In several industries companies and individuals can buy equipment such as machinery, boats or even aircraft and then lease them back to rental agencies, marinas or fixed base operators (aviation). This is a great accounting strategy allowing someone or company to own an asset and have it pay for itself through the rental fees. The owner of the asset has the ability to tax full advantage of the tax write off of this asset and depreciate it as a business in itself, a rental business, even if the individual owns the item.

Once the equipment, boat, or aircraft is fully depreciated, paid for the owner of the asset still owns it at its then current book value. Many years back, I had sold aircraft leasebacks for flying schools and aircraft charter companies, and as well as such an accounting strategy looks on paper, it is not always as clean, crisp and consistent as the proforma may have you believe. The accounting of leasebacks is serious business, not to be taken lightly.

For instance, if someone buys a new Cessna and leases it back to the flight school that aircraft will have some hard flying hours on its airframe, this could increase maintenance costs and wear and tear on the aircraft lessening its value prematurely even faster than the allowable tax depreciation schedule. Additionally, after a couple of years and before the aircraft is paid for it might need a new motor when the aircraft hits its TBO.

Further, the flight school may have newer aircraft on the line that are owned by the FBO (fixed base operator) which they will attempt to rent first or the students and instructors may prefer. Thus, there could be a deficit in the monthly maintenance costs, tie-down, insurance, and payment of the aircraft. So, before you use a leaseback accounting strategy for equipment of any type you need to treat it as a business and consider the reality of the inevitable. After all, anyone can make anything look good on paper.