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Essay on revenue recognition

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Apple Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets personal computers, mobile communication devices, and portable digital music and video players and sells a variety of related software, services, peripherals, and networking solutions. The Company sells its products worldwide through its online stores, its retail stores, its direct sales force, and third-party wholesalers, resellers, and value-added resellers. (Source: Company Form 10-K)
Refer to the financial reports of Apple, Inc. for the year ended September 25, 2010
+Concepts+
a. In your own words, define "revenues." Explain how revenues are different from "gains."
b. Describe what it means for a business to "recognize" revenues. What specific accounts and financial statements are …show more content…

Accordingly, the Company generally recognizes revenue for the sale of products obtained from other companies based on the gross amount billed. For certain sales made through the iTunes Store, the Company is not the primary obligor to users of the software, and third-party developers determine the selling price of their software. Therefore, the Company accounts for such sales on a net basis by recognizing only the commission it retains from each sale and including that commission in net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The portion of the sales price paid by users that is remitted by the Company to third-party developers is not reflected in the Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations.
The Company records deferred revenue when it receives payments in advance of the delivery of products or the performance of services. This includes amounts that have been deferred related to embedded unspecified and specified software upgrades rights. The Company sells gift cards and records deferred revenue upon the sale of the card, which is relieved upon redemption of the card by the customer. Revenue from AppleCare service and support contracts is deferred and recognized ratably over the service coverage periods.
Revenue Recognition for Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables
For multi-element arrangements that include tangible products that contain software that is essential to the

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