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Access the glossary (“Master Glossary”) to answer the following.

(a) What is a change in accounting estimate?

(b) What is a change in accounting principle?

(c) What is a restatement?

(d) What is the definition of “retrospective application”?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The required definition of the terms are provided in the step 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Step by step solution

01

Change in accounting estimate

The change in accounting estimate refers to the change that has the effect of adjusting the carrying amount of an existing asset or liability or changing the subsequent accounting for the existing or future assets or liabilities. Change in accounting estimate results from the new formation.

02

Change in accounting principle

The change from one generally accepted accounting principle to another generally accepted accounting principle, in the case, when two or more GAAP can be applied to the situation or when the formerly used principle is no longer generally accepted. The change in the method is also considered as the change in accounting principle.

03

Restatement

The process of revising the previously issued and prepared financial statements of the business to show the change or the correction of an error in those financial statements.

04

Retrospective Application

When the accounting principle is applied to two or more previously issued financial statements as if the principle had always been used is known as the retrospective application.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Roundtree Manufacturing Co. is preparing its year-end financial statements and is considering the accounting for the following items. 1. The vice president of sales had indicated that one product line has lost its customer appeal and will be phased out over the next 3 years. Therefore, a decision has been made to lower the estimated lives on related production equipment from the remaining 5 years to 3 years. 2. The Hightone Building was converted from a sales office to offices for the Accounting Department at the beginning of this year. Therefore, the expense related to this building will now appear as an administrative expense rather than a selling expense on the current year’s income statement. 3. Estimating the lives of new products in the Leisure Products Division has become very difficult because of the highly competitive conditions in this market. Therefore, the practice of deferring and amortizing preproduction costs has been abandoned in favor of expensing such costs as they are incurred. Identify and explain whether each of the above items is a change in principle, a change in estimate, or an error.

(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.

If a company registered with the SEC justifies a change in accounting method as preferable under the circumstances, and the circumstances change, can that company switch back to its prior method of accounting before the change? Why or why not?

You have been assigned to examine the financial statements of Zarle Company for the year ended December 31, 2017. You discover the following situations.

1. Depreciation of \(3,200 for 2017 on delivery vehicles was not recorded.

2. The physical inventory count on December 31, 2016, improperly excluded merchandise costing \)19,000 that had been temporarily stored in a public warehouse. Zarle uses a periodic inventory system.

3. A collection of \(5,600 on account from a customer received on December 31, 2017, was not recorded until January 2, 2018.

4. In 2017, the company sold for \)3,700 fully depreciated equipment that originally cost \(25,000. The company credited the proceeds from the sale to the Equipment account.

5. During November 2017, a competitor company filed a patent-infringement suit against Zarle claiming damages of \)220,000. The company’s legal counsel has indicated that an unfavorable verdict is probable and a reasonable estimate of the court’s award to the competitor is \(125,000. The company has not reflected or disclosed this situation in the financial statements.

6. Zarle has a portfolio of trading investments. No entry has been made to adjust to market. Information on cost and fair value is as follows. Cost Fair Value December 31, 2016 \)95,000 \(95,000 December 31, 2017 \)84,000 \(82,000

7. At December 31, 2017, an analysis of payroll information shows accrued salaries of \)12,200. The Salaries and Wages Payable account had a balance of \(16,000 at December 31, 2017, which was unchanged from its balance at December 31, 2016.

8. A large piece of equipment was purchased on January 3, 2017, for \)40,000 and was charged to Maintenance and Repairs Expense. The equipment is estimated to have a service life of 8 years and no residual value. Zarle normally uses the straight-line depreciation method for this type of equipment.

9. A \(12,000 insurance premium paid on July 1, 2016, for a policy that expires on June 30, 2019, was charged to insurance expense.

10. A trademark was acquired at the beginning of 2016 for \)50,000. No amortization has been recorded since its acquisition. The maximum allowable amortization period is 10 years.

Instructions

Assume the trial balance has been prepared but the books have not been closed for 2017. Assuming all amounts are material, prepare journal entries showing the adjustments that are required. (Ignore income tax considerations.)

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