(1) Operating and Capital Leases" Please respond to the following:
e-Activity: Use the Internet to research the current provisions and proposed changes reflected in the exposure draft for lease accounting under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).
•From the e-Activity, analyze the results of the proposed changes to lease accounting on operating and capital leases. Identifying how the right-of-use model will impact financial reporting, indicate how companies are likely to manage the change in reporting.
•Discuss recommendations you would make to chief financial officers (CFOs) of retailers, service providers, and other businesses that lease several locations or have substantial leases of real estate or other assets. Indicate the pros and cons of each approach.
(2) "Leasing Restatements in the Restaurant Industry" Please respond to the following:
•From the case study (attached), create an argument for the use of principles-based accounting for leases over rules-based accounting under GAAP, based on the financial statement restatements in the restaurant industry. Provide support for your argument.
•Assess the materiality of the errors, direction provided by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) on the decision by management to restate the financial statements. Indicate the likely impact to stakeholders when financial statements are restated.
(3) "Equity-Based Compensation" Please respond to the following:
e-Activity: Use the Internet to research the accounting treatment of equity-based compensation under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and international financial reporting standards (IFRS).
•From the e-Activity, discuss the impact of adopting IFRS reporting on equity-based accounting for financial reporting and tax payments. Then, recommend a strategy for companies adopting IFRS to minimize the impact of the accounting treatment.
•Examine the potential results of measuring the fair market value of the equity-based compensation at the grant date on financial statements under GAAP only. Provide recommendations you would make to minimize any distortions in fair market value.