Chapter 24: Question 22Q (page 1446)

“The significance of financial statement data is not in the amount alone.” Discuss the meaning of this statement.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Financial statements not only reveal the amount but also whether the amount is sufficient or not.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Financial Statement

Financial statements are written records that detail a company's business practices and monetary success. Government offices, accountants, and companies, among others, evaluate financial accounts on a regular basis to ensure accuracy and for valuation, financing, or investment purposes.

02

Explaining the meaning of the statement “The significance of financial statement data is not in the amount alone”

It has been claimed that "everything is relative" and that the information in the financial statements can certainly be anecdotal. The fundamental importance of the information in the financial statements is not in the amount shown but in their relative relevance; that is, arriving at a decision after comparing everything to comparable objects and tying it to the relevant information.

Financial statements do not only show the quantity (which is often not the case to limit the subjective view of things that reflect dollar numbers) but also whether the amount is sufficient or has not been given to the demands of the company. Or whether it speaks to quantities out of range, other quantities of the firm, or long-run progress, cannot be determined by lump sum numbers alone.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Okay. Last fall, someone with a long memory and an even longer arm reached into that bureau drawer and came out with a moldy cheese sandwich and the equally moldy notion of corporate forecasts. We tried to find out what happened to the cheese sandwich—but, rats!, even recourse to the Freedom of Information Act didn’t help. However, the forecast proposal was dusted off, polished up and found quite serviceable. The SEC, indeed, lost no time in running it up the old flagpole—but no one was very eager to salute. Even after some of the more objectionable features—compulsory corrections and detailed explanations of why the estimates went awry—were peeled off the original proposal.

Seemingly, despite the Commission’s smiles and sweet talk, those craven corporations were still afraid that an honest mistake would lead them down the primrose path to consent decrees and class action suits. To lay to rest such qualms, the Commission last week approved a “Safe Harbor” rule that, providing the forecasts were made on a reasonable basis and in good faith, protected corporations from litigation should the projections prove wide of the mark (as only about 99% are apt to do).

Instructions

  1. Why are corporations concerned about presenting profit forecasts?

Okay. Last fall, someone with a long memory and an even longer arm reached into that bureau drawer and came out with a moldy cheese sandwich and the equally moldy notion of corporate forecasts. We tried to find out what happened to the cheese sandwich—but, rats!, even recourse to the Freedom of Information Act didn’t help. However, the forecast proposal was dusted off, polished up and found quite serviceable. The SEC, indeed, lost no time in running it up the old flagpole—but no one was very eager to salute. Even after some of the more objectionable features—compulsory corrections and detailed explanations of why the estimates went awry—were peeled off the original proposal.

Seemingly, despite the Commission’s smiles and sweet talk, those craven corporations were still afraid that an honest mistake would lead them down the primrose path to consent decrees and class action suits. To lay to rest such qualms, the Commission last week approved a “Safe Harbor” rule that, providing the forecasts were made on a reasonable basis and in good faith, protected corporations from litigation should the projections prove wide of the mark (as only about 99% are apt to do).

Instructions

  1. What is the purpose of the “safe harbor” rule?

Madrasah Corporation issued its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, on March 10, 2018. The following events took place early in 2018.

  1. On January 10, 10,000 shares of \(5 par value common stock were issued at \)66 per share.
  2. On March 1, Madrasah determined after negotiations with the Internal Revenue Service that income taxes payable for 2017 should be \(1,270,000. On December 31, 2017, income taxes payable were recorded at \)1,100,000.

Instructions

Discuss how the preceding post-balance-sheet events should be reflected in the 2017 financial statements.

Morlan Corporation is preparing its December 31, 2017, financial statements. Two events that occurred between December 31, 2017, and March 10, 2018, when the statements were authorized for issue, are described below.

  1. A liability, estimated at \(160,000 at December 31, 2017, was settled on February 26, 2018, at \)170,000.
  2. A flood loss of $80,000 occurred on March 1, 2018.

Instructions

What effect do these subsequent events have on 2017 net income?

Explain the meaning of the following terms: (a) common size analysis, (b) vertical analysis, (c) horizontal analysis, and (d) percentage analysis.

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