Three expense recognition methods (associating cause and effect, systematic and rational allocation, and immediate recognition) were discussed in the text under the expense recognition principle. Indicate the basic nature of each of these expense recognition methods and give two examples of each.

Short Answer

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Associating cause and effect: These costs are associated with the revenue they assist in generating and listing in concurrent accounting periods. For instance, commission expenses and long-term construction contracts.

Systematic and rational allocation: These costs aid many sessions and are scattered among periods. For instance, truck depreciation and plant and equipment depreciation.

Immediate recognition: These costs have no association with the revenue, do not aid future periods and are listed when they occurred. For instance, advertising expenses and research expenditures.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Expense Recognition Principle

The expense recognition principle is a basic accounting principle that states that the firm's expenses should be identified in the period when the revenues linked to those expenses get recognized.

02

Associating cause and effect

Some costs are identified as expenses dependent on the assumed direct relation with particular revenue. For instance, a sales commission that an employee owes is dependent on the sale amount. Thus, it should list the commission expense in a similar accounting period as the sale. Similarly, the inventory cost provided to a customer should be considered an expense when the sale is identified. Associating cause and effect is also known as the matching principle.

03

Systematic and rational allocation

Other expense recognition plans are to be implemented without a definite association with cost and revenue items. Some costs may aid many years as these costs cease over time. For instance, a truck may last many years; ascertaining how the cost is determinable in a specific year is difficult. In such circumstances, accountants may use a systematic and rational plan to scatter a part of the overall cost to each period of use. Without the presence of a definite association with cost and revenue item, other

04

Immediate recognition

These costs cannot be associated with revenue production and do not aid later periods either. These costs are realized as soon as possible. Some costs are linked to the existing accounting periods as expenses as costs undertaken during the period supply no discernible future aids, and costs listed as assets in previous periods no longer supplied discernible aids.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Question: (Qualitative Characteristics) Recently, your uncle, Carlos Beltran, who knows that you always have your eye out for a profitable investment, has discussed the possibility of your purchasing some corporate bonds. He suggests that you may wish to get in on the “ground floor” of this deal. The bonds being issued by Neville Corp. are 10-year debentures which promise a 40% rate of return. Neville manufactures novelty/party items.

You have told Uncle Carlos that, unless you can take a look at Neville’s financial statements, you would not feel comfortable about such an investment. Believing that this is the chance of a lifetime, Uncle Carlos has procured a copy of Neville’s most recent, unaudited financial statements which are a year old. These statements were prepared by Mrs. Andy Neville. You peruse these statements, and they are quite impressive. The balance sheet showed a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10 and, for the year shown, the company reported net income of $2,424,240.

The financial statements are not shown in comparison with amounts from other years. In addition, no significant note disclosures about inventory valuation, depreciation methods, loan agreements, etc. are available.

Instructions

Write a letter to Uncle Carlos explaining why it would be unwise to base an investment decision on the financial statements that he has provided to you. Be sure to explain why these financial statements are neither relevant nor representationally faithful.

Identify which basic principle of accounting is best described in each item below.(a) Norfolk Southern Corporation reports revenue in its income statement when the performance obligation is satisfied instead of when the cash is collected.(b) Yahoo! recognizes depreciation expense for a machine over the 2-year period during which that machine helps the company earn revenue.(c) Oracle Corporation reports information about pending lawsuits in the notes to its financial statements.(d) Gap, Inc. reports land on its balance sheet at the amount paid to acquire it, even though the estimated fair value is greater.

In January 2018, Jane way Inc. doubled the amount of its outstanding stock by selling on the market an additional 10,000 shares to finance an expansion of the business. You propose that this information be shown by a footnote on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2017. The president objects, claiming that this sale took place after December 31, 2017, and therefore should not be shown. Explain your position.

The life of a business is divided into specific time periods, usually, a year, to measure results of operations for each such time period and to portray financial conditions at the end of each period.

  1. This practice is based on the accounting assumption that the life of the business consists of a series of time periods and that it is possible to measure accurately the results of operations for each period. Comment on the validity and necessity of this assumption.
  2. What has been the effect of the practice on accounting? What is its relation to the accrual system? What influence has it had on accounting entries and methodology?

Discuss whether the changes described in each of the cases below require recognition in the CPA’s audit report as to consistency. (Assume that the amounts are material).

  1. The company changed its inventory method to FIFO from weighted-average, which had been used in prior years.
  2. The company disposed of one of the two subsidiaries that had been included in its consolidated statements for prior years.
  3. The estimated remaining useful life of plant property was reduced because of obsolescence.
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