The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently voted unanimously to propose a delay to the effective date for the implementation of the new lease accounting standard, ASC 842, for non-public business entities. The proposed delay in the effective date is until January 2021, which provides an additional year to privately held companies to comply with the new lease rules.

Additionally, the vote proposed delays to other recent standards updates including credit losses, derivatives, and long-duration insurance contracts. For credit losses and long-duration insurance contracts, the proposed delay could potentially also apply to nonprofits and smaller reporting companies as the FASB seeks to re-define its reporting entity buckets in relation to implementation dates of its future standards.

Refresher on lease accounting

The existing lease accounting standard, Leases (Topic 840), requires companies to record lease obligations on their balance sheets if the arrangements are considered financing transactions, such as rent-to-own contracts for buildings or vehicles. Few arrangements get recorded, however, because U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) give companies leeway to arrange the agreements to look like simple rentals. If an obligation isn’t recorded on a balance sheet, it makes a business appear less leveraged than its reality.

After nearly a decade of debate, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard calls for major changes to current accounting practices for leases. In a nutshell, companies will be required to recognize on their balance sheets the assets and liabilities associated with rentals, such as offices, factories, airplanes and heavy equipment. The effects of the new standard are expected to be pervasive, because businesses rent anything from forklifts to photocopiers to recycling bins.

ASU No. 2016-02 defines a lease as a contract (or part of a contract) that conveys the right to control the use of a rented asset for a specified period in exchange for consideration. The concept of control is a key change from the definition of a lease. It means that the customer has both the right to realize substantially all of the economic benefits of the asset and the right to direct the asset’s use.

Most existing arrangements that currently are reported as leases will continue to be reported as leases under the new standard. In addition, the new definition is expected to encompass many more types of arrangements that aren’t reported as leases under current practice.

Delayed implementation

The new standard took effect for public companies, employee benefit plans, and non-for-profit conduit bond obligors in January 2019, and was intended to take effect for private companies for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019. However, the AICPA asked the FASB for a delay earlier this year in light of the overlap with the implementation of the new revenue recognition standard and the struggles public companies have incurred thus far in complying with the new lease accounting rules.

The additional year will allow for further educational opportunities for private companies and other organizations that anticipate a major disruption when implementation arrives.

If you have questions on how this delay will affect you and your company, please reach out to your MCM professional or Senior Assurance Manager and Lease Standard Services Team Leader Scott Maloy, CPA, via e-mail or phone (502.882.4446).