Finance Leasing Manual - FLM11.47
Short-term finance leases
Finance leases tend to be written for fairly long periods.
Because the finance lessee owns the asset in economic terms but the
lessor retains legal title, the lease agreement normally provides
for the lessee to carry on using the asset for its full useful
life. However finance leases are sometimes written for shorter
periods, for a number of reasons. For example, the lessee may want
a financing style arrangement, but equally knows at the outset that
the asset will not be used for its full life. If the lessor is
overseas, the lease may be designed to satisfy the regulatory
requirements in the lessor's country.
Guidance on the possible tax issues to consider where there
is no secondary lease period is given in the following
paragraphs:
- where the primary lease period equates to the useful life of the asset, see FLM11.49
- where the primary lease period is less than the useful life of the asset, see FLM11.52.
