Question & Answer

Explain how accountants and managers decide which cost variances to monitor.

1. We defined the factor of production ‘land’ to include raw materials. Does the analysis of rent that we have just been looking at apply to raw materials? 2. The supply of land in a particular area may be totally inelastic, but the supply of land in that area for a specific purpose (e.g. growing wheat) will be upward sloping: the higher the price of wheat and thus the higher the rent that wheat producers are prepared to pay, the more will be made available for wheat production. Using the concept of transfer earnings, what will determine the elasticity of supply of land for any particular purpose?

At December 31, 2014, Coburn Corp. has assets of $10,000,000, liabilities of $6,000,000, common stock of $2,000,000 (representing 2,000,000 shares of $1 par common stock), and retained earnings of $2,000,000. Net sales for the year 2014 were $18,000,000, and net income was $800,000. As auditors of this company, you are making a review of subsequent events on February 13, 2015, and you find the following. 1. On February 3, 2015, one of Coburn’s customers declared bankruptcy. At December 31, 2014, this company owed Coburn $300,000, of which $60,000 was paid in January 2015. 2. On January 18, 2015, one of the three major plants of the client burned. 3. On January 23, 2015, a strike was called at one of Coburn’s largest plants, which halted 30% of its production. As of today (February 13), the strike has not been settled. 4. A major electronics enterprise has introduced a line of products that would compete directly with Coburn’s primary line, now being produced in a specially designed new plant. Because of manufacturing innovations, the competitor has been able to achieve quality similar to that of Coburn’s products but at a price 50% lower. Coburn officials say they will meet the lower prices, which are high enough to cover variable manufacturing and selling costs but which permit recovery of only a portion of fixed costs. 5. Merchandise traded in the open market is recorded in the company’s records at $1.40 per unit on December 31, 2014. This price had prevailed for 2 weeks, after release of an official market report that predicted vastly enlarged supplies; however, no purchases were made at $1.40. The price throughout the preceding year had been about $2, which was the level experienced over several years. On January 18, 2015, the price returned to $2, after public disclosure of an error in the official calculations of the prior December, correction of which destroyed the expectations of excessive supplies. Inventory at December 31, 2015, was on a lower-of-cost-or-market basis. 6. On February 1, 2015, the board of directors adopted a resolution accepting the offer of an investment banker to guarantee the marketing of $1,200,000 of preferred stock. Instructions State in each case how the 2014 financial statements would be affected, if at all.

Describe the circumstances in which an individual taxpayer with a net §1231 gain will have different portions of the gain taxed at different rates.

Assume that in a household one parent currently works full time and the other stays at home to look after the family. How would you set about identifying and calculating the opportunity costs of the second parent now taking a full-time job? How would such calculations be relevant in deciding whether it is worth taking that job?

Using the facts from Problem 49, what will happen to the government’s tax revenues if Song chooses to spend more time pursuing her other passions besides work in response to the tax rate change and therefore earns only $75,000 in taxable income?  What is the term that describes this type of reaction to a tax rate increase?  What types of taxpayers are likely to respond in this manner?

What are the criteria by which machinability is commonly assessed in a production machining operation?

Jessica’s friend Zachary once stated that he couldn’t understand why someone would take a tax course.  Why is this a rather naïve view?

In addition to surface cleaning, what is the main function performed by shot peening?

What are some aspects of business that require knowledge of taxation?  What are some aspects of personal finance that require knowledge of taxation?

Describe some ways in which taxes affect the political process in the United States.

Courtney recently received a speeding ticket on her way to the university.  Her fine was $200.  Is this considered a tax?  Why or why not?

Marlon and Latoya recently started building a house.  They had to pay $300 to the county government for a building permit.  Is the $300 payment a tax?  Why or why not?

To help pay for the city’s new stadium, the city of Birmingham recently enacted a 1 percent surcharge on hotel rooms. Is this a tax?  Why or why not?

As noted in Example 1-2, tolls, parking meter fees, and annual licensing fees are not considered taxes.  Can you identify other fees that are similar?

What is the difference between a sales tax and a use tax?

If the general objective of our tax system is to raise revenue, why does the income tax allow deductions for charitable contributions and retirement plan contributions?

One common argument for imposing so-called sin taxes is the social goal of reducing demand for such products.  Using cigarettes as an example, is there a segment of the population that might be sensitive to price and for whom high taxes might discourage purchases?

Dontae stated that he didn’t want to earn any more money because it would “put him in a higher tax bracket.”  What is wrong with Dontae’s reasoning?

Describe the three different tax rates discussed in the chapter and how taxpayers might use them.

Which is a more appropriate tax rate to use to compare taxpayers’ tax burdens – the average or the effective tax rate?  Why?

Arnold and Lilly have recently had a heated discussion about whether a sales tax is a proportional tax or a regressive tax.  Arnoldargues that a sales tax is regressive.  Lillycounters that the sales tax is a flat tax.  Who is correct?

Which is the largest tax collected by the U.S. government?  What types of taxpayers are subject to this tax?

What is the tax base for the Social Security and Medicare taxes for an employee or employer?  What is the tax base for Social Security and Medicare taxes for a self-employed individual?  Is the self-employment tax in addition to or in lieu of federal income tax?

What is the distinguishing feature of an excise tax?