment letters skickade till IASB/FASB. Analysen har gjorts genom att använda analysmodellen i avsnitt 3.9 och det empiriska resultatet har kopplats till den teoretiska referensramen. Resultatet visade att det inte finns några akademiker från Europa som deltagit i comment letters. Den grupp som har kommenterat comment letters i störst utsträckning har visat sig vara upprättare och detta går i linje med vad tidigare forskning visat. Majoriteten inom samtliga grupper håller inte med om det nya förslaget. Attityden mot förslaget är negativ både när det gäller redovisning hos leasingtagare och klassifikation. / Discussion on the accounting treatment of leases has been going on for many years. The current standard, IAS 17 has criticized because many companies are able to classify their leases as operational leasing agreements in order not to reflect assets and liabilities on the balance sheets. IASB and FASB working together to amend the standard for lease accounting and they involve various groups of stakeholders and individuals by submitting comment letters. The first proposal for the amendment of the standard was Exposure Draft 2010/9. The proposal received so many comments which resulted a revised proposal that came out in May 2013 and called Exposure Draft 2013/6. The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of different groups (academics, preparers, users, the accounting profession, national regulators and other international organizations) in Europe to the new proposal of Exposure Draft 2013/6 -Leasing, regarding questions relating to lease accounting in lessee and classification. Do they think that the new proposal solve the problems concerning classification and financial statements of leasing, which is found in the current international accounting standard (IAS 17) or just create new problems. We have also investigated in which extend these groups participated with comments in the comment letters. The study is a qualitative survey where we analyzed and interpreted the comments and attitudes in the comment letters to the new proposal. In the theoretical frame addressed how research is conducted to develop new standards, how and to what extent the different groups involved in this by participating in the comment letters and the criticism leveled against the new proposal concerning classification and accounting. The results of the study are based on 151 comment letters sent to the IASB/FASB. The analysis has been made by using the analysis model in section 3.9 and the empirical results have been applied to the theoretical frame of reference. Analysis showed that there are no academics who participated in the comment letters. The group that has commented most on the comment letters have proved to be the pre-parers and this is in line with what previous research has shown. The majority of all groups do not agree with the new proposal. The attitude to the proposal is negative in terms of accounting in lessee and classification.

Today problems exist with how the leases are recognized in public companies that uses the IFRS. The liability to make lease payments is not recognized as a liability in the balance sheet even though it should according to the current lease accounting standard. There are two different classifications of leases, financial and operational, where the latter means that the liability to make lease payment does not end up in the balance sheet. Today many lease contracts are tailored to be classified as operational to avoid the liability on the balance sheet. The problem described above has for long been known and the international accounting organisations, IASB and FASB, have been working on a solution to the problem for many years. The project’s completion in form of a new standard has been postponed several times and it is currently scheduled for the earliest to entry into service during 2013. This thesis aims at investigating the IASB’s and FASB’s joint project to solve the lease accounting problem and its effects on the Swedish commercial real estate market. The approach adopted in this thesis is to examine the available literature about the problem and the project and to conduct interviews with expert in the field and possible future stakeholder that will be affected. The conclusions of the thesis are that the effects due to the project will mainly be for the lessee and then indirectly for the lessor. The lessees will try to find solutions like shorter leases to avoid the biggest effects of the new standard but to what extent they will avoid these remains uncertain. The lessor will most likely see a higher demand for shorter leases that will increase the risk in the lessors business. This will probably cause higher rental prices for listed companies.

In this study, we investigate how the implementation of IFRS 16 is affecting the financial statements of Swedish publicly listed firms, and what implications there are for financial statement users. These effects are analyzed by looking at transitional effects on total assets, total liabilities and EBITDA and by comparing different sectors, following estimations of sectoral differences in prior studies (e.g. Fülbier et al., 2008; Morales-Díaz & Zamora-Ramírez, 2018a). As a way of approximating the practical implications of IFRS 16, this study is analyzing changes in the key financial ratios: D/E and EV/EBITDA. We find significant median increases in total assets, total liabilities and EBITDA in the full sample, as well as within each sector group. Further, we confirm the existence of sectoral differences, finding the largest median increases in the Consumer Services sector and the smallest in the Financials sector. We also confirm that IFRS 16 bring new implications for financial statement users, since important and commonly used financial ratios are significantly changed: we observe a significant median increase in the D/E ratio and a significant median decrease in the EV/EBITDA multiple.

Thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Science in property development and Management to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Construction Economics and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2017 / Purpose- The main objective of this study was to determine a particular knowledge and skill of the senior management of the South African entertainment and media industry towards corporate real estate management. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / MT 2018

The main purpose of this diploma thesis is to provide a general overview of the three types of fixed assets financing -- long-term bank loan, capital lease and operating lease; their general description, definition and typology, mainly from the accounting standpoint of view in appliance with the International Financial Reporting Standards. Close attention is also paid to their comparison and outlining their main qualitative and quantitative benefits and disadvantages. The last part of the thesis includes a case study that implements quantitative comparison of the three types of assets financing and their accounting according to the theoretical material contained in the preceding chapters.