ISSUE OF DEBENTURES

ISSUE OF DEBENTURES

By issuing debentures means issue of a certificate by the company under its seal which is an acknowledgment of debt taken by the company.

The procedure of issue of debentures by a company is similar to that of the issue of shares. A Prospectus is issued, applications are invited, and letters of allotment are issued. On rejection of applications, application money is refunded. In case of partial allotment, excess application money may be adjusted towards subsequent calls.

Issue of Debenture takes various forms which are as under :

1. Debentures issued for cash
2. Debentures issued for consideration other than cash
3. Debentures issued as collateral security.

Further, debentures may be issued
(i) at par, (ii) at premium, and (iii) at discount

OVER SUBSCRIPTION

Company if receives applications for number of debentures that exceed the number of debentures offered for subscription, it is called over subscription. There can be following treatment of the excess application money received :

(a) The total amount of excess number of applications is refunded in case the applications are totally rejected.

(b) The amount of excess application money is totally adjusted towards amount due on allotment and calls
--- in case partial allotment is made,
--- the excess amount is adjusted towards sums due on allotment and rest of the amount is refunded.





ISSUE OF DEBENTURES AT PREMIUM AND AT DISCOUNT

Debentures are said to be issued at premium when these are issued at a value which is more than their nominal value. For example, a debenture of Rs 100 is issued at Rs 110. This excess amount of Rs 10 is the amount of premium. The premium on the issue of debentures is credited to the Securities Premium A/c as per section 78 of the Companies Act, 1956.


ISSUE OF DEBENTURES AT DISCOUNT


When debentures are issued at less than their nominal value they are said to be issued at discount. For example, debenture of Rs 100 each is issued at Rs 90 per debenture. Companies Act, 1956 has not laid down any conditions for the issue of debentures at a discount as have been laid down in case of issue of shares at discount. However, there should be provision for issue of such debentures in the Articles of Association of the Company.



ISSUE OF DEBENTURES FOR CONSIDERATION OTHER THAN CASH

When a company purchases some assets and issues debentures as a payment for the purchase, to the vendors it is known as issue of debentures for consideration other than cash. Debentures can be issued to vendors at par, at premium and at discount.

ISSUE OF DEBENTURES AS COLLATERAL SECURITY

Collateral security means security given in addition to the principal security. It is a subsidiary or secondary security. Whenever a company takes loan from bank or any financial institution it may issue its debentures as secondary security which is in addition to the principal security. Such an issue of debentures is known as ‘issue of debentures as collateral security’. The lender will have a right over such debentures only when company fails to pay the loan amount and the principal security is exhausted. In case the need to exercise this right does not arise debentures will be returned back to the company. No interest is paid on the debentures issued as collateral security because company pays interest on loan.

In the accounting books of the company issue of debentures as collateral security can be credited in two ways.

(i) No journal entry to be made in the books of accounts of the company :

Debentures are issued as collateral security. A note of this fact is given on the liability side of the balance sheet under the heading Secured Loans and Advances.

(ii) Entry to be made in the books of account the company

A journal entry is made on the issue of debentures as a collateral security, Debentures suspense A/c is debited because no cash is received for such issue.