Discuss and illustrate how a correction of an error in previously issued financial statements should be handled.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Financial statements are the written records that show financial information, and the errors can be handled by adjusting the beginning balance of retained earnings

Step by step solution

01

Definition of financial statement

It is defined as the written records which shows the financial information of a business entity of a particular period

02

Handling of error in previously issued financial statement

This type of correction should be handled as a prior-period adjustment. Therefore, it should be reported in the year in which it is discovered as an adjustment to the opening balance of the retained earnings.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(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.

Penn Company is in the process of adjusting and correcting its books at the end of 2017. In reviewing its records, the following information is compiled.

1. Penn has failed to accrue sales commissions payable at the end of each of the last 2 years, as follows. December 31, 2016 \(3,500 December 31, 2017 \)2,500

2. In reviewing the December 31, 2017, inventory, Penn discovered errors in its inventory-taking procedures that have caused inventories for the last 3 years to be incorrect, as follows. December 31, 2015 Understated \(16,000 December 31, 2016 Understated \)19,000 December 31, 2017 Overstated \( 6,700 Penn has already made an entry that established the incorrect December 31, 2017, inventory amount.

3. At December 31, 2017, Penn decided to change the depreciation method on its office equipment from double-decliningbalance to straight-line. The equipment had an original cost of \)100,000 when purchased on January 1, 2015. It has a 10- year useful life and no salvage value. Depreciation expense recorded prior to 2017 under the double-declining-balance method was \(36,000. Penn has already recorded 2017 depreciation expense of \)12,800 using the double-declining-balance method. 4. Before 2017, Penn accounted for its income from long-term construction contracts on the completed-contract basis. Early in 2017, Penn changed to the percentage-of-completion basis for accounting purposes. It continues to use the completedcontract method for tax purposes. Income for 2017 has been recorded using the percentage-of-completion method. The following information is available.

Pretax Income

Percentage-of-Completion Completed-Contract

Prior to 2017 \(150,000 \)105,000

2017 60,000 20,000

Instructions

Prepare the journal entries necessary at December 31, 2017, to record the above corrections and changes. The books are still open for 2017. The income tax rate is 40%. Penn has not yet recorded its 2017 income tax expense and payable amounts so current-year tax effects may be ignored. Prior-year tax effects must be considered in item 4.

Where can authoritative IFRS related to accounting changes be found?

(Change in Estimate—Depreciation) Peter M. Dell Co. purchased equipment for \(510,000 which was estimated to have a useful life of 10 years with a salvage value of \)10,000 at the end of that time. Depreciation has been entered for 7 years on a straight-line basis. In 2018, it is determined that the total estimated life should be 15 years with a salvage value of $5,000 at the end of that time.

Instructions (a) Prepare the entry (if any) to correct the prior years’ depreciation.

(b) Prepare the entry to record depreciation for 2018

The following are three independent, unrelated sets of facts relating to accounting changes.

Situation 1: Sanford Company is in the process of having its first audit. The company has used the cash basis of accounting for revenue recognition. Sanford president, B. J. Jimenez, is willing to change to the accrual method of revenue recognition.

Situation 2: Hopkins Co. decides in January 2018 to change from FIFO to weighted-average pricing for its inventories.

Situation 3: Marshall Co. determined that the depreciable lives of its fixed assets are too long at present to fairly match the cost of the fixed assets with the revenue produced. The company decided at the beginning of the current year to reduce the depreciable lives of all of its existing fixed assets by 5 years.

Instructions

For each of the situations described, provide the information indicated below.

(a) Type of accounting change.

(b) Manner of reporting the change under current generally accepted accounting principles, including a discussion where applicable of how amounts are computed.

(c) Effect of the change on the balance sheet and income statement

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