Chapter 13 essays
Define (a) a contingency and (b) a contingent liability.
(a) A contingency is defined as an existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty as to possible gain (gain contingency) or loss (loss contingency) to an enterprise that will ultimately be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. (b) A contingent liability is a liability incurred as a result of a loss contingency.
When should liabilities for each of the following items be recorded on the books of an ordinary business corporation? (a) Acquisition of goods by purchase on credit. (b) Officers' salaries. (c) Special bonus to employees. (d) Dividends. (e) Purchase commitments.
(a) A liability for goods purchased on credit should be recorded when control passes to the purchaser. If the terms of purchase are f.o.b. destination, title passes when the goods purchased arrive; if f.o.b. shipping point, title passes when shipment is made by the vendor. (b) Officers' salaries should be recorded when they become due at the end of a pay period. Accrual of unpaid amounts should be recorded in preparing financial statements dated other than at the end of a pay period. (c) A special bonus to employees should be recorded when approved by the board of directors or person having authority to approve, if the bonus is for a period of time and that period has ended at the date of approval. If the period for which the bonus is applicable has not ended but only a part of it has expired, it would be appropriate to accrue a pro rata portion of the bonus at the time of approval and make additional accruals of pro rata amounts at the end of each pay period. (d) Dividends should be recorded when they have been declared by the board of directors. (e) Usually it is neither necessary nor proper for the buyer to make any entries to reflect commitments for purchases of goods that have not been shipped by the seller. Ordinary orders, for which the prices are determined at the time of shipment and subject to cancellation by the buyer or seller, do not represent either an asset or a liability to the buyer and need not be reflected in the books or in the financial statements. However, an accrued loss on purchase commitments which results from formal purchase contracts for which a firm price is in excess of the market price at the date of the balance sheet would be shown in the liability section of the balance sheet.
Under what conditions should a contingent liability be recorded?
A contingent liability should be recorded and a charge accrued to expense only if: (a) information available prior to the issuance of the financial statements indicates that it is probable that a liability has been incurred at the date of the financial statements, and (b) the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.
Distinguish between a determinable current liability and a contingent liability. Give two examples of each type.
A determinable current liability is susceptible to precise measurement because the date of payment, the payee, and the amount of cash needed to discharge the obligation are reasonably certain. There is nothing uncertain about (1) the fact that the obligation has been incurred and (2) the amount of the obligation. A contingent liability is an obligation that is dependent upon the occurrence or nonoccurrence of one or more future events to confirm the amount payable, the payee, the date payable, or its existence. It is a liability dependent upon a "loss contingency." Current liabilities—accounts payable, notes payable, current maturities of long-term debt, dividends payable, returnable deposits, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, and accrued expenses. Contingent liabilities—obligations related to product warranties and product defects, premiums offered to customers, certain pending or threatened litigation, certain actual and possible claims and assessments, and certain guarantees of indebtedness of others.
What is the nature of a "discount" on notes payable?
A discount on notes payable represents the difference between the present value and the face value of the note, the face value being greater in amount than the discounted amount. It should be treated as an offset (contra) to the face value of the note and amortized to interest expense over the life of the note. The discount represents interest expense chargeable to future periods.
When must a company recognize an asset retirement obligation?
An asset retirement obligation must be recognized when a company has an existing legal obligation associated with the retirement of a long-lived asset and when the amount can be reasonably estimated.
Explain the accounting for an assurance-type warranty.
Companies do not record a separate performance obligation for assurance-type warranties. This type of warranty is nothing more than a quality guarantee that the good or service is free from defects at the point of sale. These types of obligations should be expensed in the period the goods are provided or services performed (in other words, at the point of sale). In addition, the company should record a warranty liability. The estimated amount of the liability includes all the costs that the company will incur after sale due to the correction of defects or deficiencies required under the warranty provisions.
Explain the accounting for a service-type warranty.
