IFRS 16 and AASB 16 require lessees to recognise almost all leases on the balance sheet. This complete guide explains the standard, key concepts, and compliance requirements for finance teams.
IFRS 16 is an international accounting standard that requires lessees to recognise almost all leases on the balance sheet as a right-of-use (ROU) asset and a corresponding lease liability. Issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) in January 2016 and effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019, it replaced IAS 17 and ended the era of "off-balance sheet" operating leases.
If your organisation leases offices, vehicles, equipment, or land, those commitments now appear on your balance sheet. This guide explains what the standard requires, what the key concepts mean, and what ongoing compliance actually involves, written for Finance Managers and Financial Controllers who know accounting but are new to IFRS 16.
Updated April 2026.
Before IFRS 16, the accounting treatment of leases depended on their classification. Finance leases appeared on the balance sheet. Operating leases did not: they were disclosed only in the notes to financial statements as future commitments. For large lessees with hundreds of properties or thousands of vehicles, this meant enormous obligations sat entirely off-balance sheet.
The IASB estimated that approximately USD 3.3 trillion in lease obligations were invisible on company balance sheets globally before IFRS 16. Investors and analysts routinely had to make manual adjustments to compare the financial position of companies that owned assets against those that leased them. The standard was designed to fix that comparability problem once and for all.
The core principle is simple: if you control the right to use an asset for a period of time, that right has economic value and belongs on your balance sheet. IFRS 16 extended that logic to virtually all leases, with limited exemptions for short-term and low-value assets (covered below).
For Australian organisations, the relevant standard is AASB 16, issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. AASB 16 is substantively identical to IFRS 16 for lessees: the recognition requirements, measurement models, and disclosure rules are the same. The effective date in Australia was also 1 January 2019 for most entities.
New Zealand uses NZ IFRS 16, which follows the same framework. In the United Kingdom, the comparable standard is FRS 102 (updated), which brings lease accounting closer to the IFRS 16 model for UK GAAP reporters, with phased adoption underway. The US equivalent is FASB ASC 842, which takes a different approach: it retains the finance/operating lease distinction for income statement presentation, though both lease types now appear on the balance sheet.
In practice, if your organisation reports under IFRS or Australian equivalents (AASB), IFRS 16 and AASB 16 are interchangeable for compliance purposes. Throughout this guide, references to IFRS 16 apply equally to AASB 16.
IFRS 16 introduces specific terminology that underpins every calculation. These are the six terms that appear in almost every lease accounting conversation, audit query, and remeasurement discussion.
1. Right-of-use (ROU) asset. The ROU asset represents the lessee's right to use the leased asset over the lease term. It is recognised on the balance sheet at commencement and measured at the present value of future lease payments, plus initial direct costs, prepaid amounts, and estimated make-good costs, less any lease incentives received. The ROU asset is then depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lease term (or the useful life of the underlying asset, if shorter). For a detailed breakdown of how the ROU asset is calculated and what goes wrong in practice, see the plain-English ROU asset guide.
2. Lease liability. The lease liability is the lessee's obligation to make future lease payments, measured at the present value of those payments. It unwinds using the effective interest method: each period, interest accrues on the outstanding balance, and the lease payments reduce both the accrued interest and the principal. The liability is split between current (due within 12 months) and non-current on the balance sheet.
3. Interest rate implicit in the lease (IIR). The IIR is the discount rate that causes the present value of the lease payments and the unguaranteed residual value to equal the fair value of the underlying asset plus the lessor's initial direct costs. In plain terms, it is the effective interest rate built into the lease from the lessor's perspective. IFRS 16 requires lessees to use the IIR to discount lease payments if that rate can be readily determined. In practice, lessors rarely disclose it, so the IIR is not available for most leases, particularly property and equipment leases. When the IIR cannot be readily determined, IFRS 16 requires the lessee to use the incremental borrowing rate instead.
4. Incremental borrowing rate (IBR). The IBR is the rate a lessee would pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an asset of similar value in a similar economic environment over a similar term. In practice, it is the discount rate used for the vast majority of leases, because lessors rarely disclose the IIR. Getting the IBR wrong has a compounding effect: a rate that is even slightly too high or too low shifts the present value of the lease liability, which then flows into every period's interest charge and depreciation figure. The IBR must reflect conditions at the commencement date of each individual lease, or the modification date for remeasurements; applying a single transition-era rate to all subsequent leases is one of the most common errors in practice.
