SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]

Basis of Accounting and Use of Estimates

Basis of Accounting and Use of Estimates

The accompanying financial statements were prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. This requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Fund considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are maintained with one financial institution, which at times may be in excess of federal insurance limits.

Restricted Cash

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash consisted of cash collected from the lessee of the Fund’s Bombardier CRJ 700 ER aircraft for maintenance costs. As management are satisfied that there remains no ongoing liability to pay out amounts under the maintenance reserve, the restricted cash was released into cash and cash equivalents. See Note 3 for more details.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Fund is treated as a partnership for federal and state income tax purposes. As a partnership, the Fund is not subject to federal and state income taxes, while each member will be individually liable for income taxes, if any, on its share of net taxable income from the Fund. Interest, dividends and other income realized by the Fund may be subject to withholding tax in the jurisdiction in which the income is sourced.

Leased Equipment at Cost

Leased Equipment at Cost

If a lease meets certain requirements under ASC 840 at its inception, such that the Fund retains ownership in the underlying equipment, the lease is accounted for as an operating lease. Investment in leased equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Leased equipment is depreciated on a straight-line basis over the lease term to the assets’ residual value. Initial direct costs (such as freight, installation, acquisition fees and expenses, legal fees and inspection fees) associated with the leases are capitalized as part of the cost of the leased equipment and depreciated over the lease term.

The lease term from the acquisition date or most recent lease renewal date by the Fund of each item of equipment is as follows:

		Lease
		term (in years)
Aircraft engines (2 x CFM56-7B jet engines)		9
Aircraft (Airbus model A320-200)		2.5
Smart safes		5
Machine tool equipment		5

The residual value and useful life are determined by the Manager and are calculated using information from both internal (i.e. from affiliates) and external sources, such as trade publications, industry valuers, auction data, internal and external sales data, equipment dealers, wholesalers and industry experts, as well as inspection of the physical assets. Once an asset comes off lease or is re-leased, the Fund reassesses its useful life and residual value.

Costs incurred in extending the useful life and/or increasing the resale value of leased equipment are capitalized into the cost of an asset. No such costs have been incurred to date.

If the equipment is returned at the end of a lease term and the lessee has not met the return conditions as set out in the lease, the Fund is entitled, in certain cases, to additional compensation from the lessee. The Fund’s accounting policy for recording such payments is to treat the payments as revenue when received. No such payments were received for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The lessee is generally responsible for the ongoing maintenance costs of the equipment under net lease arrangements.

The significant operating lease assets in the Fund’s portfolio are reviewed for impairment at least annually or when indicators of impairment exist. An impairment loss will be recognized only if the carrying value of a long-lived asset is not recoverable and exceeds its fair market value. The Manager’s assessment for impairment (i.e. undiscounted cash flows used in the recoverability assessment) includes review of residual values based on published values for similar assets, recent transactions for similar assets, lease terms, asset condition, adverse changes in market conditions for specific asset types and the occurrence of significant adverse changes in general industry and market conditions that could affect the fair value of the asset.

If no impairment is deemed to exist and if the current assessment of the residual value is determined to be lower than the current value, the Fund adjusts the residual value downward and prospectively adjusts depreciation expense over the remaining life of the lease. No impairment charges were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. No impairment charges were recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2015, however, an impairment charge of $165,556 was recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 related to the Fund’s self-service checkout equipment.

Net investment in Finance Leases

Net Investment in Finance Lease

If a lease meets specific criteria under ASC 840 at its inception, such that ownership of the underlying asset is effectively transferred to the lessee, the Fund recognizes the lease as a net investment in finance lease on its Balance Sheet. Net investment in finance leases consist of lease receivables plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the leased equipment on the lease termination date, less the unearned income.

The residual values of the Fund’s significant finance lease assets are reviewed at least annually. If the review results in a lower estimate than had been previously established, the Fund will determine whether the decline in the estimated residual value is other than temporary. If the decline in estimated residual value is judged to be other than temporary, the accounting for the transaction shall be revised using the changed estimate and the resulting reduction in the net investment shall be recognized as a loss in the period in which the estimate is changed. An upward adjustment of a leased asset’s estimated residual value shall not be made.

