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Davis Corporation is a medium-sized manufacturer of paperboard containers and boxes. The corporation sponsors a noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan that covers its 250 employees. Sid Cole has recently been hired as president of Davis Corporation. While reviewing last year’s financial statements with Carol Dilbeck, controller, Cole expressed confusion about several of the items in the footnote to the financial statements relating to the pension plan. In part, the footnote reads as follows. Note J. The company has a defi nedbenefi t pension plan covering substantially all of its employees. The benefits are based on years of service and the employee’s compensation during the last four years of employment. The company’s funding policy is to contribute annually the maximum amount allowed under the federal tax code. Contributions are intended to provide for benefits expected to be earned in the future as well as those earned to date. The net periodic pension expense on Davis Corporation’s comparative income statement was \(72,000 in 2017 and \)57,680 in 2016. The following are selected figures from the plan’s funded status and amounts recognized in the Davis Corporation’s Statement of Financial Position at December 31, 2017 (\(000 omitted). Actuarial present value of benefi t obligations: Accumulated benefi t obligation (including vested benefits of \)636) \( (870) Projected benefi t obligation \)(1,200) Plan assets at fair value 1,050 Projected benefi t obligation in excess of plan assets $ (150) Given that Davis Corporation’s work force has been stable for the last 6 years, Cole could not understand the increase in the net periodic pension expense. Dilbeck explained that the net periodic pension expense consists of several elements, some of which may increase or decrease the net expense. Instructions (a) The determination of the net periodic pension expense is a function of five elements. List and briefly describe each of the elements. (b) Describe the major difference and the major similarity between the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation. (c) (1) Explain why pension gains and losses are not recognized on the income statement in the period in which they arise. (2) Briefly describe how pension gains and losses are recognized.

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Financial position of an organization can be determined by reviewing thefinancial statements and the company's financial ratios. Every organization should be financially stable to sustain itself in the market.

Step by step solution

01

(a) The determination of the net periodic pension expense

Pension benefits are those benefits an employee in an organization receives in compensation. These benefits are paid until the time of retirement. Following are the components of the pension expense:

(1) Service costs: It measures the present value of the pension benefits earned by an employee.

(2) Interest cost: It is earned on the defined benefit obligation, which represents the liability for the company.

(3) Actual return on plan assets measures the reduced value of the interest implied on the pension expense.

(4) Prior service cost measures the cost incurred beforehand the number of employees' service.

(5) Gains and losses arise due to the variation in the amounts of benefit obligation and the plan assets.

02

(b) Difference between the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation

The accumulated benefit obligation is strictly based on the annual pension expense incurred by an organization for its employees. On the other hand, the defined projected benefit obligation measures the current pension expense.

The similarity between the two concepts

One of the most similar things in the accumulated benefit obligation and the projected benefit obligation is that both methods consider the total number of years of service of an employee.

03

(c) Explanation

1. Pension gains and losses are not recognized under the income statement.

The amount of pension gains and losses are not recognized under the income statement because the value of gain or loss arises due to the change in assets' actual and fair value. These amounts reflect an inability of an organization to provide compensation, the number of years of service, and the retirement age. Therefore, it does not get recognized under the income statement.

2. Recognition PF pension gains and losses

The recognition of pension gains and losses works according to the corridor approach of the IASB. It aims at decreasing the volatility of pension gains and losses.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

For Warren Corporation, year-end plan assets were \(2,000,000. At the beginning of the year, plan assets were \)1,780,000. During the year, contributions to the pension fund were \(120,000, and benefits paid were \)200,000. Compute Warren’s actual return on plan assets.

If pension expense recognized in a period exceeds the current amount funded by the employer, what kind of account arises, and how should it be reported in the financial statements? If the reverse occurs—that is, current funding by the employer exceeds the amount recognized as pension expense—what kind of account arises, and how should it be reported?

Manno Corporation has the following information available concerning its postretirement benefit plan for 2017. Service cost $40,000 Interest cost 47,400 Actual and expected return on plan assets 26,900 Compute Manno’s 2017 postretirement expense.

On January 1, 2017, Harrington Company has the following defined benefit pension plan balances. Projected benefi t obligation \(4,500,000 Fair value of plan assets 4,200,000 The interest (settlement) rate applicable to the plan is 10%. On January 1, 2018, the company amends its pension agreement so that prior service costs of \)500,000 are created. Other data related to the pension plan are as follows. Insert Page Layout Formulas Data Review View A P18 fx BCD E F G Postretirement Benefit Worksheet—Holder Inc.xls Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Postretirement Asset/Liability Other Comprehensive Income—PSC APBO Memo Record Items Plan Assets General Journal Entries Annual Expense Cash (1) (2) (3) 3,000 (6) 410,000 56,000 36,900 5,000 497,900 Cr. 120,000 2,000 (4) 5,000 183,000 Dr. Balance, Jan. 1, 2017 Service cost Interest cost Actual/Expected return Contributions Benefits Amortization of PSC Journal entry for 2017 Accumulated OCI, Dec. 31, 2016 Balance, Dec. 31, 2017 66,000 (7) (5) (8) 30,000 Dr. 27,000 Dr. 290,000 (9) 314,900 Cr. 2017 2018 Service cost \(150,000 \)180,000 Prior service cost amortization –0– 90,000 Contributions (funding) to the plan 240,000 285,000 Benefi ts paid 200,000 280,000 Actual return on plan assets 252,000 260,000 Expected rate of return on assets 6% 8% Instructions (a) Prepare a pension worksheet for the pension plan for 2017 and 2018. (b) For 2018, prepare the journal entry to record pension-related amounts.

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?

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