(Depletion Computations—Timber) Forda Lumber Company owns a 7,000-acre tract of timber purchased in 2003 at a cost of \(1,300 per acre. At the time of purchase, the land was estimated to have a value of \)300 per acre without the timber. Forda Lumber Company has not logged this tract since it was purchased. In 2017, Forda had the timber cruised. The cruise (appraiser) estimated that each acre contained 8,000 board feet of timber. In 2017, Forda built 10 miles of roads at a cost of \(7,840 per mile. After the roads were completed, Forda logged and sold 3,500 trees containing 850,000 board feet.

Instructions

  1. Determine the cost of timber sold related to depletion for 2017.
  2. If Forda depreciates the logging roads on the basis of timber cut, determine the depreciation expense for 2017.
  3. If Forda plants five seedlings at a cost of \)4 per seedling for each tree cut, how should Forda treat the reforestation?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

  1. Cost of timber = $106,250
  2. Depreciation = $1,190
  3. Cost of reforestation = $70,000

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Depreciation 

Depreciation is an accounting procedure that is used to know the exact value of the asset as the time passes and when the asset becomes obsolete. A company has different options for analyzing depreciation, with the straight-line method being the most common one.

02

(a) Determining the cost of timber sold related to depletion for 2017

Determining the cost of timber

Costoftimber=Timbercost-Estimatedvalueofland×Totaltimberarea=$1,300-$300×7,000=$1,000×7,000=$7,000,000

Determining depletion of timber

Depletiontimber=Timberarea×Estimatedacresoftimber=7,000×8,000=$56,000,000

Calculation depletion rate


Depletionrate=CostoftimberDepletiontimber=$7,000,000$56,000,000=12.50%


Calculating the cost of timber

Costoftimber=Boardfleet×Depletionrate=850,000×12.50%=$106,250

03

(b) Determining the depreciation expenses for 2017 

Calculating the cost of road

Costofroad=Roadpermilecost×Totalmiles=7,480×10=74,800

Calculating depletion of timber

Depletiontimber=Timberarea×Estimatedacresoftimber=7,000×8,000=$56,000,000

Calculating depreciation for 2017

Depreciation=Costofroad×BoardfleetDepletiontimber=$74,800×850,00056,000,000=$1,190

04

(b) Determining the treatment of the reforestation 

Calculating the cost of reforestation

Costofreforetation=Numberofplants×Costperseed×Treessold=5×4×3,500=$70,000

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Most popular questions from this chapter

(Depreciation Choice—Ethics) Jerry Prior, Beeler Corporation’s controller, is concerned that net income may be lower this year. He is afraid upper-level management might recommend cost reductions by laying off accounting staff, including him.

Prior knows that depreciation is a major expense for Beeler. The company currently uses the double-declining-balance method for both financial reporting and tax purposes, and he’s thinking of selling equipment that, given its age, is primarily used when there are periodic spikes in demand. The equipment has a carrying value of \(2,000,000 and a fair value of \)2,180,000. The gain on the sale would be reported in the income statement. He doesn’t want to highlight this method of increasing income. He thinks, “Why don’t I increase the estimated useful lives and the salvage values? That will decrease depreciation expense and require less extensive disclosure, since the changes are accounted for prospectively. I may be able to save my job and those of my staff.”

Instructions

Answer the following questions.

  1. Who are the stakeholders in this situation?
  2. What are the ethical issues involved?
  3. What should Prior do?

Francis Corporation purchased an asset at a cost of \(50,000 on March 1, 2017. The asset has a useful life of 8 years and a salvage value of \)4,000. For tax purposes, the MACRS class life is 5 years. Compute tax depreciation for each year 2017–2022.

(Depreciation—Strike, Units-of-Production, Obsolescence) The following are three different and unrelated situations involving depreciation accounting. Answer the question(s) at the end of each situation.

Situation I: Recently, Broderick Company experienced a strike that affected a number of its operating plants. The controller of this company indicated that it was not appropriate to report depreciation expense during this period because the equipment did not depreciate and an improper matching of costs and revenues would result. She based her position on the following points.

1. It is inappropriate to charge the period with costs for which there are no related revenues arising from production.

2. The basic factor of depreciation in this instance is wear and tear. Because equipment was idle, no wear and tear occurred.

Instructions

Comment on the appropriateness of the controller’s comments.

Situation II: Etheridge Company manufactures electrical appliances, most of which are used in homes. Company engineers have designed a new type of blender which, through the use of a few attachments, will perform more functions than any blender currently on the market. Demand for the new blender can be projected with reasonable probability. In order to make the blenders, Etheridge needs a specialized machine that is not available from outside sources. It has been decided to make such a machine in Etheridge’s own plant.

Instructions

  1. Discuss the effect of projected demand in units for the new blenders (which may be steady, decreasing, or increasing) on the determination of a depreciation method for the machine.
  2. What other matters should be considered in determining the depreciation method? (Ignore income tax considerations.)

Situation III: Haley Paper Company operates a 300-ton-per-day kraft pulp mill and four sawmills in Wisconsin. The company is in the process of expanding its pulp mill facilities to a capacity of 1,000 tons per day and plans to replace three of its older, less efficient sawmills with an expanded facility. One of the mills to be replaced did not operate for most of 2017 (current year), and there are no plans to reopen it before the new sawmill facility becomes operational.

In reviewing the depreciation rates and discussing the salvage values of the sawmills that were to be replaced, it was noted that if present depreciation rates were not adjusted, substantial amounts of plant costs on these three mills would not be depreciated by the time the new mill came on stream.

Instructions

What is the proper accounting for the four sawmills at the end of 2017?

Explain how gains or losses on impaired assets should be reported in income.

Distinguish among depreciation, depletion, and amortization.

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