Question & Answer

Hardly a day goes by without an article appearing on the crises affecting many of our financial institutions in the United States. It is estimated that the savings and loan (S&L) debacle of the 1980s, for example, ended up costing $500 billion ($2,000 for every man, woman, and child in the United States). Some argue that if the S&Ls had been required to report their investments at fair value instead of cost, large losses would have been reported earlier, which would have signaled regulators to close those S&Ls and, therefore, minimize the losses to U.S. taxpayers. Instructions Explain how reported accounting numbers might affect an individual’s perceptions and actions. Cite two examples.

Harriet, Herm, and Ronde formed an S corporation called Innovet. Harriet and Herm both contributed cash of $25,000 to get things started. Ronde was a bit short on cash but had a parcel of land valued at $60,000 (basis of $50,000) that he decided to contribute.  The land was encumbered by a $35,000 mortgage. What tax bases will each of the three have in their stock of Innovet?

Omar Morena has recently completed his first year of studying accounting. His instructor for next semester has indicated that the primary focus will be the area of financial accounting. Instructions (a) Differentiate between financial accounting and managerial accounting. (b) One part of financial accounting involves the preparation of financial statements. What are the financial statements most frequently provided? (c) What is the difference between financial statements and financial reporting?

How does aggregate planning differ from the master production scheduling?

Some accountants have said that politicization in the development and acceptance of generally accepted accounting principles (i.e., rule-making) is taking place. Some use the term “politicization” in a narrow sense to mean the influence by governmental agencies, particularly the Securities and Exchange Commission, on the development of generally accepted accounting principles. Others use it more broadly to mean the compromise that results when the bodies responsible for developing generally accepted accounting principles are pressured by interest groups (SEC, American Accounting Association, businesses through their various organizations, Institute of Management Accountants, financial analysts, bankers, lawyers, and so on). Instructions (a) The Committee on Accounting Procedure of the AICPA was established in the mid- to late 1930s and functioned until 1959, at which time the Accounting Principles Board came into existence. In 1973, the Financial Accounting Standards Board was formed and the APB went out of existence. Do the reasons these groups were formed, their methods of operation while in existence, and the reasons for the demise of the first two indicate an increasing politicization (as the term is used in the broad sense) of accounting standard-setting? Explain your answer by indicating how the CAP, the APB, and the FASB operated or operate. Cite specific developments that tend to support your answer. (b) What arguments can be raised to support the “politicization” of accounting rule-making? (c) What arguments can be raised against the “politicization” of accounting rule-making?

Wayne Rogers, an administrator at a major university, recently said, “I’ve got some CDs in my IRA, which I set up to beat the IRS.” As elsewhere, in the world of accounting and finance, it often helps to be fluent in abbreviations and acronyms. Instructions Presented below is a list of common accounting acronyms. Identify the term for which each acronym stands, and provide a brief definition of each term. (a) AICPA (e) FAF (i) CPA (b) CAP (f) FASAC (j) FASB (c) ARB (g) SOP (k) SEC (d) APB (h) GAAP (l) IASB

Presented below are three models for setting GAAP. 1. The purely political approach, where national legislative action decrees GAAP. 2. The private, professional approach, where GAAP is set and enforced by private professional actions only. 3. The public/private mixed approach, where GAAP is basically set by private-sector bodies that behave as though they were public agencies and whose standards to a great extent are enforced through governmental agencies. Instructions (a) Which of these three models best describes standard-setting in the United States? Comment on your answer. (b) Why do companies, financial analysts, labor unions, industry trade associations, and others take such an active interest in standard-setting? (c) Cite an example of a group other than the FASB that attempts to establish accounting standards. Speculate as to why another group might wish to set its own standards.

Explain how the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers (a large securities firm) reduced the liquidity of the commercial paper market. (LO1)

When the FASB issues new pronouncements, the implementation date is usually 12 months from date of issuance, with early implementation encouraged. Karen Weller, controller, discusses with her financial vice president the need for early implementation of a rule that would result in a fairer presentation of the company’s financial condition and earnings. When the financial vice president determines that early implementation of the rule will adversely affect the reported net income for the year, he discourages Weller from implementing the rule until it is required. Instructions Answer the following questions. (a) What, if any, is the ethical issue involved in this case? (b) Is the financial vice president acting improperly or immorally? (c) What does Weller have to gain by advocacy of early implementation? (d) Which stakeholders might be affected by the decision against early implementation?

Whittier Construction Co. had followed the practice of expensing all materials assigned to a construction job without recognizing any salvage inventory. On December 31, 2014, it was determined that salvage inventory should be valued at $52,000. Of this amount, $29,000 arose during the current year. How does this information affect the financial statements to be prepared at the end of 2014?

