Question & Answer

Volunteer Corporation reported taxable income of $500,000 from operations this year. The company paid federal income taxes of $105,000 on this taxable income.  During the year, the company made a distribution of land to its sole shareholder, Rocky. The land’s fair market value was $75,000 and its tax and E&P basis to Volunteer was $25,000. Rocky assumed a mortgage attached to the land of $15,000. Volunteer had accumulated E&P of $750,000 at the beginning of the year.

If Ollie were to consume more and more crisps, would his total utility ever (a) fall to zero; (b) become negative? Explain.

What are the tax advantages and disadvantages of converting a C corporation into an LLC taxed as a partnership?

War tends to cause significant reactions in financial markets. Why might a war in the Middle East place upward pressure on U.S. interest rates? Why might some investors expect a war like this to place downward pressure on U.S. interest rates? (LO2)

1.15     Relevant information Suppose you are responsible for ordering a replacement for your office photocopy machine. Part of your job is to decide whether to buy it or lease it.   Required (a)          Describe something that could be considered relevant information in this decision and explain why it is relevant. (b)          Describe something that could be considered irrelevant information in this decision and explain why it is irrelevant. (c)           Explain why it was important to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information in this problem.

The following facts relate to Duncan Corporation. 1. Deferred tax liability, January 1, 2014, $60,000. 2. Deferred tax asset, January 1, 2014, $20,000. 3. Taxable income for 2014, $105,000. 4. Cumulative temporary difference at December 31, 2014, giving rise to future taxable amounts, $230,000. 5. Cumulative temporary difference at December 31, 2014, giving rise to future deductible amounts, $95,000. 6. Tax rate for all years, 40%. No permanent differences exist. 7. The company is expected to operate profitably in the future. Instructions (a) Compute the amount of pretax financial income for 2014. (b) Prepare the journal entry to record income tax expense, deferred income taxes, and income taxes payable for 2014. (c) Prepare the income tax expense section of the income statement for 2014, beginning with the line “Income before income taxes.” (d) Compute the effective tax rate for 2014.

Connie Chung Corporation adopted the dollar-value LIFO retail inventory method on January 1, 2013. At that time the inventory had a cost of $54,000 and a retail price of $100,000. The following information is available.8 Year-End Inventory at Retail Current Year Cost—Retail % Year-End Price Index 2013 $118,720 57% 106 2014 138,750 60% 111 2015 125,350 61% 115 2016 162,500 58% 125 The price index at January 1, 2013, is 100. Instructions Compute the ending inventory at December 31 of the years 2013–2016. (Round to the nearest dollar.)

On April 1, 2014, Dougherty Inc. entered into a costplus- fixed-fee contract to construct an electric generator for Altom Corporation. At the contract date, Dougherty estimated that it would take 2 years to complete the project at a cost of $2,000,000. The fixed fee stipulated in the contract is $450,000. Dougherty appropriately accounts for this contract under the percentage-of-completion method. During 2014, Dougherty incurred costs of $800,000 related to the project. The estimated cost at December 31, 2014, to complete the contract is $1,200,000. Altom was billed $600,000 under the contract. Instructions Prepare a schedule to compute the amount of gross profit to be recognized by Dougherty under the contract for the year ended December 31, 2014. Show supporting computations in good form.

The records for the Clothing Department of Sharapova’s Discount Store are summarized below for the month of January. Inventory, January 1: at retail $25,000; at cost $17,000 Purchases in January: at retail $137,000; at cost $82,500 Freight-in: $7,000 Purchase returns: at retail $3,000; at cost $2,300 Transfers in from suburban branch: at retail $13,000; at cost $9,200 Net markups: $8,000 Net markdowns: $4,000 Inventory losses due to normal breakage, etc.: at retail $400 Sales revenue at retail: $95,000 Sales returns: $2,400 Instructions (a) Compute the inventory for this department as of January 31, at retail prices. (b) Compute the ending inventory using lower-of-average-cost-or-market.

Under what conditions is it appropriate for a business to use the composite method of depreciation for its plant assets? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this method?

Do the following events represent business transactions? Explain your answer in each case. (a) A computer is purchased on account. (b) A customer returns merchandise and is given credit on account. (c) A prospective employee is interviewed. (d) The owner of the business withdraws cash from the business for personal use. (e) Merchandise is ordered for delivery next month.

1.      Vote in support of Hank Schmidt’s decision to hold each individual member accountable for the entire project. The professor clearly stated his policy at the beginning of the semester, and the students should have been more vigilant. The committee should not undercut a professor’s explicit policy.

Nicole is a calendar-year taxpayer who accounts for her business using the cash method. On average, Nicole sends out bills for about $12,000 of her services at the first of each month. The bills are due by the end of the month, and typically 70 percent of the bills are paid on time and 98 percent are paid within 60 days.

King Company is contemplating the purchase of a smaller company, which is a distributor of King’s products. Top management of King is convinced that the acquisition will result in significant synergies in its selling and distribution functions. The financial management group (of which you are a part) has been asked to prepare some analysis of the effects of the acquisition on the combined company’s financial statements. This is the first acquisition for King, and some of the senior staff insist that based on their recollection of goodwill accounting, any goodwill recorded on the acquisition will result in a “drag” on future earnings for goodwill amortization. Other younger members on the staff argue that goodwill accounting has changed. Your supervisor asks you to research this issue. Instructions If your school has a subscription to the FASB Codification, go to http://aaahq.org/asclogin.cfm to log in and prepare responses to the following. Provide Codification references for your responses. (a) Identify the accounting literature that addresses goodwill and other intangible assets. (b) Define goodwill. (c) Is goodwill subject to amortization? Explain. (d) When goodwill is recognized by a subsidiary, should it be tested for impairment at the consolidated level or the subsidiary level? Discuss.

