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What are interim reports? Why is a complete set of financial statements often not provided with interim data? What are the accounting problems related to the presentation of interim data?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Interim data are not reported for a short period. Problems of opportunity cost and fixed cost allotment arise in the presentation of interim data.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning Interim Reports

Interim reporting's primary goal is to give information that will assist investors, creditors, and other users in making informed investment decisions. It comprises not just financial statements but also additional ways of expressing information that is directly or indirectly related to the accounting system's information, such as information about an enterprise's resources, commitments, earnings, and so on.

02

Explaining the reason for a complete set of financial statements often not provided with interim data

A full set of interim financial statements is rarely provided since this information isn't considered critical during a short period of time; the income number, on the other hand, is far more relevant to interim reporting.

03

Explaining the accounting problems related to the presentation of interim data

The accounting issues related to the introduction of interim information are as takes after:

  1. The difficulty of apportioning costs, such as income taxes, pensions, etc., to the proper quarter.
  2. Problems with fixed cost allotment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Keystone Corporationโ€™s financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2017, were authorized for issue on March 10, 2018. The following events took place early in 2018.

  1. On January 10, 10,000 ordinary shares of \(5 par value were issued at \)66 per share.
  2. On March 1, Keystone determined after negotiations with the taxing authorities that income taxes payable for 2017 should be \(1,320,000. At December 31, 2017, income taxes payable were recorded at \)1,100,000.

Instructions

Discuss how the preceding subsequent events should be reflected in the 2017 financial statements.

Picasso Company is a wholesale distributor of packaging equipment and supplies. The companyโ€™s sales have averaged about \(900,000 annually for the 3-year period 2015โ€“2017. The firmโ€™s total assets at the end of 2017 amounted to \)850,000.

The president of Picasso Company has asked the controller to prepare a report that summarizes the financial aspects of the companyโ€™s operations for the past 3 years. This report will be presented to the board of directors at their next meeting.

In addition to comparative financial statements, the controller has decided to present a number of relevant financial ratios which can assist in the identification and interpretation of trends. At the request of the controller, the accounting staff has calculated the following ratios for the 3-year period 2015โ€“2017.

2015

2016

2017

Current ratio

1.80

1.89

1.96

Acid-test (quick) ratio

1.04

0.99

0.87

Accounts receivable turnover

8.75

7.71

6.42

Inventory turnover

4.91

4.32

3.42

Debt to assets ratio

51.0%

46.0%

41.0%

Long-term debt to assets ratio

31.0%

27.0%

24.0%

Sales to fixed assets (fixed asset turnover)

1.58

1.69

1.79

Sales as a percent of 2015 sales

1.00

1.03

1.07

Gross margin percentage

36.0%

35.1%

34.6%

Net income to sales

6.9%

7.0%

7.2%

Return on assets

7.7%

7.7%

7.8%

Return on common stockholdersโ€™ equity

13.6%

13.1%

12.7%

In preparation of the report, the controller has decided first to examine the financial ratios independent of any other data to determine if the ratios themselves reveal any significant trends over the 3-year period.

Instructions

c) Using the ratios provided, what conclusion(s) can be drawn regarding the companyโ€™s net investment in plant and equipment?

In calculating inventory turnover, why is cost of goods sold used as the numerator? As the inventory turnover increases, what increasing risk does the business assume?

The following statement is an excerpt from the FASB pronouncement related to interim reporting. Interim financial information is essential to provide investors and others with timely information as to the progress of the enterprise. The usefulness of such information rests on the relationship that it has to the annual results of operations. Accordingly, the Board has concluded that each interim period should be viewed primarily as an integral part of an annual period. In general, the results for each interim period should be based on the accounting principles and practices used by an enterprise in the preparation of its latest annual financial statements unless a change in an accounting practice or policy has been adopted in the current year. The Board has concluded, however, that certain accounting principles and practices followed for annual reporting purposes may require modification at interim reporting dates so that the reported results for the interim period may better relate to the results of operations for the annual period.

Instructions

The following six independent cases present how accounting facts might be reported on an individual companyโ€™s interim financial reports. For each of these cases, state whether the method proposed to be used for interim reporting would be acceptable under generally accepted accounting principles applicable to interim financial data. Support each answer with a brief explanation.

b) Rockford Company is planning to report one-fourth of its pension expense each quarter.

(Disclosure of Estimates) Nancy Tercek, the financial vice president, and Margaret Lilly, the controller, of Romine Manufacturing Company are reviewing the financial ratios of the company for the years 2017 and 2018. The financial vice president notes that the profit margin on sales ratio has increased from 6% to 12%, a hefty gain for the 2-year period. Tercek is in the process of issuing a media release that emphasizes the efficiency of Romine Manufacturing in controlling cost. Margaret Lilly knows that the difference in ratios is due primarily to an earlier company decision to reduce the estimates of warranty and bad debt expense for 2018. The controller, not sure of her supervisorโ€™s motives, hesitates to suggest to Tercek that the companyโ€™s improvement is unrelated to efficiency in controlling cost. To complicate matters, the media release is scheduled in a few days.

Instructions

  1. What, if any, is the ethical dilemma in this situation?
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