Use Chart Lease For Free

A lease will be recorded on the balance sheet as a right-of-use (ROU) asset and lease liability. The lease liability is the payment obligation over the term of the lease contract, while the ROU asset represents the control of the asset under the lease contract.

Balance Sheet ? Initially, the operating lease is recorded as a liability on the balance sheet, similar to debt. Income Statement ? The income statement is where the accounting treatment is different between operating and capital leases, as the lease expense (or rental expense) is recorded throughout the lease term.

A straightforward example is a lease for office space in a high-rise building with multiple occupants. Since this is more like a rental than a sale, the lessor retains the building and related accounts, like a depreciation account, on its balance sheet.

A lease will be recorded on the balance sheet as a right-of-use (ROU) asset and lease liability. The lease liability is the payment obligation over the term of the lease contract, while the ROU asset represents the control of the asset under the lease contract.

If you use what's called a capital or finance lease, you report the leased property on your balance sheet as if it were an asset you own. If you have an operating lease, you record it as a liability.

Right of Use Asset Example: An example of the calculation of the right of use asset is as follows: An asset has a five-year rental period without a renewal option, a $10,000 lease payment at the beginning of each month, and an incremental borrowing rate of 6% with initial direct costs of $2,000.

From a lease accounting perspective, a capital lease is treated as if the lessee has purchased the asset using debt financing. The asset and the associated lease liability are recorded on the lessee's balance sheet. Each lease payment is allocated between the reduction of the lease liability and interest expense.