The Effect of the New Lease Accounting Rules under IFRS 16 on the Financial Reporting of Russian Companies

Abstract

Renting is an important and widely used financial solution. Many companies rent a significant number of expensive objects, including cars, offices, power plants, retail stores and airplanes. In 2016 the IASB issued a new standard, IFRS 16 «Leases», replacing the old standard on leases, which entered into force on January 1, 2019. The standard did not make significant changes to the method of accounting for landlords, while tenants experienced a serious impact of the new standard. They now recognize almost all leases in the balance sheet by reflecting an asset that represents the right to use it for a certain period of time, and a financial liability. The article presents the results of the analysis of the financial reports prepared according to IFRS of Russian companies, revealing the impact of the introduction into force from 2019. IFRS 16 «Lease». According to the results of the study, it was revealed that the new rules for reporting leased property had a significant impact on the reporting indicators of tenants, reducing their liquidity. In addition, it was found that some companies, based on the specifics of the terms of lease agreements, reflected additional items in the balance sheet asset that disclosed the amounts of deposits and insurance payments.