Question & Answer

Can unincorporated legal business entities ever be treated as corporations for tax purposes? Can legal corporations ever be treated as flow-through entities for tax purposes? Explain.

Assessing reward systems You are a remuneration consultant employed by a listed company to assess the CEO’s reward plan. The board is concerned that the CEO is overpaid in absolute terms and also when compared to other CEOs of major corporations.   Required How might you determine whether or not the reward plan is appropriate? (LO2, 3 and 5)

Use the information presented in BE5-14 for Martinez Corporation to compute the net cash used (provided) by financing activities.

Sustainability; outsourcing; monitoring measures To reduce costs and focus on core competencies, many entities are increasingly outsourcing manufacturing activities to vendors in countries having low labour costs such as China, India, Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico. Certain activists claim that this practice is socially irresponsible. They claim that numerous factory problems in low-cost countries include excessive work hours, poverty wages, toxic gas releases and harassment of union organisers. The problems were exacerbated after the collapse of a garment factory in Bangladesh resulting in 1137 deaths and 2500 injuries. As a result, 41 people, including the building’s owner, were charged with murder or culpable homicide. Such conditions have prompted individuals and organisations to reconsider their purchasing habits and policies. However, some people argued that boycotts against certain companies cause more harm than good; workers who were already poor often lost their jobs, and unionisation efforts and other improvements were hindered.64 They suggest it is difficult for companies to adequately monitor working conditions at outsource locations. Workers were often afraid to talk to inspectors, and they sometimes provided inaccurate information. For example, they sometimes erroneously said that they were not paid overtime because they did not understand how their pay was calculated. In the Bangladesh case, it was found that the owner and managers of the garment factory had forced the workers to enterthe building on the day of the accident despite major cracks appearing on the building a day earlier.   Required (a)     Describe whether and how sustainability management practices (that is, business practices related to human rights, labour standards and the environment) affect your decisions as a consumer. (b)     Is it possible for you to know the conditions under which the products you purchase are produced? Why? (c)     Is it possible for managers of companies that retail the final products to know with certainty that their outsource partners comply with agreed-upon working conditions? Why? (d)     Would the inclusion of compliance monitoring costs in its purchasing decision process help? (e)     Identify and explain four measures that a company could use to monitor worker conditions in outsource factories. For each measure, describe how the company might collect reliable data. (f)      How should entities weigh corporate social responsibility and profits when deciding whether or how to outsource manufacturing? Describe the values you use in drawing your conclusions. (LO5)

Fosbre Corporation’s April 30 inventory was destroyed by fire. January 1 inventory was $150,000, and purchases for January through April totaled $500,000. Sales revenue for the same period were $700,000. Fosbre’s normal gross profit percentage is 35% on sales. Using the gross profit method, estimate Fosbre’s April 30 inventory that was destroyed by fire.

Presented below is information related to Cramer, Inc. Instructions Comment on the appropriateness of the accounting procedures followed by Cramer, Inc. (a) Depreciation expense on the building for the year was $60,000. Because the building was increasing in value during the year, the controller decided to charge the depreciation expense to retained earnings instead of to net income. The following entry is recorded. Retained Earnings 60,000 Accumulated Depreciation—Buildings 60,000 (b) Materials were purchased on January 1, 2014, for $120,000 and this amount was entered in the Materials account. On December 31, 2014, the materials would have cost $141,000, so the following entry is made. Inventory 21,000 Gain on Inventories 21,000 (c) During the year, the company purchased equipment through the issuance of common stock. The stock had a par value of $135,000 and a fair value of $450,000. The fair value of the equipment was not easily determinable. The company recorded this transaction as follows. Equipment 135,000 Common Stock 135,000 (d) During the year, the company sold certain equipment for $285,000, recognizing a gain of $69,000. Because the controller believed that new equipment would be needed in the near future, she decided to defer the gain and amortize it over the life of any new equipment purchased. (e) An order for $61,500 has been received from a customer for products on hand. This order was shipped on January 9, 2015. The company made the following entry in 2014. Accounts Receivable 61,500 Sales Revenue 61,500

Flexible budget and variances Black Industries has a static budget based on production and sales of 24 000 units. Sales revenue is expected to be $96 000, variable costs $36 000 and fixed costs $32 000. Actual production and sales were 30 000 units with a profit of $50 000.   Required (a) Calculate the amount of profit in the flexible budget. (b) Calculate the overall variance between the flexible budget and actual results.

