Case 3-72 Cash- or Accrual-Basis Accounting
Karen Ragsdale owns a business that rents parking spots to students at the local university. Karen’s typical rental contract requires the student to pay the year’s rent of $450 ($50 per month) on September 1. When Karen prepares financial statements at the end of December, her accountant requires that Karen spread the $450 over the 9 months that each parking Spot is rented. Therefore, Karen can recognize only $200 of revenue (4 months) from each parking spot rental contract in the year the cash is collected and must defer (delay) recognition of the remaining $250 (5 months) to the next year. Karen argues that getting students to agree to rent the parking Spot is the most difficult part of the activity so she Ought to be able to recognize all $450 as revenue when the cash is received from a student.
Required:
Why do generally accepted accounting principles require the use of accrual accounting rather than cash-basis accounting for transactions like the one described here?
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Cornerstones of Financial Accounting
- Brief Exercise 2-28 Assumptions and Principles Five common accounting practices are listed below: A customer pays $20 to mail a package on December 30. The delivery company recognizes revenue when the package is delivered in January. Jim Trotter owns C**S Heating Company. In preparing the financial statements, Trotter makes sure that the purchase of a new truck for personal use is not included in C&S’s financial statements. Moseley Inc. recorded land at its purchase price of $50,000. In future periods, the land is reflected in the financial statements at $50,000. Mack Company purchases inventory in March. However, it does not expense that inventory until it is sold in April. Mueller Inc. prepares quarterly and annual financial statements. Required: Identify the amounting principle or assumption that best describes each practicearrow_forwardProblem 2-56A Analyzing Transactions Luis Madero, after working for several years with a large public accounting firm decided to open his own accounting service. The business is operated as a corporation under the name Madero Accounting Services. The following captions and amounts summarize Maderos balance sheet at July 31, 2019. The following events occurred during August 2019. Issued common stock to Ms. Garriz in exchange for $15,000 cash. Paid $850 for first months rent on office space. Purchased supplies of $2,250 on credit. Borrowed $8,000 from the bank. Paid $1,080 on account for supplies purchased earlier on credit. Paid secretarys salary for August of $2,150. Performed amounting services for clients who paid cash upon completion of the service in the total amount of $4,700. Used $3,180 of the supplies on hand. Perfumed accounting services for clients on credit in the total amount of $1,920. Purchased $500 in supplies for cash. Collected $1,290 cash from clients for whom services were performed on credit. Paid $1,000 dividend to stockholders. Required: Record the effects of the transactions listed above on the accounting equation. Use the format given in the problem, starting with the totals at July 31, 20l9. Prepare the trial balance at August 31, 2019.arrow_forwardExercise 3-40 Revenue and Expense Recognition Electronic Repair Company repaired a high-definition television for Sarah Merrifield in December 2019. Sarah paid $80 at the time of the repair and agreed to pay Electronic Repair $80 each month for 5 months beginning on January 15, 2020. Electronic Repair used $120 of supplies, which were purchased in November 2020, to repair the television. Assume that Electronic Repair uses accrual-basis accounting. Required: In what month or months should revenue from this service be recorded by Electronic Repaid? In what month or months should the expense related to the repair of the television be recorded by Electronic Repair? CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Describe the accounting principles used to answer the above questions.arrow_forward
- Exercise 3-38 Accrual- and Cash-Basis Expense Recognition The following information is taken from the accrual accounting records of Kroger Sales Company: During January, Kroger paid $9,150 for supplies to in sales to customers during the next 2 months (February and March). The supplies will be used evenly over the next 2 months. Kroger pays its employees at the end of each month for salaries earned during that month. Salaries paid at the end of February and March amounted to $4,925 and $5,100, respectively. Kroger placed an advertisement in the local newspaper during March at a cost of $850. The ad promoted the pre-spring sale during the last week in March. Kroger did not pay for the newspaper ad until mid-April. Required: Under cash-basis accounting, how much exvxn.se should Kroger report for February and March? Under accrual-basis accounting, how much expense should Kroger report for February and March? CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION Which basis of accounting provides the most useful information for decision-makers? Why?arrow_forwardBrief Exercise 2-32 Journalize Transactions Galle Inc. entered into