Frankie's Homemade Cheese Shop ("Frankie's") signed an advertising agreement with Simmons Boards ("Owner") for billboard advertising rights along Route 33 in the town of Hampton. Frankie's has the right to select and display advertising copy on billboard panels numbered 10 and 12 (panel numbers correspond to designated billboard locations) for a 3-year period from Jan. 1, 20X1, to Dec. 31, 20X3. In consideration for these rights, Frankie's agrees to pay $10,000 in year 1, $12,000 in year 2, and $13,000 in year 3. Assume that Frankie's is required to pay the annual fee on Jan. 1 of each contract year. Assuming Frankie's incremental borrowing rate is 5%, what are the entries Frankie should record at inception of the contract, then at the end of years 1, 2, and 3?


I got an answer saying that this was a finance lease. How is that when it does not meet any of these criteria:

A lessee shall classify a lease as a finance lease and a lessor shall classify a lease as a sales-type lease when the lease meets any of the following criteria at lease commencement:

a. The lease transfers ownership of the underlying asset to the lessee by the end of the lease term.

b. The lease grants the lessee an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise.

c. The lease term is for the major part of the remaining economic life of the underlying asset. However, if the commencement date falls at or near the end of the economic life of the underlying asset, this criterion shall not be used for purposes of classifying the lease.

d. The present value of the sum of the lease payments and any residual value guaranteed by the lessee that is not already reflected in the lease payments in accordance with paragraph 842-10-30-5(f) equals or exceeds substantially all of the fair value of the underlying asset.

e. The underlying asset is of such a specialized nature that it is expected to have no alternative use to the lessor at the end of the lease term.


And if it does meet one of the criterion, how?