Accounting 26th Edition by Carl Warren ,Jim Reeve ,Jonathan Duchac

Exercise 47

LIFO and inventory flow
The following is an excerpt from a conversation between Paula Marlo, the warehouse manager for Musick Foods Wholesale Co., and its accountant, Mike Hayes. Musick Foods operates a large regional warehouse that supplies produce and other grocery products to grocery stores in smaller communities.
Paula: Mike, can you explain what's going on here with these monthly statements
Mike: Sure, Paula. How can I help you
Paula: I don't understand this last-in, first-out inventory procedure. It just doesn't make sense.
Mike: Well, what it means is that we assume that the last goods we receive are the first ones sold. So the inventory consists of the items we purchased first.
Paula: Yes, but that's my problem. It doesn't work that way! We always distribute the oldest produce first. Some of that produce is perishable! We can't keep any of it very long or it'll spoil.
Mike: Paula, you don't understand. We only assume that the products we distribute are the last ones received. We don't actually have to distribute the goods in this way.
Paula: I always thought that accounting was supposed to show what really happened. It all sounds like "make believe" to me! Why not report what really happens
Respond to Paula's concerns.