LEASES/LICENCES

Leases allow the owner of an asset to grant to another the right to use the asset in return for rent.  Any type of physical asset such as land, stock, or plant can be leased.  Licences operate in a similar vein and can be used for intellectual property such as trade marks and patents.

Leases or licences are a useful device to separate the ownership of an asset (which can be significant and may require protection) from its use.  Care needs to be taken though in structuring the lease as there are tax consequences where a lease may be characterised as a finance lease or an operating lease.