The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is holding a public roundtable to revisit ASC 842, the lease accounting standard that moved operating leases from footnotes to the balance sheet. For context and a timely industry take, see CSG Insider’s overview.
Below is a research-driven summary and expansion for finance leaders: what worked, what continues to cost time and money, and where targeted refinements can keep the transparency benefits while reducing operational burden.
What Worked: Transparency That Markets Actually Use
- Bond pricing reflects lease risk. When recognized lease liabilities surprised the market, corporate bond yields rose—evidence that investors now incorporate lease obligations into credit risk. Source: Scarlat & Jung (2024), Finance Research Letters.
- Banks improved credit assessments. Contrary to fears of tighter lending, lenders upgraded certain internal ratings once lease exposure was fully visible. Source: He, Lourie, Ma & Zhu (2024), Working paper.
- Analysts forecast revenue more accurately. Recognized right-of-use (ROU) assets improved revenue prediction, especially for lease-intensive businesses. Source: Nissim (2025), Accounting Horizons.
The Ongoing Challenges and Costs
- Adoption was expensive—and the tail persists. U.S. implementation costs averaged roughly $450,000 per company, with some spending much more. Source: IASB Staff Paper (Mar. 2025), PIR of IFRS 16, Agenda Paper 7F.
- Private companies feel the strain. Many still run spreadsheets or pay $7,000–$35,000 annually for software; at least one adoption topped $1 million. Source: FASB Private Company Council (PCC) Memo, June 26, 2025.
- SEC scrutiny continues. Comment-letter themes include discount rate disclosures, variable payment classification, and non-GAAP adjustments around lease effects. Source: KPMG (Nov. 2024), Year-end leases reminders.
- COVID-19 exposed modification complexity. Mass concessions required emergency guidance—proof that operational processes can crack under stress. Source: FASB Staff Q&A (Apr. 10, 2020), Lease concessions.
How Companies Adapted
- Shorter leases. Minimum terms declined by ~22% post-adoption as firms managed leverage optics. Source: IASB Staff Paper (Mar. 2025), Agenda Paper 7F.
- “Frozen GAAP” clauses proliferated. About 87% of debt contracts excluded or neutralized ASC 842’s effects to stabilize covenant ratios. Source: IASB Staff Paper (Mar. 2025), Agenda Paper 7F.
- Variable payments remain a blind spot. Over 40% of operating lessees report variable lease costs—often off-balance sheet—obscuring future cash obligations. Sources: IASB Staff Paper (Mar. 2025), Agenda Paper 7F; Heese, Shin & Wang (2025), Review of Accounting Studies.
What FASB Could Refine (Without Reopening the Model)
- Make discount rate disclosures decision-useful. Require methodology summaries, quantitative ranges, and asset-class detail to improve comparability.
- Standardize variable-payment reporting. A simple, required table separating fixed vs. variable cash obligations (e.g., usage-based fees, percentage rent, CAM) with a brief look-back/look-forward.
- Scale disclosures for private companies. Clarify risk-free rate elections and simplify recurring requirements to reduce software dependence without sacrificing decision usefulness.
- Codify a disruption playbook. Build on the 2020 concessions to provide rapid, consistent guidance for widescale modifications.
Implications for CFOs, Controllers, and Auditors
- Audit readiness: Expect continued focus on discount rates, variable payments, and non-GAAP adjustments tied to leases.
- Budgeting: Treat lease accounting as an ongoing operating expense—technology, process, and audit time.
- Strategy: Consider accounting optics (term length, renewal options, variability) alongside operational needs.
iLeasePro’s Take
Markets, banks, and analysts benefit from the transparency ASC 842 delivered. Yet the operational load—especially for private companies—remains heavy. iLeasePro focuses on the Day-2 realities—variable payments, renewals, and modifications—while keeping subscriptions cost-effective and outputs audit-ready.
Bottom Line
ASC 842 achieved the core mission: hidden liabilities are visible, and markets use the data. Six years in, the path forward is about sharpening—not softening—the standard: clearer discount-rate disclosures, standardized variable-payment tables, scaled requirements for private companies, and a codified disruption playbook.