Lease Modifications

Lease Modifications

If a lease is modified, ASC 840 requires the lease to be re-evaluated as if the revised terms were in place at inception of the lease. If the revised terms result in a different classification of the lease than what existed at inception (for example, an operating lease with the revised terms qualifies as a sales type lease), then the revised lease and corresponding investment is reclassified (to either an operating lease, financing lease or sales type lease).

Net Investment in Sales Type Lease

Net Investment in Sales Type Lease

If a lease meets specific criteria under ASC 840 at its inception, such that ownership of the underlying asset is effectively transferred to the lessee and the lease gives rise to a manufacturer’s or dealers profit or loss to the lessor (that is, the fair value of the lease property at lease inception is greater than or less than its cost or carrying amount), the Fund recognizes the lease as a net investment in sales type lease on its Balance Sheet and the corresponding profit or loss as a net gain on sale. While the Fund is not a manufacturer or dealer, sales type lease accounting may apply when existing lease agreements are modified and are required to be accounted for as new leases.

Net investment in sales type lease consists of lease receivables plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the leased equipment on the lease termination date, less unearned income.

The residual values of the Fund’s significant sales type lease assets are reviewed at least annually. If the review results in a lower estimate than had been previously established, the Fund will determine whether the decline in the estimated residual value is other than temporary. If the decline in estimated residual value is judged to be other than temporary, the accounting for the transaction shall be revised using the changed estimate and the resulting reduction in the net investment shall be recognized as a loss in the period in which the estimate is changed. An upward adjustment of a leased asset’s estimated residual value shall not be made.

Loan Receivables and Participating Interests - Loan Receivables

Loan Receivables and Participating Interests – Loan Receivables

Loan receivables are reported on the Fund’s Balance Sheet at the outstanding principal balance, plus costs incurred to originate the loans. Unearned income, discounts and premiums are amortized to interest income in the Fund’s Statements of Operations using the effective interest method. Upon the repayment of a loan receivable, any prepayment penalties and unamortized loan origination, closing and commitment fees are recorded as part of interest income in the Statements of Operations.

Participating interests – loan receivables are arranged by related parties and are disclosed separately in the Fund’s financial statements. See Note 7 for disclosures relating the Fund’s participating interests in loan receivables.

Assets Held for Sale

Assets Held for Sale

If any of the Fund’s assets held under operating leases meet the requirements under ASC 360-10-45-9, the asset is reclassified as Leased Equipment Held for Sale on the Fund’s Balance Sheet at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell.

If the Fund’s net investment in finance leases or loan receivables meet specific criteria under ASC 310-10-35, such that the Fund no longer has the intent or ability to hold the finance lease or loan for the foreseeable future, the loan or finance lease is reclassified as held for sale and recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, with any difference being recognized in the Statements of Operations.

Maintenance Reserve

Maintenance Reserve

Under the lease agreement for the Fund’s Bombardier CRJ 700 ER aircraft, the lessee was responsible for the costs of major maintenance on the components of the aircraft, including the engines, airframe, auxiliary power unit and landing gear at an approved maintenance facility in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance guidelines. The lessee was required to pay reserves to the Fund for maintenance, calculated monthly, based on the prior month’s flight hours and flight cycles. These payments were set aside for future maintenance costs and were recognized as restricted cash on the Fund’s Balance Sheet when paid by the lessee. As maintenance was performed, and to the extent that the lessee had met all of its obligations under the lease, the lessee was reimbursed for costs incurred up to, but not exceeding, the related payments the Fund receives from the lessee for maintenance. At the completion of each major maintenance event, the difference between the liability for the cost of the aircraft’s maintenance and the reimbursement paid to the lessee was recorded as revenue if management was satisfied that the remaining reserve was considered sufficient to cover future maintenance or repairs. In addition, if management was satisfied that there remains no ongoing liability to pay out amounts under the maintenance reserve, the accumulated net proceeds in the maintenance reserve are recorded into finance and rental income. See Note 3 for more details.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

At the inception of a finance lease, the Fund records the total minimum lease payments receivable from the lessee, the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the equipment at lease termination, the initial direct costs related to the lease, and the related unearned income. Unearned income represents the total minimum lease payments receivable plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value minus the cost of the leased equipment. Unearned income is recognized as finance income over the term of the lease using the effective interest rate method.

