FSBu 25/2018 “Accounting for Leases” and IFRS 16 “Leases”: A comparative Analysis of Key Provisions

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of accounting reflection of rental relations, which has been the subject of discussion by professional accountants for more than 100 years. At present, more standards are devoted to this problem in world practice than to other accounting objects. Nevertheless, a number of issues remain unresolved. The methodological framework of the study is based on a comparative description of the provisions of IFRS 16 “Leases” and FSBU 25/2018 “Accounting for Leases” and includes a new institutional theory, Conceptual framework for the presentation of financial statements. The research methodology provides for the reclassification of balance sheet items, which allows for significant structural information regarding the reflection of rental objects. The analysis revealed the following differences in standards: the Russian FSBU 25/2018 unreasonably introduces accounting for leasing transactions into the financial lease accounting system; insufficiently convincingly and without proper evidence the issues of identification of financial lease accounting objects are covered. The prospective direction of accounting for financial leases is the possibility of reflecting the property transferred by the lessee as an element of the cost of financial capital, at the same time, the tenant’s long-term obligations should be recognized as existing obligations. The practical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of reducing the level of debt in the balance of the parties to the lease transaction.