Who regulates credit unions? What are the regulators’ powers? Where do CUs obtain deposit insurance? (LO7)

Explain why hedge funds may be able to achieve higher returns for their investors than mutual funds do. Explain why hedge funds and mutual funds may have different risks. When the market is overvalued, why might hedge funds be better able to capitalize on the excessive market optimism than mutual funds can? (LO1, LO4)

Presented below are a number of balance sheet accounts of Deep Blue Something, Inc. (a) Investment in Preferred Stock. (h) Interest Payable. (b) Treasury Stock. (i) Deficit. (c) Common Stock. (j) Equity Investments (trading). (d) Dividends Payable. (k) Income Taxes Payable. (e) Accumulated Depreciation—Equipment. (l) Unearned Subscriptions Revenue. (f) Construction in Process. (m) Work in Process. (g) Petty Cash. (n) Salaries and Wages Payable. Instructions For each of the accounts above, indicate the proper balance sheet classification. In the case of borderline items, indicate the additional information that would be required to determine the proper classification.

Summarise the relative benefits to consumers of (a) privatising a nationalised industry; (b) keeping it in the public sector but introducing competition.

Assume that Fielder Enterprises uses the following headings on its balance sheet. (a) Current assets. (f) Current liabilities. (b) Investments. (g) Long-term liabilities. (c) Property, plant, and equipment. (h) Capital stock. (d) Intangible assets. (i) Paid-in capital in excess of par. (e) Other assets. (j) Retained earnings. Instructions Indicate by letter how each of the following usually should be classified. If an item should appear in a note to the financial statements, use the letter “N” to indicate this fact. If an item need not be reported at all on the balance sheet, use the letter “X.” 1. Prepaid insurance. 2. Stock owned in affiliated companies. 3. Unearned service revenue. 4. Advances to suppliers. 5. Unearned rent revenue. 6. Preferred stock. 7. Additional paid-in capital on preferred stock. 8. Copyrights. 9. Petty cash fund. 10. Sales taxes payable. 11. Accrued interest on notes receivable. 12. Twenty-year issue of bonds payable that will mature within the next year. (No sinking fund exists, and refunding is not planned.) 13. Machinery retired from use and held for sale. 14. Fully depreciated machine still in use. 15. Accrued interest on bonds payable. 16. Salaries that company budget shows will be paid to employees within the next year. 17. Discount on bonds payable. (Assume related to bonds payable in item 12.) 18. Accumulated depreciation—buildings. 19. Noncontrolling interest.

Equity mutual funds and private equity funds generate returns for their investors in different ways. Which type of fund do you think would be better able to capitalize on a weak, publicly traded firm that has ignored all forms of shareholder activism? (LO1, LO5)

In a chemical blanking operation, stock thickness of the aluminum sheet is 0.015 in. The pattern to be cut out of the sheet is a hole pattern, consisting of a matrix of 0.100 in diameter holes. If photochemical machining is used to cut these holes, and contact printing is used to make the resist (maskant) pattern, determine the diameter of the holes that should be used in the pattern.

Hendrickson Corporation reported net income of $50,000 in 2014. Depreciation expense was $17,000. The following working capital accounts changed. Accounts receivable $11,000 increase Available-for-sale securities 16,000 increase Inventory 7,400 increase Nontrade note payable 15,000 decrease Accounts payable 12,300 increase Compute net cash provided by operating activities.

The following are Sullivan Corp.’s comparative balance sheet accounts at December 31, 2014 and 2013, with a column showing the increase (decrease) from 2013 to 2014. COMPARATIVE BALANCE SHEETS Increase 2014 2013 (Decrease) Cash $ 815,000 $ 700,000 $115,000 Accounts receivable 1,128,000 1,168,000 (40,000) Inventory 1,850,000 1,715,000 135,000 Property, plant, and equipment 3,307,000 2,967,000 340,000 Accumulated depreciation (1,165,000) (1,040,000) (125,000) Investment in Myers Co. 310,000 275,000 35,000 Loan receivable 250,000 — 250,000 Total assets $6,495,000 $5,785,000 $710,000 Accounts payable $1,015,000 $ 955,000 $ 60,000 Income taxes payable 30,000 50,000 (20,000) Dividends payable 80,000 100,000 (20,000) Lease liability 400,000 — 400,000 Common stock, $1 par 500,000 500,000 — Paid-in capital in excess of par—common stock 1,500,000 1,500,000 — Retained earnings 2,970,000 2,680,000 290,000 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $6,495,000 $5,785,000 $710,000 Additional information: 1. On December 31, 2013, Sullivan acquired 25% of Myers Co.’s common stock for $275,000. On that date, the carrying value of Myers’s assets and liabilities, which approximated their fair values, was $1,100,000. Myers reported income of $140,000 for the year ended December 31, 2014. No dividend was paid on Myers’s common stock during the year. 2. During 2014, Sullivan loaned $300,000 to TLC Co., an unrelated company. TLC made the first semiannual principal repayment of $50,000, plus interest at 10%, on December 31, 2014. 3. On January 2, 2014, Sullivan sold equipment costing $60,000, with a carrying amount of $38,000, for $40,000 cash. 4. On December 31, 2014, Sullivan entered into a capital lease for an office building. The present value of the annual rental payments is $400,000, which equals the fair value of the building. Sullivan made the first rental payment of $60,000 when due on January 2, 2015. 5. Net income for 2014 was $370,000. 6. Sullivan declared and paid the following cash dividends for 2014 and 2013. 2014 2013 Declared December 15, 2014 December 15, 2013 Paid February 28, 2015 February 28, 2014 Amount $80,000 $100,000 Instructions Prepare a statement of cash flows for Sullivan Corp. for the year ended December 31, 2014, using the indirect method.

