Developing Your Policies on Credit Sales Discussion
ANSWER
- Components of Credit Sales Policy and Considerations: When developing a policy on credit sales, there are several components to consider, as well as important factors to take into account:
- Credit Terms: Decide on the credit terms you’ll offer to customers, such as the credit period (how long customers have to pay), the credit limit (maximum amount of credit extended), and the terms for late payments.
- Credit Evaluation: Establish a process to assess the creditworthiness of potential customers. This may involve analyzing their financial statements, credit history, and other relevant information.
- Interest or Discount: Decide whether you’ll charge interest on late payments or offer discounts for early payments. This can influence customer behavior and your cash flow.
- Collection Policies: Outline the steps you’ll take to collect overdue payments. This could involve reminders, negotiations, or even legal action in extreme cases.
- Credit Monitoring: Establish a system to continuously monitor the creditworthiness of existing customers. Their financial situations can change, affecting their ability to make payments.
- Credit Reporting: Consider reporting credit transactions to credit bureaus. This can incentivize customers to make timely payments and can also help build their credit profiles.
- Bad Debt Management: Plan for dealing with bad debts—accounts that customers are unable to pay. This might involve provisions for bad debt losses in financial statements.
- Customer Relationships: Strive for a balance between offering favorable credit terms to attract customers and managing the risk of default. Building trust and long-term relationships with customers is crucial.
- Determining Lease Payments for Lessor-Lessee Transaction: To calculate lease payments that make a lease transaction likely between a lessor (the entity that owns the asset) and a lessee (the entity using the asset), both parties need to agree on terms that are mutually beneficial. The key factors to consider include:
- Cost of Asset: The lessor’s cost of acquiring the asset is a starting point. Lease payments should cover this cost, and the lessor may also seek to earn a reasonable profit.
- Lease Term: The length of the lease agreement impacts the total lease payments. Longer terms might result in lower monthly payments, while shorter terms may lead to higher payments.
- Interest Rate: The interest rate used in the calculations (often called the “implicit rate” or “money factor”) affects the payment amount. It’s influenced by prevailing market rates and the perceived risk of the transaction.
- Residual Value: At the end of the lease, the asset’s expected residual value matters. A higher residual value might result in lower payments during the lease term.
- Depreciation: Lease payments often cover the asset’s depreciation, which is the decrease in its value over time. The lessor and lessee must agree on the depreciation method to be used.
- Operating Costs: In some leases, the lessor may include operating costs like maintenance and insurance. These costs can impact the overall payment amount.
Calculating lease payments involves intricate financial calculations, and both parties must negotiate and reach an agreement based on these factors.
- Tax Differential and Lease Negotiation Success: The tax differential between firms refers to the variation in tax rates or regulations that affect the financial outcomes of different firms. This tax difference can be crucial in lease negotiations for the following reasons:
- Tax Benefits: Depending on the jurisdiction and tax laws, lease payments might be treated differently for lessors and lessees. If one party can benefit more from tax deductions or incentives, it can impact the negotiation process.
- Lease Classification: Different tax treatments can lead to different lease classifications—capital leases or operating leases. These classifications have varying accounting and tax implications.
- Negotiation Leverage: Firms with tax advantages might have more negotiating power. They can offer more attractive terms or be willing to pay higher lease payments, depending on their tax benefits.
- Equitable Agreement: Ensuring that both parties perceive the lease agreement as fair is important for a successful negotiation. Addressing tax differentials can contribute to this perception of fairness.
- Financial Impact: The financial impact of the lease agreement for both parties is directly influenced by tax differentials. A well-negotiated lease can optimize the financial outcomes for both lessor and lessee based on their tax situations.
In essence, understanding the tax implications and differentials is a key aspect of structuring lease agreements that are mutually beneficial and align with the financial goals of both the lessor and lessee.
Question Description
I’m stuck on a Economics question and need an explanation.
1.You are a new company and are in the process of developing your policies on credit sales. What are the components of this policy and what are some important things you need to consider?
2.How could you figure out the lowest and highest lease payment that would make it highly probably that a lease transaction would take place between a lessor and lessee?
3.Why is the tax differential between firms so crucial to a successful lease negotiation?