At the inception of a sales type lease, or upon reclassification of an operating lease or direct finance lease to a sales type lease, the Fund records the total minimum lease payments receivable from the lessee, the estimated unguaranteed residual value of the equipment at lease termination, the initial direct costs related to the lease, and the related unearned income. Unearned income represents the total minimum lease payments receivable plus the estimated unguaranteed residual value minus the cost of the leased equipment. Unearned income is recognized as finance income over the term of the lease using the effective interest rate method.

For operating leases, rental income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. From time to time, the Fund receives rental payments in advance. These advance payments are recognized on the Fund's Balance Sheet as deferred revenue and recognized as income in the month they are earned.

Gains or losses from sales of leased and off lease equipment (including reclassifications of operating or financing leases to sales type leases) are recorded on a net basis in the Fund’s Statements of Operations. The Fund recognized a gain on the sale of leased equipment of $5,107,777 and $5,115,704 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. The Fund recognized a gain on the sale of leased equipment of $11,275 during both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015.

Certain of the Fund’s leases contain provisions for late fees on past due rent. The Fund recognizes late fees as income when they become chargeable and collection is reasonably assured.

During 2015, the Fund developed a vendor finance program for an Australian aircraft manufacturer. Under the program, the Australian aircraft manufacturer refers the Fund to potential customers seeking aircraft finance. In consideration for the Fund’s time and expense incurred in developing the vendor finance program, the Australian aircraft manufacturer agreed to pay a program development fee of $150,000 to the Fund in installments. The Fund will recognize the program development fee as income over the life of the agreement. The Fund recognized $18,750 and $56,250 related to the program development fee as other income during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively. No such fees were recognized during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015.

The Fund recognizes interest income on its loan receivables using the effective interest method.

Credit Quality of Loan Receivables and Finance Leases

Credit Quality of Loan Receivables and Finance Leases

The Fund monitors the ongoing credit quality of its financing receivables by: (i) reviewing and analyzing a borrower’s financial performance on a regular basis, including reviewing financial statements when provided as prescribed in the loan or lease agreement; (ii) tracking the relevant credit metrics of each loan receivable and a borrower’s compliance with financial and non-financial covenants; and (iii) monitoring a borrower’s payment history and public credit rating, if available. As part of the monitoring process, the Fund may physically inspect the collateral and meet with a borrower’s management to better understand the borrower’s financial performance and its future plans on an as-needed basis.

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Provision for Credit Losses

Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Provision for Credit Losses

The Fund is exposed to risks under its leasing transactions, including risk associated with a lessee’s creditworthiness, repossession, remarketing and the future market value of the equipment. The Fund evaluates the collectability of its lease receivables by analyzing the counterparties’ payment history, general credit worthiness and current economic trends. Although the Fund currently has no reason to believe that the lessees will fail to meet their contractual obligations, a risk of loss to the Fund exists should a lessee fail to meet its payment obligations under a lease. The Fund records an allowance when the analysis indicates that the probability of full collection is unlikely. No allowance was recorded on the Fund’s Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2016 or December 31, 2015, respectively. No allowance was recorded or reversed in the Fund’s Statements of Operations during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

An allowance or provision for credit losses is established if there is evidence that the Fund will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the original contractual terms of the loan or finance lease receivable. The allowance for credit losses is reported as a reduction of the carrying value of the loan receivable on the Fund’s Balance Sheet. Additions to the allowance and provision for credit losses are recorded in the Fund’s Statements of Operations. Allowances and provisions for credit losses are evaluated periodically and on an individual asset and customer level. Individual credit exposures are evaluated based on the realizable value of any collateral, and payment history. The estimated recoverable amount is the value of the expected future cash flows, including amounts that may be realized with the repossession of the collateral.