Hamderson Inc. reports the following pretax income (loss) for both financial reporting purposes and tax purposes. (Assume the carryback provision is used for a net operating loss.) Year Pretax Income (Loss) Tax Rate 2012 $120,000 34% 2013 90,000 34% 2014 (280,000) 38% 2015 220,000 38% The tax rates listed were all enacted by the beginning of 2012. Instructions (a) Prepare the journal entries for the years 2012–2015 to record income tax expense (benefit) and income taxes payable (refundable) and the tax effects of the loss carryback and carryforward, assuming that at the end of 2014 the benefits of the loss carryforward are judged more likely than not to be realized in the future. (b) Using the assumption in (a), prepare the income tax section of the 2014 income statement beginning with the line “Operating loss before income taxes.” (c) Prepare the journal entries for 2014 and 2015, assuming that based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that one-fourth of the benefits of the loss carryforward will not be realized. (d) Using the assumption in (c), prepare the income tax section of the 2014 income statement beginning with the line “Operating loss before income taxes.”

How could long-term monetary growth come about if the government persistently ran a public-sector surplus?

The following letter was sent to the SEC and the FASB by leaders of the business community. Dear Sirs: The FASB has been struggling with accounting for derivatives and hedging for many years. The FASB has now developed, over the last few weeks, a new approach that it proposes to adopt as a final standard. We understand that the Board intends to adopt this new approach as a final standard without exposing it for public comment and debate, despite the evident complexity of the new approach, the speed with which it has been developed and the significant changes to the exposure draft since it was released more than one year ago. Instead, the Board plans to allow only a brief review by selected parties, limited to issues of operationality and clarity, and would exclude questions as to the merits of the proposed approach. As the FASB itself has said throughout this process, its mission does not permit it to consider matters that go beyond accounting and reporting considerations. Accordingly, the FASB may not have adequately considered the wide range of concerns that have been expressed about the derivatives and hedging proposal, including concerns related to the potential impact on the capital markets, the weakening of companies’ ability to manage risk, and the adverse control implications of implementing costly and complex new rules imposed at the same time as other major initiatives, including the Year 2000 issues and a single European currency. We believe that these crucial issues must be considered, if not by the FASB, then by the Securities and Exchange Commission, other regulatory agencies, or Congress. We believe it is essential that the FASB solicit all comments in order to identify and address all material issues that may exist before issuing a final standard. We understand the desire to bring this process to a prompt conclusion, but the underlying issues are so important to this nation’s businesses, the customers they serve and the economy as a whole that expediency cannot be the dominant consideration. As a result, we urge the FASB to expose its new proposal for public comment, following the established due process procedures that are essential to acceptance of its standards, and providing sufficient time to affected parties to understand and assess the new approach. We also urge the SEC to study the comments received in order to assess the impact that these proposed rules may have on the capital markets, on companies’ risk management practices, and on management and financial controls. These vital public policy matters deserve consideration as part of the Commission’s oversight responsibilities. We believe that these steps are essential if the FASB is to produce the best possible accounting standard while minimizing adverse economic effects and maintaining the competitiveness of U.S. businesses in nthe international marketplace. Very truly yours, (This letter was signed by the chairs of 22 of the largest U.S. companies.) Instructions Answer the following questions. (a) Explain the “due process” procedures followed by the FASB in developing a financial reporting standard. (b) What is meant by the term “economic consequences” in accounting standard-setting? (c) What economic consequences arguments are used in this letter? (d) What do you believe is the main point of the letter? (e) Why do you believe a copy of this letter was sent by the business community to influential members of the U.S. Congress?

