Warning: foreach() argument must be of type array|object, bool given in /var/www/html/web/app/themes/studypress-core-theme/template-parts/header/mobile-offcanvas.php on line 20

Question: Bill Haley is learning about pension accounting. He is convinced that in years when companies record liability gains and losses, total comprehensive income will not be affected. Is Bill correct? Explain.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer

According to the stated situation, the assumption ofBill is not correct.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Comprehensive Income

Comprehensive income refers to the variations arising in an accounting period and includes the changes in the equity of the companyexcept for investments made by owners in terms of the liquid form of assets and distributions to them in terms of dividends.

02

Comment on Bill’s assumption

The assumption of Bill is incorrect.

In theaccounting process, the companies record liability gains and losses in the total comprehensive income. Also,the total comprehensive income is affected by the recording of liability gains and losses linked with pension plans because the gains and losses on pension plan assets are not realized until a future period.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

The following items appear on Brueggen Companyโ€™s financial statements. 1. Under the caption Assets: Pension asset/liability. 2. Under the caption Liabilities: Pension asset/liability. 3. Under the caption Stockholdersโ€™ Equity: Prior service cost as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. 4. On the income statement: Pension expense. Instructions Explain the significance of each of the items above on corporate financial statements. (Note: All items set forth above are not necessarily to be found on the statements of a single company.)

What are โ€œliability gains and losses,โ€ and how are they accounted for?

Towson Company has experienced tough competition for its talented workforce, leading it to enhance the pension benefits provided to employees. As a result, Towson amended its pension plan on January 1, 2017, and granted past service costs of \(250,000. Current service cost for 2017 is \)52,000. Interest expense is \(18,000, and interest revenue is \)5,000. Actual return on assets in 2017 is \(3,000. What is Towsonโ€™s pension expense for 2017? (a) \)65,000. (c) \(317,000. (b) \)302,000. (d) $315,000.

Many business organizations have been concerned with providing for the retirement of employees since the late 1800s. Increase in this concern resulted in the establishment of private pension plans in most large companies and in many medium- and small-sized ones. The substantial growth of these plans, both in numbers of employees covered and in amounts of retirement benefits, has increased the significance of pension costs in relation to the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of many companies. In examining the costs of pension plans, a 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) Define a private pension plan. How does a contributory pension plan differ from a noncontributory plan?

(b) Differentiate between โ€œaccounting for the employerโ€ and โ€œaccounting for the pension fund.โ€

(c) Explain the terms โ€œfundedโ€ and โ€œpension liabilityโ€ as they relate to: (1) The pension fund. (2) The employer.

(d) (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.

(e) Distinguish among the following as they relate to pension plans. (1) Service cost. (2) Prior service costs. (3) Vested benefits.

At the end of the current period, Agler Inc. had a projected benefit obligation of \(400,000 and pension plan assets (at fair value) of \)350,000. What are the accounts and amounts that will be reported on the companyโ€™s balance sheet as pension assets or pension liabilities?

See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Business Studies Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free