1. Financial Statements & Ratios
How many current operating leases are there? What will the impact of those leases be on the balance sheet and financial ratios after the implementation of the new standards?
Major challenges of the new lease accounting standards
Debt Convenants
ASC 842 requires companies to bring certain operating leases onto the balance sheet to be reported as assets and liabilities. The increase in liabilities on the balance sheet could mean that some companies will violate their debt covenants. However, FASB has said that ASC 842 characterizes operating leases as operating liabilities rather than debt, so there should be minimal effect, if any, on debt covenants. However, under IFRS 16, lease liabilities may be considered debt, and so could directly affect debt covenants.
Key Considerations
2. Terms
What are the terms of the debt covenants? Are there terms that provide protection against financial ratio change due to change in accounting standards?
3. Lender Knowledge
Are lenders aware of how the new standards will affect their customers? Are they prepared to deal with any issues resulting from the accounting change in terms of staff knowledge and availability?
The ASC 842 Handbook
Learn how to get compliant and stay compliant with the FASB ASC 842 lease accounting changes while also driving savings.
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What the experts think.
How Will the New Lease Accounting Standard Impact Loan Covenants?
September 2016 – Although most companies are focused on the impact new lease accounting guidelines will have on their financial statements, the guidelines also impact other external reporting, functional, and operational areas—including loan covenants.