5. Present value of future minimum lease payments (PVFMLP). This is the discounted value of all future lease payments the lessee is obliged to make over the lease term, calculated using either the IIR or the IBR. It forms the opening balance of the lease liability and, combined with initial direct costs and other adjustments, the opening ROU asset. For step-by-step calculation guidance, the IFRS 16 calculations guide walks through the mechanics in detail.
6. Short-term and low-value asset exemptions. IFRS 16 includes two practical exemptions that allow certain leases to remain off-balance sheet and be expensed on a straight-line basis.
Both exemptions require care. Applying them incorrectly, or reaching for them without considering the full implications, can create compliance gaps that surface at audit. The decision to use either exemption should be deliberate rather than a default assumption.
IFRS 16 touches all three primary financial statements (the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement) in different ways. The effects are permanent, not a one-off transition entry, so finance teams need to be able to explain each one clearly to boards, lenders, and auditors.
Balance sheet. Every in-scope lease now adds a ROU asset to total assets and a corresponding lease liability to total liabilities. Both sides of the balance sheet grow, which means leverage ratios (debt-to-equity, net debt, gearing) increase. This was the fundamental purpose of the standard: to make lease obligations visible to anyone reading the accounts, not just to those who knew to check the notes.
Income statement. Under IAS 17, operating lease payments were a single line item in operating expenses. Under IFRS 16, that line disappears and is replaced by two separate charges: depreciation on the ROU asset (above the EBITDA line) and interest on the lease liability (below the EBITDA line as a finance cost). The total expense over the life of the lease is broadly similar, but the front-loading changes: interest is highest in the early years of a lease, when the liability balance is at its largest. The net effect on EBITDA is positive, because what was previously an operating expense now sits entirely in depreciation and finance costs, both of which are excluded from the EBITDA calculation.
Cash flow statement. The total cash outflow does not change, but how it is classified does. Under IAS 17, operating lease payments were operating cash outflows. Under IFRS 16, the principal repayment portion is classified as a financing cash outflow, and the interest portion is classified as either an operating or financing outflow depending on the entity's accounting policy. This improves reported operating cash flow, which now excludes lease principal repayments.
These changes affect key financial covenants, analyst metrics, and credit assessments. Organisations with significant lease portfolios, particularly in retail, transport, and resources, typically saw meaningful balance sheet expansion on transition to IFRS 16.
Many finance teams completed their IFRS 16 transition in 2019 and assumed the work was largely done, but ongoing compliance is a continuous monthly process. For organisations with large or changing portfolios, the workload grows with every new lease, modification, or CPI adjustment.
Lease modifications are the most frequent source of ongoing work. A modification is any change to the scope or consideration of a lease that was not part of the original terms: extending a lease, adding or removing space, renegotiating the rent. Each modification triggers a remeasurement of the lease liability at the modification date using a revised IBR, with the adjustment flowing through to the ROU asset. For large portfolios, dozens of modifications can occur each month.
CPI and index adjustments require reassessment whenever lease payments are linked to an inflation index or market rate. When the index is updated, the lease liability must be remeasured and the ROU asset adjusted accordingly.
Reassessments of the lease term are required when a significant event or change in circumstances occurs that affects the lessee's reasonable certainty about exercising or not exercising an extension or termination option. This involves judgement and requires documented rationale.
New leases require fresh commencement calculations, including a current IIR or IBR and a complete initial measurement of both the ROU asset and the lease liability.
Audit trail requirements mean that every modification, reassessment, and adjustment must be documented with a complete record of what changed, when, and why. Auditors specifically request evidence for each event that triggers a remeasurement. For what auditors actually look for, the IFRS 16 audit preparation checklist covers the most common deficiencies in detail.
These are the errors that show up most often in practice, and the ones auditors are most likely to find first.
Using a single IBR across all leases. The IBR must reflect conditions at the commencement date of each individual lease. Applying a single rate established at transition to all subsequent leases is a common shortcut that produces incorrect present values and downstream calculation errors.
Missing or delayed lease modifications. Modifications must be recognised at the modification date, not when the paperwork is finalised or at year-end. A lease extended in October cannot wait until December reporting. Late recognition distorts the liability balance, the ROU asset, and the interest charge for every period in between.
Misapplying the short-term exemption. The 12-month threshold is assessed at commencement based on the full lease term including reasonably certain renewals, not the remaining term at a later date. Month-to-month arrangements that the lessee intends to extend are not short-term leases.
