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

The treasurer of Landowska Co. has that conservatism is a doctrine that is followed in accounting and, therefore, proposes that several policies be followed that are conservative in nature. State your opinion with respect to each of the policies listed.

  1. The company gives a 2-year warranty to its customers on all products sold. The estimated warranty costs incurred from this year’s sales should be entered as an expense this year instead of an expense in the period in the future when the warranty is made good.
  2. When sales are made on account, there is always uncertainty about whether the accounts are collectible. Therefore, the treasurer recommends recording the sale when the cash is received from the customers.
  3. A personal liability lawsuit is pending against the company. The treasurer believes there is an even chance that the company will lose the suit and have to pay damages of \(200,000 to \)300,000. The treasurer recommends that a loss be recorded and a liability created in the amount of $300,000.

Short Answer

Expert verified
  1. It is acceptable if a fairly definite evaluation is possible.
  2. It is not acceptable. Most accounts are overdue, or the firm will exit the business instantly.
  3. It is not acceptable as the provision for the probable loss can be created by allocation of retained earnings until judgment has been provided on the case or it is settled; entry of the loss normally shows prediction.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Conservatism

It is a principle or a justification of accounting information requiring accountants to make the books of accounts, i.e., financial statements, cautiously and verifies accounting entries correctly.

02

Explanation for statement ‘a’

It is justifiable. Suppose a probably right evaluation is viable. To ensure that the warranty costs are evaluated correctly, they should match against the linked sales revenue.

03

Explanation for statement ‘b’

It is not justifiable. Accounts are mostly overdue, or the firm will exit the business soon. Therefore, sales can be listed when created. Moreover, other firms list sales when created or collected; therefore, if accounts for Landowska Co. are to be matched with other firms, they must be kept on a comparable basis. However, evaluation for uncollectible accounts should be listed if there is a possible basis for evaluating bad debts.

04

Explanation for statement ‘c’

It is not justifiable. A business entity can create a provision for the probable loss through allotment of retained earnings.Still, until judgment has been provided on a case or settled, the loss's entry normally shows prediction. Listing it before the final judgment is a possibly inappropriate legal method. For the loss to be identified at this point, the loss would have to be possible and considerately admirable. It is noted that disclosure is needed in the footnotes of the balance sheet if the loss is not listed; however, conservatism is not a portion of the conceptual framework.

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

Question: Companies that use IFRS:

(a) must report all their assets on the statement of financial position (balance sheet) at fair value.

(b) may report property, plant, and equipment and natural resources at fair value.

(c) may refer to a concept statement on estimating fair values when market data are not available.

(d) may only use historical cost as the measurement basis in financial reporting.

Question: William Murray achieved one of his life-long dreams by opening his own business, The Caddie Shack Driving Range, on May 1, 2017. He invested \(20,000 of his own savings in the business. He paid \)6,000 cash to have a small building constructed to house the operations and spent \(800 on golf clubs, golf balls, and yardage signs. Murray leased 4 acres of land for \)1,000 per month. (He paid the first month’s rent in cash.) During the first month, advertising costs totaled \(750, of which \)150 was unpaid at the end of the month. Murray paid his three nephews \(400 for retrieving golf balls. He deposited in the company’s bank account all revenues from customers (\)4,700). On May 15, Murray withdrew \(800 in cash for personal use. On May 31, the company received a utility bill for \)100 but did not immediately pay it. On May 31, the balance in the company bank account was \(15,100.

Murray is feeling pretty good about results for the first month, but his estimate of profitability ranges from a loss of \)4,900 to a profit of \(1,650.

Accounting

Prepare a balance sheet at May 31, 2017. Murray appropriately records any depreciation expense on a quarterly basis. How could Murray have determined that the business operated at a profit of \)1,650? How could Murray conclude that the business operated at a loss of \(4,900?

Analysis

Assume Murray has asked you to become a partner in his business. Under the partnership agreement, after paying him \)10,000, you would share equally in all future profits. Which of the two income measures above would be more useful in deciding whether to become a partner? Explain.

Principles

What is income according to GAAP? What concepts do the differences in the three income measures for The Caddie Shack Driving Range illustrate?

Question: The AICPA Special Committee on Financial Reporting proposed the following constraints related to financial reporting.

  1. Business reporting should exclude information outside of management’s expertise or for which management is not the best source, such as information about competitors.
  2. Management should not be required to report information that would significantly harm the company’s competitive position.

  3. Management should not be required to provide forecasted financial statements. Rather, management should provide information that helps users forecast themselves the company’s financial future.

  4. Other than for financial statements, management need report only the information it knows. That is, management should be under no obligation to gather information it does not have, or does not need, to manage the business.

  5. Companies should present certain elements of business reporting only if users and management agree they should be reported- a concept of flexible reporting.

  6. Companies should not have to report forward-looking information unless there are effective deterrents to unwarranted litigation that discourages companies from doing so.

Instructions

For each item, briefly discuss how the proposed constraint addresses concerns about the costs and benefits of financial reporting.

Question: An accountant must be familiar with the concepts involved in determining earnings of a business entity. The amount of earnings reported for a business entity is dependent on the proper recognition, in general, of revenues and expenses for a given time period. In some situations, costs are recognized as expenses at the time of product sale. In other situations, guidelines have been developed for recognizing costs as expenses or losses by other criteria.Instructions

  1. Explain the rationale for recognizing costs as expenses at the time of product sale.
  2. What is the rationale underlying the appropriateness of treating costs as expenses of a period instead of assigning the costs to an asset? Explain.
  3. In what general circumstances would it be appropriate to treat a cost as an asset instead of as an expense?
  4. Some expenses are assigned to specific accounting periods on the basis of systematic and rational allocation of asset cost. Explain the underlying rationale for recognizing expenses on the basis of systematic and rational allocation of asset cost.
  5. Identify the conditions under which it would be appropriate to treat a cost as a loss.

Question: Which of the following statements about the IASB and FASB conceptual frameworks is not correct?

  1. The IASB conceptual framework does not identify the element comprehensive income.
  2. The existing IASB and FASB conceptual frameworks are organized in similar ways.
  3. The FASB and IASB agree that the objective of financial reporting is to provide useful information to investors and creditors.
  4. IFRS does not allow use of fair value as a measurement basis.
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