Recent Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

New Accounting Pronouncements And Changes In Accounting Principles [Abstract]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

(6) Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In March, 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-07, Investments – Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323): Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting, which requires an investor to initially apply the equity method of accounting from the date it qualified for that method.  The ASU eliminates the previous requirement to retroactively adjust the investment and record a cumulative catch up for the periods that the investment had been held, but did not qualify for the equity method of accounting.  The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted.  We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of this ASU on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e., lessees and lessors). The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for similar to existing guidance for operating leases today. The new standard requires lessors to account for leases using an approach that is substantially equivalent to existing guidance for sales-type leases, direct financing leases and operating leases. ASU 2016-02 supersedes the previous leases standard, Leases (Topic 840). The standard is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted. We are currently in the process of evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on our financial position or results of operations.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, an update to the accounting standard relating to the presentation of debt issuance costs. Under the new guidance, debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability will be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability. In the event that there is not an associated debt liability recorded in the consolidated financial statements, the debt issuance costs will continue to be recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as an asset until the debt liability is recorded.  The new standard became effective for the Trust on January 1, 2016. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations as the update only related to changes in financial statement presentation.  

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation – Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, which amends the current consolidation guidance affecting both the variable interest entity (“VIE”) and voting interest entity (“VOE”) consolidation models. The standard does not add or remove any of the characteristics in determining if an entity is a VIE or VOE, but rather enhances the way the Company assesses some of these characteristics. The new standard became effective for the Trust on January 1, 2016 and did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations as none of its existing consolidation conclusions were changed.