What is Sale and Leaseback?
A sale and leaseback is a transaction in which an entity sells an asset to another party and then leases the same asset back from the buyer. Under IFRS 16 the seller-lessee must determine whether the sale qualifies as a sale under IFRS 15 before applying lease accounting.
How It Works
- Apply the IFRS 15 control transfer test to confirm a true sale.
- If it is a sale, derecognise the asset and recognise a right-of-use asset for the lease.
- Recognise a gain or loss only on the rights transferred to the buyer, not on those retained.
- If the proceeds exceed fair value, treat the excess as additional financing.
- If the transaction does not qualify as a sale, treat it as a financing arrangement and keep the asset on the books.
Saudi Context
Saudi real estate and aviation operators use sale-and-leaseback to release capital while keeping the use of the asset. SOCPA-adopted IFRS 16 governs the accounting, and external auditors verify the IFRS 15 sale assessment.
Example
A company sells a building for SAR 50M and leases it back for 10 years. Carrying value SAR 30M. Fair value SAR 50M. The seller recognises a SAR 20M gain only on the rights transferred to the buyer, with the remaining gain on rights retained kept in the right-of-use asset.