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The Relation Between Voluntary Disclosure and Financial Reporting: Evidence from Synthetic Leases

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  • SARAH L. C. ZECHMAN

Abstract

I investigate how the use and voluntary disclosure of synthetic leases is affected by incentives to defer cash outflows and manage the financial statements by keeping debt off the balance sheet. I find that managers of cash‐constrained firms with incentives to defer cash payments are more likely to finance asset purchases with synthetic leases. The mandated reporting for synthetic leases allows managers to avoid disclosing the financial consequences of these transactions. Managers of firms with incentives to use off‐balance‐sheet financing do not provide transparent disclosure about their synthetic leases. However, managers of cash‐constrained firms, which are less likely to use synthetic leases for financial reporting reasons, do voluntarily disclose the existence and financial consequences of these contracts. Alternative tests around FIN 46 adoption corroborate these findings.

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  • Sarah L. C. Zechman, 2010. "The Relation Between Voluntary Disclosure and Financial Reporting: Evidence from Synthetic Leases," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 725-765, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:48:y:2010:i:3:p:725-765
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2010.00376.x
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    3. Dechow, Patricia & Ge, Weili & Schrand, Catherine, 2010. "Understanding earnings quality: A review of the proxies, their determinants and their consequences," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 344-401, December.
    4. Miihkinen, Antti, 2013. "The usefulness of firm risk disclosures under different firm riskiness, investor-interest, and market conditions: New evidence from Finland," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 312-331.
    5. Dou, Yiwei & Khan, Mozaffar & Zou, Youli, 2016. "Labor unemployment insurance and earnings management," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 166-184.
    6. Lim, Steve C. & Mann, Steven C. & Mihov, Vassil T., 2017. "Do operating leases expand credit capacity? Evidence from borrowing costs and credit ratings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 100-114.
    7. Heski Bar-Isaac & Vicente Cuñat, 2014. "Long-Term Debt and Hidden Borrowing," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 3(1-2), pages 87-122.
    8. Yun Lou, 2019. "Disclosure of Pending Lawsuits and Bond Terms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(4), pages 1926-1947, April.
    9. Zhang, Shanshan & Liu, Chang, 2020. "State ownership and the structuring of lease arrangements," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    10. Schallheim, James & Wells, Kyle & Whitby, Ryan J., 2013. "Do leases expand debt capacity?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 368-381.
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    12. Miihkinen, Antti, 2012. "What Drives Quality of Firm Risk Disclosure?," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 47(4), pages 437-468.

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