Presented below is abbreviated testimony from Troy Normand in the WorldCom case. He was a manager in the corporate reporting department and is one of five individuals who pleaded guilty. He is testifying in hopes of receiving no prison time when he is ultimately sentenced. Q. Mr. Normand, if you could just describe for the jury how the meeting started and what was said during the meeting? A. I can’t recall exactly who initiated the discussion, but right away Scott Sullivan acknowledged that he was aware we had problems with the entries, David Myers had informed him, and we were considering resigning. He said that he respected our concerns but that we weren’t being asked to do anything that he believed was wrong. He mentioned that he acknowledged that the company had lost focus quite a bit due to the preparations for the Sprint merger, and that he was putting plans in place and projects in place to try to determine where the problems were, why the costs were so high. He did say he believed that the initial statements that we produced, that the line costs in those statements could not have been as high as they were, that he believed something was wrong and there was no way that the costs were that high. I informed him that I didn’t believe the entry we were being asked to do was right, that I was scared, and I didn’t want to put myself in a position of going to jail for him or the company. He responded that he didn’t believe anything was wrong, nobody was going to be going to jail, but that if it later was found to be wrong, that he would be the person going to jail, not me. He asked that I stay, don’t jump off the plane, let him land it softly, that’s basically how he put it. And he mentioned that he had a discussion with Bernie Ebbers, asking Bernie to reduce projections going forward and that Bernie had refused. Q. Mr. Normand, you said that Mr. Sullivan said something about don’t jump out of the plane. What did you understand him to mean when he said that? A. Not to quit. Q. During this meeting, did Mr. Sullivan say anything about whether you would be asked to make entries like this in the future? A. Yes, he made a comment that from that point going forward we wouldn’t be asked to record any entries, high-level late adjustments, that the numbers would be the numbers. Q. What did you understand that to be mean, the numbers would be the numbers? A. That after the preliminary statements were issued, with the exception of any normal transaction, valid transaction, we wouldn’t be asked to be recording any more late entries. Q. I believe you testified that Mr. Sullivan said something about the line cost numbers not being accurate. Did he ask you to conduct any analysis to determine whether the line cost numbers were accurate? A. No, he did not. A. No. Q. Did you ever conduct any such analysis? A. No, I didn’t. Q. During this meeting, did Mr. Sullivan ever provide any accounting justification for the entry you were asked to make? A. No, he did not. Q. Did anything else happen during the meeting? A. I don’t recall anything else. Q. How did you feel after this meeting? A. Not much better actually. I left his office not convinced in any way that what we were asked to do was right. However, I did question myself to some degree after talking with him wondering whether I was making something more out of what was really there. Instructions Answer the following questions. (a) What appears to be the ethical issue involved in this case? (b) Is Troy Normand acting improperly or immorally?Q. Did anyone ever ask you to do that? (c) What would you do if you were Troy Normand? (d) Who are the major stakeholders in this case?

Explain how state and local governments benefit from the provisions that allow taxpayers to exclude interest on state and local bonds from their gross income.

The Fed focuses its control on the federal funds rate, yet indirectly influences many other types of interest rates. Explain. (LO2)

What is the benefit of a single set of high-quality accounting standards?

Under what circumstances would you expect the after-tax return from an investment in a capital asset to approach that of tax-exempt assets assuming equal before-tax rates of return?

Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington formed the Independence Partnership (a calendar-year-end entity) by contributing cash 10 years ago. Each partner owns an equal interest in the partnership and has an outside basis in their partnership interest of $104,000. On January 1 of the current year, Franklin sells their partnership interest to Adams for a cash payment of $122,000. The partnership has the following assets and no liabilities as of the sale date: Tax Basis Fair Market Value Cash $ 18,000 $ 18,000 Accounts receivable -0- 12,000 Inventory 69,000 81,000 Equipment 180,000 225,000 Stock investment 45,000 30,000    Totals $ 312,000 $ 366,000 The equipment was purchased for $240,000, and the partnership has taken $60,000 of depreciation. The stock was purchased seven years ago. a. What is Franklin’s overall gain or loss on the sale of their partnership interest? b. What is the character of Franklin’s gain or loss?

As a newly enrolled accounting major, you are anxious to better understand accounting institutions and sources of accounting literature. As a first step, you decide to explore the IASB’s Framework for the Preparation and Presentation of Financial Statements. Instructions Access the IASB Framework at the IASB website (http://eifrs.iasb.org/ ). (Click on the IFRS tab and then register for free eIFRS access if necessary.) When you have accessed the documents, you can use the search tool in your Internet browser to respond to the following items. (Provide paragraph citations.) (a) What is the objective of financial reporting? (b) What other means are there of communicating information, besides financial statements? (c) Indicate some of the users and the information they are most directly concerned with in economic decision-making.

Explain the distinction between a direct-financing lease and a sales-type lease for a lessor.

The financial statements of Marks and Spencer plc (M&S) are available at the book’s companion website or can be accessed at http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/_assets/downloads/Marks-and- Spencer-Annual-report-and-financial-statements-2012.pdf. Instructions Refer to M&S’s financial statements and the accompanying notes to answer the following questions. (a) What is the company’s main line of business? (b) In what countries does the company operate? (c) What is the address of the company’s corporate headquarters? (d) What is the company’s reporting currency?

Assume that bond market participants suddenly expect the Fed to substantially increase the money supply. (LO2) a. Assuming no threat of inflation, how would this expectation affect bond prices? b. Assuming that inflation may result, how would bond prices be affected? c. Given your answers to (a) and (b), explain why expectations of the Fed’s increase in the money supply may sometimes cause bond market participants to disagree about how bond prices will be affected.

If the bonds in Question 8 are classified as available-forsale and they have a fair value at December 31, 2014, of $3,604,000, prepare the journal entry (if any) at December 31, 2014, to record this transaction.

What interest rates should be used in determining the amount of interest to be capitalized? How should the amount of interest to be capitalized be determined?