Failing to reassess the lease term. When a significant event occurs (a regulator changes occupancy rules, a business decision is made to exit a location, or an anchor tenant leaves a retail centre), the lease term must be reassessed. Treating the original lease term as fixed regardless of circumstances is non-compliant.
Inadequate audit trail documentation. The calculation is only part of what auditors assess. They also look for evidence that the inputs were correct, the modification was recognised on time, and the judgements made were documented at the time they were made, not retrospectively.
Spreadsheets can produce correct IFRS 16 calculations. For a portfolio of five to ten simple leases with no modifications, a well-built spreadsheet is a reasonable approach. The problems start when the portfolio grows, team members change, and lease modifications arrive every month.
For larger portfolios, the combination of volume, modification frequency, and audit requirements creates practical problems that spreadsheets were not designed to handle: version control across multiple contributors, formula integrity as the lease count grows, and the ability to reproduce the exact calculation for any lease at any point in time when an auditor asks. A purpose-built platform maintains a full audit trail for every modification, automates IBR-based remeasurements, and generates the disclosure notes and journal entries required each period.
Portfolios above 30 leases, or any portfolio with frequent modifications, tend to reach the limits of spreadsheet management faster than most finance teams expect. For a detailed breakdown of what to look for in a lease accounting system, see the LOIS lease accounting software overview.
What is the difference between IFRS 16 and AASB 16?
AASB 16 is Australia's adoption of IFRS 16, issued by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. For lessees, the two standards are substantively identical: the recognition, measurement, and disclosure requirements are the same. The effective date in both cases was 1 January 2019 for most entities. In practice, IFRS 16 and AASB 16 are interchangeable for compliance purposes in Australia.
Which leases are exempt from IFRS 16?
IFRS 16 provides two practical exemptions. The short-term exemption covers leases with a term of 12 months or less at commencement (leases with a purchase option cannot use this exemption). The low-value asset exemption covers individual assets worth approximately USD 5,000 or less when new. Examples include small IT equipment such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones, and some office furniture. Cars and most photocopiers fall outside the scope of this exemption. Both types can be expensed on a straight-line basis rather than recognised on the balance sheet.
What is the difference between the IIR and the IBR under IFRS 16?
IFRS 16 requires lessees to discount lease payments using the interest rate implicit in the lease (IIR) if it can be readily determined. The IIR is the effective interest rate built into the lease from the lessor's perspective. In practice, lessors rarely disclose it, so the IBR is the discount rate used for the vast majority of real-world IFRS 16 calculations. The IBR is the rate a lessee would pay to borrow funds to acquire a similar asset over a similar term.
How does IFRS 16 affect EBITDA?
IFRS 16 typically increases EBITDA. Under IAS 17, operating lease payments were an operating expense included in EBITDA calculations. Under IFRS 16, those costs are replaced by depreciation on the ROU asset (excluded from EBITDA) and interest on the lease liability (a finance cost, also excluded from EBITDA). The cash outflow is unchanged, but reported EBITDA improves for any organisation with significant operating lease commitments.
Does IFRS 16 require a new calculation every time a lease changes?
Yes. Any change to the scope or consideration of a lease that was not part of the original terms (including extending the lease, adjusting rent, adding space, or partially terminating) triggers a remeasurement of the lease liability at the modification date. The IIR or IBR at that date must be used for the remeasurement, and the adjustment flows through to the ROU asset. CPI-linked payments also require remeasurement when the index is updated.
What is a right-of-use asset under IFRS 16?
A right-of-use (ROU) asset is the lessee's balance sheet recognition of the right to use a leased asset over the lease term. It is initially measured at the present value of future lease payments, plus initial direct costs, prepayments, and make-good provisions, less any lease incentives received. It is then depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The ROU asset always has a paired entry: the lease liability, which represents the obligation to make future payments.
When did IFRS 16 come into effect?
IFRS 16 was issued by the International Accounting Standards Board in January 2016 and became mandatory for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2019. Australia's AASB 16 adopted the same effective date. New Zealand's NZ IFRS 16 followed the same timeline. Organisations with calendar year-ends first applied IFRS 16 in their 2019 financial statements.
How does IFRS 16 change the cash flow statement?
Under IFRS 16, lease payments are split on the cash flow statement. The principal repayment portion is classified as a financing cash outflow. The interest portion is classified as either an operating or financing outflow, depending on the entity's accounting policy. Under IAS 17, operating lease payments were classified entirely as operating cash outflows. The result is that operating cash flow typically improves under IFRS 16, as the principal repayment element moves to financing activities.
Managing leases under IFRS 16 or AASB 16?
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