The following expenditures and receipts are related to land, land improvements, and buildings acquired for use in a business enterprise. The receipts are enclosed in parentheses. (a) Money borrowed to pay building contractor (signed a note) $(275,000) (b) Payment for construction from note proceeds 275,000 (c) Cost of land fill and clearing 8,000 (d) Delinquent real estate taxes on property assumed by purchaser 7,000 (e) Premium on 6-month insurance policy during construction 6,000 (f) Refund of 1-month insurance premium because construction completed early (1,000) (g) Architect’s fee on building 22,000 (h) Cost of real estate purchased as a plant site (land $200,000 and building $50,000) 250,000 (i) Commission fee paid to real estate agency 9,000 (j) Installation of fences around property 4,000 (k) Cost of razing and removing building 11,000 (l) Proceeds from salvage of demolished building (5,000) (m) Interest paid during construction on money borrowed for construction 13,000 (n) Cost of parking lots and driveways 19,000 (o) Cost of trees and shrubbery planted (permanent in nature) 14,000 (p) Excavation costs for new building 3,000 Instructions Identify each item by letter and list the items in columnar form, using the headings shown below. All receipt amounts should be reported in parentheses. For any amounts entered in the Other Accounts column, also indicate the account title.

Assume that Denis Savard Inc. has the following accounts at the end of the current year. 1. Common Stock. 2. Discount on Bonds Payable. 3. Treasury Stock (at cost). 4. Notes Payable (short-term). 5. Raw Materials. 6. Preferred Stock Investments (long-term). 7. Unearned Rent Revenue. 8. Work in Process. 9. Copyrights. 10. Buildings. 11. Notes Receivable (short-term). 12. Cash. 13. Salaries and Wages Payable. 14. Accumulated Depreciation—Buildings. 15. Restricted Cash for Plant Expansion. 16. Land Held for Future Plant Site. 17. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. 18. Retained Earnings. 19. Paid-in Capital in Excess of Par—Common Stock. 20. Unearned Subscriptions Revenue. 21. Receivables—Officers (due in one year). 22. Inventory (finished goods). 23. Accounts Receivable. 24. Bonds Payable (due in 4 years). 25. Noncontrolling Interest. nstructions Prepare a classified balance sheet in good form. (No monetary amounts are necessary.)

Horton Corporation is preparing a bank reconciliation and has identified the following potential reconciling items. For each item, indicate if it is (1) added to balance per bank statement, (2) deducted from balance per bank statement, (3) added to balance per books, or (4) deducted from balance per books. (a) Deposit in transit $5,500. (d) Outstanding checks $7,422. (b) Bank service charges $25. (e) NSF check returned $377. (c) Interest credited to Horton’s account $31.

Actions to mitigate risk Ben, an employee of Joseph’s, appears to be extremely enthusiastic about his back-office accounting role. He has been with Joseph’s company for about four years and has performed well in his position. Ben is very keen to progress in the company and Joseph has recently decided to offer him a posting at a small international operation in Asia. While the role is to remain in the back office, the position will not require efforts on a full-time basis. Instead, Joseph decides to provide Ben with an opportunity to manage the currently vacant front-office trading role. While the operation is small and Ben has limited trading skills, Joseph is sure Ben will be able to manage both roles and hopefully learn about, and at the same time develop, the trading arm of this international operation. Joseph decides to award Ben an uncapped bonus on profits earned for the group on top of his negotiated annual base salary.   Required Prepare a report advising Joseph on the risk management ramifications of his decisions. What actions should Joseph take to mitigate any perceived risk? (LO6)

Describe the purpose of a pension plan’s vesting schedule and explain how it works. (LO3)

Which factors influence the shape of the yield curve? Describe how financial market participants use the yield curve. (LO3)

1.       : What is an organization’s workflow technology? How do an organization’s strategy and workflow technology influence the type of structure that will be most effective?

What is the definition of control for purposes of §351?  Why does Congress require the shareholders to control a corporation to receive tax deferral?

If an industry regulator adopts an RPI – X formula for price regulation, is it desirable that the value of X should be adjusted as soon as cost conditions change?