Exam 20: Accounting Changes and Error Corrections

Describe the way we account for a change in estimate. What is the appropriate accounting if we are unable to determine whether a change is a change in estimate or a change in principle?

Buckeye Company purchased a machine on January 1, 2011. The machine had a cost of $260,000 with a $10,000 residual value. The estimated useful life of the machine was eight years. On January 1, 2013, due to technological innovations, the estimated useful life was reduced by two years from the original life and the residual value was reduced by 50%. The company uses straight-line depreciation. Required: Prepare the journal entry to record the annual depreciation on December 31, 2013.

Describe in detail the way companies report most voluntary changes in accounting principle.

Washburn Co. spent $10 million to purchase a new patented technology, debiting an intangible asset and crediting cash. Washburn uses SYD depreciation on its depreciable assets and plans to amortize the intangible asset on a straight-line basis.

A company failed to record unrealized gains of $20 million on its available for sale security investments. Its tax rate is 30%. As a result of this error, comprehensive income would be:

A company switched from the cash basis to the accrual basis for recognizing warranty expense. The unrecorded liability for warranties was $2 million at the beginning of the year. Its tax rate is 30%. The company booked a year-end warranty liability of $3 million. As a result of this change, the firm would:

JFS Co. changed from straight-line to DDB depreciation. The journal entry to record the change includes:

Which of the following is a change in estimate?

Johnson Company receives royalties on a patent it developed several years ago. Royalties are 5% of net sales, receivable on September 30 for sales from January through June and receivable on March 31 for sales from July through December. The patent rights were distributed on July 1, 2012, and Johnson accrued royalty revenue of $50,000 on December 31, 2012, as follows: Johnson received royalties of $65,000 on March 31, 2013, and $90,000 on September 30, 2013. The patent user indicated to Johnson that sales subject to royalties for the second half of 2013 should be $600,000. Required: Prepare any journal entries Johnson should record during 2013 related to the royalty revenue.

If inventory is understated at the end of 2012 and the error is not discovered, how will net income be affected in 2013?

Indicate the nature of each of the situations described below using the following three-letter code. CODE DESCRIPTION CPR: Change in principle reported retrospectively CPP: Change in principle reported prospectively CES: Change in estimate CRE: Change in reporting entity PPA: Prior period adjustment required ____ Change from FIFO inventory costing to LIFO inventory costing. ____ Change from LIFO inventory costing to FIFO inventory costing. ____ Change in the composition of a group of firms reporting on a consolidated basis. ____ Change to the installment method of accounting for receivables. ____ Change in actuarial assumptions for a defined benefit pension plan. ____ Change from sum-of-the-years' digits depreciation to straight-line. ____ Change from expensing extraordinary repairs erroneously recorded as an expense to capitalizing the expenditures. ____ Change in the percentage used to determine warranty expense. ____ Change from reporting postretirement benefits according to the provisions of U.S. GAAP. ____ Change in the residual value of machinery.

Which of the following would not be accounted for using the retrospective approach?

Mobic Inc. acquired some manufacturing equipment in January 2010 for $400,000 and depreciated it $40,000 each year for three years on a straight-line basis. During 2013, the manufacturer announced a new technology for this type of equipment that will make the old models obsolete by the end of 2016. As a result, Mobic will plan to replace the equipment at that time, effectively reducing the asset's life from ten to seven years. In its financial statements for 2013, Mobic should:

Blue Co. has a patent on a communication process. The company has amortized the patent on a straight-line basis since 2009, when it was acquired at a cost of $36 million at the beginning of that year. Due to rapid technological advances in the industry, management decided that the patent would benefit the company over a total of six years rather than the nine-year life being used to amortize its cost. The decision was made at the end of 2013 (before adjusting and closing entries). What is the appropriate patent amortization expense in 2013?

If a change is made from straight-line to SYD depreciation, one should record the effects by a journal entry including:

A company changes depreciation methods. Briefly describe the steps the company should take to report this accounting change in its current comparative financial statements.

What is the effect of the error on Berkshire's 12/31/2013 balance sheet?

Moonland Company's income statement contained the following errors: Ending inventory, December 31, 2013, understated by $6,000 Depreciation expense for 2013 overstated by $1,000 What is the effect of the errors on 2013 net income before taxes?

A company failed to report the $600,000 additional liability for its underfunded pension plan. Its tax rate is 30%. As result of this error, retained earnings would be:

During 2013, Hoffman Co. decides to use FIFO to account for its inventory transactions. Previously, it had used LIFO.