Donald Lennon is the president, founder, and majority owner of Wichita Medical Corporation, an emerging medical technology products company. Wichita is in dire need of additional capital to keep operating and to bring several promising products to final development, testing, and production. Donald, as owner of 51% of the outstanding stock, manages the company’s operations. He places heavy emphasis on research and development and long-term growth. The other principal stockholder is Nina Friendly who, as a nonemployee investor, owns 40% of the stock. Nina would like to deemphasize the R & D functions and emphasize the marketing function to maximize short-run sales and profits from existing products. She believes this strategy would raise the market price of Wichita’s stock. All of Donald’s personal capital and borrowing power is tied up in his 51% stock ownership. He knows that any offering of additional shares of stock will dilute his controlling interest because he won’t be able to participate in such an issuance. But, Nina has money and would likely buy enough shares to gain control of Wichita. She then would dictate the company’s future direction, even if it meant replacing Donald as president and CEO. The company already has considerable debt. Raising additional debt will be costly, will adversely affect Wichita’s credit rating, and will increase the company’s reported losses due to the growth in interest expense. Nina and the other minority stockholders express opposition to the assumption of additional debt, fearing the company will be pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. Wanting to maintain his control and to preserve the direction of “his” company, Donald is doing everything to avoid a stock issuance and is contemplating a large issuance of bonds, even if it means the bonds are issued with a high effective-interest rate. Instructions (a) Who are the stakeholders in this situation? (b) What are the ethical issues in this case? (c) What would you do if you were Donald?

Use the information for Rode Inc. given in BE19-13. Assume that it is more likely than not that the entire net operating loss carryforward will not be realized in future years. Prepare all the journal entries necessary at the end of 2014.

Pacific Airlines Co. awards members of its Frequent Fliers Club one free round-trip ticket, anywhere on its flight system, for every 50,000 miles flown on its planes. How would you account for the free ticket award?

Gershwin Corporation obtained a franchise from Sonic Hedgehog Inc. for a cash payment of $120,000 on April 1, 2014. The franchise grants Gershwin the right to sell certain products and services for a period of 8 years. Prepare Gershwin’s April 1 journal entry and December 31 adjusting entry.

The gage length of a tensile test specimen = 150 mm. It is subjected to a tensile test in which the grips holding the end of the test specimen are moved with a relative velocity = 0.1 m/s. Construct a plot of the strain rate as a function of length as the specimen is pulled to a length = 200 mm.

In a laser beam welding process, what is the quantity of heat per unit time (J/sec) that is transferred to the material if the heat is concentrated in circle with a diameter of 0.2 mm? Assume the power density provided in Table 29.1.

Before Gordon Corporation engages in the treasury stock transactions listed below, its general ledger reflects, among others, the following account balances (par value of its stock is $30 per share). Paid-in Capital in Excess of Par—Common Stock Common Stock Retained Earnings $99,000 $270,000 $80,000 Instructions Record the treasury stock transactions (given below) under the cost method of handling treasury stock; use the FIFO method for purchase-sale purposes. (a) Bought 380 shares of treasury stock at $40 per share. (b) Bought 300 shares of treasury stock at $45 per share. (c) Sold 350 shares of treasury stock at $42 per share. (d) Sold 110 shares of treasury stock at $38 per share.

You are asked to travel to Milwaukee to observe and verify the inventory of the Milwaukee branch of one of your clients. You arrive on Thursday, December 30, and find that the inventory procedures have just been started. You spot a railway car on the sidetrack at the unloading door and ask the warehouse superintendent, Buck Rogers, how he plans to inventory the contents of the car. He responds, “We are not going to include the contents in the inventory.” Later in the day, you ask the bookkeeper for the invoice on the carload and the related freight bill. The invoice lists the various items, prices, and extensions of the goods in the car. You note that the carload was shipped December 24 from Albuquerque, f.o.b. Albuquerque, and that the total invoice price of the goods in the car was $35,300. The freight bill called for a payment of $1,500. Terms were net 30 days. The bookkeeper affirms the fact that this invoice is to be held for recording in January. Instructions (a) Does your client have a liability that should be recorded at December 31? Discuss. (b) Prepare a journal entry(ies), if required, to reflect any accounting adjustment required. Assume a perpetual inventory system is used by your client. (c) For what possible reason(s) might your client wish to postpone recording the transaction?

Cheng Company traded a used truck for a new truck. The used truck cost $30,000 and has accumulated depreciation of $27,000. The new truck is worth $37,000. Cheng also made a cash payment of $36,000. Prepare Cheng’s entry to record the exchange. (The exchange lacks commercial substance.)

Why is the minimum point of the AVC curve at a lower level of output than the minimum point of the AC curve?

Kulikowski Inc., a client, is considering the authorization of a 10% common stock dividend to common stockholders. The financial vice president of Kulikowski wishes to discuss the accounting implications of such an authorization with you before the next meeting of the board of directors. Instructions (a) The first topic the vice president wishes to discuss is the nature of the stock dividend to the recipient. Discuss the case against considering the stock dividend as income to the recipient. (b) The other topic for discussion is the propriety of issuing the stock dividend to all “stockholders of record” or to “stockholders of record exclusive of shares held in the name of the corporation as treasury stock.” Discuss the case against issuing stock dividends on treasury shares.