Chapter 20: Question 2CA (page 1175)

The following items appear on Brueggen Company’s financial statements. 1. Under the caption Assets: Pension asset/liability. 2. Under the caption Liabilities: Pension asset/liability. 3. Under the caption Stockholders’ Equity: Prior service cost as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. 4. On the income statement: Pension expense. Instructions Explain the significance of each of the items above on corporate financial statements. (Note: All items set forth above are not necessarily to be found on the statements of a single company.)

Short Answer

Expert verified

Assets and liabilitiesare the two components of theorganization's balance sheet. Both of the variables are opposite each other and help the business understand its position.

Step by step solution

01

(1) Pension asset/liability

Under the caption assets, pension asset/liability measures the employer's and the employee's contributions over the total net pension expense. It is reported under the asset section in the organization's balance sheet.

02

(2) Pension asset/liability

Under the caption liabilities, the employer makes the contributions and is reported under the liability section of the balance sheet.

03

(3) Prior service cost as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Under the caption stockholder's equity, the accumulated other comprehensive income components are generated because of the difference in actual return on plan assets and expected return on plan assets. It will be reported under the equity section of the organization's balance sheet under the head of other comprehensive income.

04

(4) Pension expense

Under the income statement of an organization, each pension plan component will be treated to identify the amount of pension expense. It will be reported under the income statement of the employer.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Hiatt Toothpaste Company initiates a defined benefit pension plan for its 50 employees on January 1, 2017. The insurance company which administers the pension plan provided the following selected information for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019

For Year Ended December 31, 2017 2018 2019 Plan assets (fair value) \(50,000 \) 85,000 \(180,000 Accumulated benefi t obligation 45,000 165,000 292,000 Projected benefi t obligation 60,000 200,000 324,000 Net (gain) loss (for purposes of corridor calculation) –0– 78,400 81,033 Employer’s funding contribution (made at end of year) 50,000 60,000 105,000

There were no balances as of January 1, 2017, when the plan was initiated. The actual and expected return on plan assets was 10% over the 3-year period, but the settlement rate used to discount the company’s pension obligation was 13% in 2017, 11% in 2018, and 8% in 2019. The service cost component of net periodic pension expense amounted to the following: 2017, \)60,000; 2018, \(85,000; and 2019, \)119,000. The average remaining service life per employee is 12 years. No benefits were paid in 2017, \(30,000 of benefits were paid in 2018, and \)18,500 of benefits were paid in 2019 (all benefits paid at end of year). Instructions (Round to the nearest dollar.) (a) Calculate the amount of net periodic pension expense that the company would recognize in 2017, 2018, and 2019. (b) Prepare the journal entries to record net periodic pension expense, employer’s funding contribution, and related pension amounts for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019

In examining the costs of pension plans, Helen Kaufman, CPA, encounters certain terms. The components of pension costs that the terms represent must be dealt with appropriately if generally accepted accounting principles are to be reflected in the financial statements of entities with pension plans. Instructions (a) (1) Discuss the theoretical justification for accrual recognition of pension costs. (2) Discuss the relative objectivity of the measurement process of accrual versus cash (pay-as-you-go) accounting for annual pension costs. (b) Explain the following terms as they apply to accounting for pension plans. (1) Market-related asset value. (2) Projected benefit obligation. (3) Corridor approach. (c) What information should be disclosed about a company’s pension plans in its financial statements and its notes?

Kenseth Corp. has the following beginning-of-the-year present values for its projected benefit obligation and market-related values for its pension plan assets. Projected Plan Benefit Assets Obligation Value 2016 \(2,000,000 \)1,900,000 2017 2,400,000 2,500,000 2018 2,950,000 2,600,000 2019 3,600,000 3,000,000 The average remaining service life per employee in 2016 and 2017 is 10 years and in 2018 and 2019 is 12 years. The net gain or loss that occurred during each year is as follows: 2016, \(280,000 loss; 2017, \)90,000 loss; 2018, \(11,000 loss; and 2019, \)25,000 gain. (In working the solution, the gains and losses must be aggregated to arrive at year-end balances.) Instructions Using the corridor approach, compute the amount of net gain or loss amortized and charged to pension expense in each of the four years, setting up an appropriate schedule.

What are “liability gains and losses,” and how are they accounted for?

Erickson Company sponsors a defined benefit pension plan. The corporation’s actuary provides the following information about the plan. January 1, December 31, 2017 2017 Vested benefit obligation \(1,500 \)1,900 Accumulated benefit obligation 1,900 2,730 Projected benefit obligation 2,500 3,300 Plan assets (fair value) 1,700 2,620 Settlement rate and expected rate of return 10% Pension asset/liability 800 ? Service cost for the year 2017 400 Contributions (funding in 2017) 700 Benefits paid in 2017 200 Instructions (a) Compute the actual return on the plan assets in 2017. (b) Compute the amount of the other comprehensive income (G/L) as of December 31, 2017. (Assume the January 1, 2017, balance was zero.) (c) Compute the amount of net gain or loss amortization for 2017 (corridor approach). (d) Compute pension expense for 2017.

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