Understanding the trends behind the headlines.

Definition of a lease IFRS 16 represents the first major overhaul of lease accounting in over 30 years. The new Standard will affect most companies that report under IFRS and are involved in leasing, and will have a substantial impact on the financial statements of lessees of property and high value equipment.

The IASB decided to replace IAS 39 in response to strong criticisms of that Standard in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2007/8. IFRS 9 fundamentally rewrites the accounting rules for financial instruments, particularly since it introduces a new approach for financial asset classification; a more forward-looking expected loss model; and major new requirements on hedge accounting.