IASB-FASB leases working group will meet
26 Sep 2008
The joint IASB-FASB Leases Working Group will meet on Tuesday 7 October 2008 at the FASB's office in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA.
The principal agenda item for the meeting is discussion of a staff draft of the Leases discussion paper (DP). The draft DP – which has not been approved by the FASB or the IASB – would express a preliminary view of the two Boards in favour of replacing the current lease accounting model with a new model. The current model classifies leases as finance leases or operating leases, with the former accounted for as, in substance, financed purchases of the leased asset. Under the proposed new model, a lessee would recognise as assets and liabilities all material rights and obligations arising in all lease contracts, including those rights and obligations that arise under leases currently classified as operating leases. Thus, a lessee would recognise:
- an asset representing its right to use the leased item for the lease term, and
- a liability for its obligation to pay rentals.