The accrual of interest income based on the original terms of the loan receivable may be discontinued based on the facts and circumstances of the individual credit exposure, and any future interest income is recorded based on cash receipts. Any subsequent changes to the amounts and timing of the expected future cash flows compared with the prior estimates result in a change in the allowance for credit losses and are charged or credited to the Fund’s Statements of Operations. An allowance is generally reversed only when cash is received in accordance with the original contractual terms of the note.

The Fund does not provision for credit losses on a collective basis.

All loans are performing and there are no delinquent loans on the Fund’s Balance Sheet. Due to the credit rating of the counterparties, the short-term nature of loans, insurance arrangements, and borrower payment history, the Fund has not recorded a provision for credit losses on its loan receivables as of September 30, 2016 or December 31, 2015, respectively.

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt

Long-term debt is reported on the Fund’s Balance Sheet at cost. Interest expense is recognized using the effective interest method. Expenses associated with the incurrence of debt are capitalized and amortized to interest expense over the term of the debt instrument using the effective interest rate method. These costs are included in the carrying value of long-term debt.

Write Offs

Write Offs

The Fund takes write offs when it determines that a receivable is uncollectible and when all economically sensible means of recovery have been exhausted. No write offs were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Operating Expenses and Management Fees

Operating Expenses and Management Fees

The Manager charges the Fund management fees and the Fund reimburses the Manager for certain operating expenses directly related to the Fund. These fees are recognized on an accrual basis. See Note 9 for further details.

Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive Income

The Fund follows the requirements of ASC 220 Comprehensive Income, for the reporting and presentation of comprehensive income and its components. The Fund does not have any components of other comprehensive income, thus it is not presented separately in the Fund’s financial statements.

Distributions

Distributions

The Manager has sole discretion to determine what portion, if any, of cash on hand will be distributed to the members. Regular distributions are made on a monthly basis and accrued at the end of each month. Regular monthly cash distributions are paid on the 15th day of the following month and reflected in the Fund’s Statement of Changes in Members’ Equity. Distributions accrued but not paid are recorded as a distribution payable on the Fund’s Balance Sheet.

New Accounting Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requiring revenue to be recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration expected to be received in exchange for goods and services. The original effective date for ASU 2014-09 would have required the Fund to adopt it beginning in its first quarter of 2018. In July 2015, the FASB voted to amend ASU 2014-09 by approving a one-year deferral of the effective date as well as providing the option to early adopt the standard on the original effective date. Accordingly, the Fund may adopt the standard in either its first quarter of 2018 or 2019. The new revenue standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of adoption. The Fund is currently evaluating the timing of its adoption of ASU 2014-09. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have an impact on the Fund's financial statements.

In August 2014, FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Preparation of Financial Statements – Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to continue as a Going Concern. This standard provides guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. The adoption of this standard becomes effective on the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and all subsequent annual and interim periods. Early adoption is permitted. The Fund is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of the adoption of this standard on its financial statements.

In February 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-2, Leases, to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by recognizing lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The guidance primarily affects lessees and requires that all leases create an asset and a liability for a leasing arrangement greater than 12 months, although there are some modifications to lessor accounting. The adoption of this standard becomes effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Fund is evaluating the implications of the adoption of this standard.

In March 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers in order to amend principal versus agent guidance in the new revenue standard contemplated in ASU 2014-09. The amendment reframes the indicators in the guidance to focus on evidence that an entity is acting as a principal rather than as an agent. The effective date and transition of ASU 2016-08 aligns with ASU 2014-09, effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Fund is currently evaluating the timing of its adoption of ASU 2014-09. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have an impact on the Fund’s financial statements.

In April 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, to amend certain aspects of ASU 2014-09 around licensing and performance obligations. The effective date and transition of ASU 2016-10 aligns with ASU 2014-09, effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Fund is currently evaluating the timing of its adoption of ASU 2014-09. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have an impact on the Fund's financial statements.

In August 2016, FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows – Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, to provide guidance on the presentation and classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the Statements of Cash Flows. The adoption of this standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a significant impact on the Fund’s financial statements.

Macquarie Equipment Leasing Fund, LLC 10-Q