Companies record a service-type warranty as a separate performance obligation. For example, in the case of the television, the seller recognizes the sale of the television with the assurance-type warranty separately from the sale of the service-type warranty. The sale of the service-type warranty is usually recorded in an Unearned Warranty Revenue account. Companies then recognize revenue on a straight-line basis over the period the service-type warranty is in effect. Companies only defer and amortize costs that vary with and are directly related to the sale of the contracts (mainly commissions). Companies expense employees' salaries and wages, advertising, and general and administrative expenses because these costs occur even if the company did not sell the service-type warranty.
How are current liabilities related by definition to current assets? How are current liabilities related to a company's operating cycle?
Current liabilities are obligations whose liquidation is reasonably expected to require the use of existing resources properly classified as current assets, or the creation of other current liabilities. Because current liabilities are by definition tied to current assets and current assets by definition are tied to the operating cycle, liabilities are related to the operating cycle.
Distinguish between a current liability and a long-term debt.
Current liabilities are obligations whose liquidation is reasonably expected to require use of existing resources properly classified as current assets, or the creation of other current liabilities. Long-term debt consists of all liabilities not properly classified as current liabilities.
How is present value related to the concept of a liability?
Payables and receivables generally involve an interest element. Recognition of the interest element (the cost of money as a factor of time and risk) results in valuing future payments at their current value. The present value of a liability represents the debt exclusive of the interest factor.
During 2017, Salt-n-Pepa Inc. became involved in a tax dispute with the IRS. Salt-n-Pepa's attorneys have indicated that they believe it is probable that Salt-n-Pepa will lose this dispute. They also believe that Salt-n-Pepa will have to pay the IRS between $900,000 and $1,400,000. After the 2017 financial statements were issued, the case was settled with the IRS for $1,200,000. What amount, if any, should be reported as a liability for this contingency as of December 31, 2017?
The FASB requires that, when some amount within the range of expected loss appears at the time to be a better estimate than any other amount within the range, that amount is accrued. When no amount within the range is a better estimate than any other amount, the dollar amount at the low end of the range is accrued and the dollar amount at the high end of the range is disclosed. In this case, therefore, Salt-n-Pepa Inc. would report a liability of $900,000 at December 31, 2017.
On October 1, 2017, Alan Jackson Chemical was identified as a potentially responsible party by the Environmental Protection Agency. Jackson's management along with its counsel have concluded that it is probable that Jackson will be responsible for damages, and a reasonable estimate of these damages is $5,000,000. Jackson's insurance policy of $9,000,000 has a deductible clause of $500,000. How should Alan Jackson Chemical report this information in its financial statements at December 31, 2017?
The loss should be accrued for $5,000,000. The potential insurance recovery is a gain contingency—it is not recorded until received.
Melissa Etheridge Inc. had a manufacturing plant in Sudan, which was destroyed in the civil war. It is not certain who will compensate Etheridge for this destruction, but Etheridge has been assured by governmental officials that it will receive a definite amount for this plant. The amount of the compensation will be less than the fair value of the plant, but more than its book value. How should the contingency be reported in the financial statements of Etheridge Inc.?
This is a gain contingency because the amount to be received will be in excess of the book value of the plant. Gain contingencies are not recorded and are disclosed only when the probabilities are high that a gain contingency will become reality.
How does unearned revenue arise? Why can it be classified properly as a current liability? Give several examples of business activities that result in unearned revenues.
Unearned revenue arises when a company receives cash or other assets as payment from a customer before conveying (or even producing) the goods or performing the services which it has committed to the customer. Unearned revenue is assumed to represent the obligation to the customer to refund the assets received in the case of nonperformance or to perform according to the agreement and thus earn the unrestricted right to the assets received. While there may be an element of unrealized profit included among the liabilities when unearned revenues are classified as such, it is ignored on the grounds that the amount of unrealized profit is uncertain and usually not material relative to the total obligation. Unearned revenues arise from the following activities: (1) The sale by a transportation company of tickets or tokens that may be exchanged or used to pay for future fares. (2) The sale by a restaurant of meal tickets that may be exchanged or used to pay for future meals. (3) The sale of gift certificates by a retail store. (4) The sale of season tickets to sports or entertainment events. (5) The sale of subscriptions to magazines.
