Prior to 2017, Heberling Inc. excluded manufacturing overhead costs from work in process and finished goods inventory. These costs have been expensed as incurred. In 2017, the company decided to change its accounting methods for manufacturing inventories to full costing by including these costs as product costs. Assuming that these costs are material, how should this change be reflected in the financial statements for 2016 and 2017?

Short Answer

Expert verified

An accounting error is the omission of principles, and the change mentioned above will be reflected as the restatement of the opening balance of retained earnings for the year 2017.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of an accounting error

An accounting error is defined as the omission of any fundamental accounting principles in the financial statement of the business.

02

Explanation of the effect of change

The change made in this problem is the change in accounting principle, which is not generally accepted. So, this change should be considered as the correction of the error. Therefore, this change should be corrected by the restatement or alteration of the beginning balance of the retained earnings.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Simms Corp. controlled four domestic subsidiaries and one foreign subsidiary. Prior to the current year, Simms Corp. had excluded the foreign subsidiary from consolidation. During the current year, the foreign subsidiary was included in the financial statements. How should this change in accounting entity be reflected in the financial statements?

Gerald Englehart Industries changed from the double-declining-balance to the straight-line method in 2018 on all its equipment. There was no change in the assets’ salvage values or useful lives. Plant assets, acquired on January 2, 2015, had an original cost of \(1,600,000, with a \)100,000 salvage value and an 8-year estimated useful life. Income before depreciation expense was \(270,000 in 2017 and \)300,000 in 2018.

Instructions (a) Prepare the journal entry(ies) to record depreciation expense in 2018.

(b) Starting with income before depreciation expense, prepare the remaining portion of the income statement for 2017 and 2018.

(Error Correction Entries) The first audit of the books of Bruce Gingrich Company was made for the year ended December 31, 2018. In examining the books, the auditor found that certain items had been overlooked or incorrectly handled in the last 3 years.

These items are:

1. At the beginning of 2016, the company purchased a machine for \(510,000 (salvage value of \)51,000) that had a useful life of 6 years. The bookkeeper used straight-line depreciation but failed to deduct the salvage value in computing the depreciation base for the 3 years.

2. At the end of 2017, the company failed to accrue sales salaries of \(45,000.

3. A tax lawsuit that involved the year 2016 was settled late in 2018. It was determined that the company owed an additional \)85,000 in taxes related to 2016. The company did not record a liability in 2016 or 2017 because the possibility of loss was considered remote, and charged the \(85,000 to a loss account in 2018.

4. Gingrich Company purchased a copyright from another company early in 2016 for \)45,000. Gingrich had not amortized the copyright because its value had not diminished. The copyright has a useful life at purchase of 20 years.

5. In 2018, the company wrote off $87,000 of inventory considered to be obsolete; this loss was charged directly to Retained Earnings. Instructions Prepare the journal entries necessary in 2018 to correct the books, assuming that the books have not been closed. Disregard effects of corrections on income tax.

On March 5, 2018, you were hired by Hemingway Inc., a closely held company, as a staff member of its newly created internal auditing department. While reviewing the company’s records for 2016 and 2017, you discover that no adjustments have yet been made for the following items. Items

1. Interest income of \(14,100 was not accrued at the end of 2016. It was recorded when received in February 2017.

2. A computer costing \)4,000 was expensed when purchased on July 1, 2016. It is expected to have a 4-year life with no salvage value. The company typically uses straight-line depreciation for all fixed assets.

3. Research and development costs of \(33,000 were incurred early in 2016. They were capitalized and were to be amortized over a 3-year period. Amortization of \)11,000 was recorded for 2016 and \(11,000 for 2017.

4. On January 2, 2016, Hemingway leased a building for 5 years at a monthly rental of \)8,000. On that date, the company paid the following amounts, which were expensed when paid. Security deposit \(20,000 First month’s rent 8,000 Last month’s rent 8,000 \)36,000

5. The company received \(36,000 from a customer at the beginning of 2016 for services that it is to perform evenly over a 3-year period beginning in 2016. None of the amount received was reported as unearned revenue at the end of 2016.

6. Merchandise inventory costing \)18,200 was in the warehouse at December 31, 2016, but was incorrectly omitted from the physical count at that date. The company uses the periodic inventory method.

Instructions

Indicate the effect of any errors on the net income figure reported on the income statement for the year ending December 31, 2016, and the retained earnings figure reported on the balance sheet at December 31, 2017. Assume all amounts are material, and ignore income tax effects. Using the following format, enter the appropriate dollar amounts in the appropriate columns. Consider each item independent of the other items. It is not necessary to total the columns on the grid.

Indicate how the following items are recorded in the accounting records in the current year of Coronet Co. (a) Impairment of goodwill. (b) A change in depreciating plant assets from accelerated to the straight-line method. (c) Large write-off of inventories because of obsolescence. (d) Change from the cash basis to accrual basis of accounting. (e) Change from LIFO to FIFO method for inventory valuation purposes. (f) Change in the estimate of service lives for plant assets

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