the following transactions during January. January, 1: Borrowed $50,000 from First Street Bank by signing a note payable. January, 4: Purchased $25,000 of equipment for cash. January, 6: Paid $500 to landlord for rent for January. January, 15: Performed services for customers on account. $10,000. January, 25: Collected $3,000 from customers for services performed in Transaction d. January, 30: Paid salaries of $2,500 for the current month. Required: Prepare journal entries for the transactions.arrow_forwardExercise 2-38 Events and Transactions The following economic events related to K the bill need not be paid until March 1, 2019. On February, 15, Kqualify and does not qualify. indicate whether each of the above events would qualify as a transaction and be recognized and recorded in the accounting system on the date indicated. 2. CONCEPTUAL CONNECTION For any events that did not qualify as a transaction to be recognized and recorded, explain why it does not qualify.arrow_forward
- Cornerstone Exercise 3-12 Accrual- and Cash-Basis Revenue McDonald Music sells used CDs for S4.00 each. During the month of April, McDonald sold 7,650 CDs for cash and 13,220 CDs on credit. McDonalds cash collections in April included $30,600 for the CDs sold for cash, $12,800 for CDs sold on credit during the previous month, and $29,850 for CDs sold on credit during April. Required: Calculate the amount of revenue recognized in April under (1) cash-basis accounting and (2) accrual-basis accounting.arrow_forwardCase 3-73 Recognition of Service Contract Revenue Zac Murphy is president of Blooming Colors Inc. which provides landscaping services in Tallahassee, Florida. On November 20, 2019, Mr. Murphy signed a service contract with Eastern State University. Under the contract, Blooming Colors will provide landscaping services for all Of Easterns buildings for a period of 2 years beginning on January l, 2020, and Eastern will pay Blooming Colors on a monthly basis beginning on January 31, 2020. Although the same amount of landscaping services will be rendered in every month, the contract provides for higher monthly payments in the first year. Initially, Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue from the contract should be recognized when the contract is signed in 2019; however, his accountant, Sue Storm, convinced him that this would be inappropriate. Then Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue should be recognized in an amount equal to the cash collected under the contract. Again, Ms. Storm argued against his proposal, indicating that generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) required recognition of an equal amount of contract revenue each month. Required: Put yourself in the position of Sue Storm. How would you convince Mr. Murphy that his two proposals are unacceptable and that an equal amount of revenue should be recognized every month?arrow_forwardCase 3-73 Recognition of Service Contract Revenue Zac Murphy is president of Blooming Colors Inc. which provides landscaping services in Tallahassee, Florida. On November 20, 2019, Mr. Murphy signed a service contract with Eastern State University. Under the contract, Blooming Colors will provide landscaping services for all Of Easterns buildings for a period of 2 years beginning on January l, 2020, and Eastern will pay Blooming Colors on a monthly basis beginning on January 31, 2020. Although the same amount of landscaping services will be rendered in every month, the contract provides for higher monthly payments in the first year. Initially, Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue from the contract should be recognized when the contract is signed in 2019; however, his accountant, Sue Storm, convinced him that this would be inappropriate. Then Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue should be recognized in an amount equal to the cash collected under the contract. Again, Ms. Storm argued against his proposal, indicating that generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) required recognition of an equal amount of contract revenue each month. Required: 3. If Ms. Storms proposal is adopted. how would the contract be reflected in the balancesheets at the end of 2019 and at the end of 2020?arrow_forward
- Case 3-73 Recognition of Service Contract Revenue Zac Murphy is president of Blooming Colors Inc. which provides landscaping services in Tallahassee, Florida. On November 20, 2019, Mr. Murphy signed a service contract with Eastern State University. Under the contract, Blooming Colors will provide landscaping services for all Of Easterns buildings for a period of 2 years beginning on January l, 2020, and Eastern will pay Blooming Colors on a monthly basis beginning on January 31, 2020. Although the same amount of landscaping services will be rendered in every month, the contract provides for higher monthly payments in the first year. Initially, Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue from the contract should be recognized when the contract is signed in 2019; however, his accountant, Sue Storm, convinced him that this would be inappropriate. Then Mr. Murphy proposed that the revenue should be recognized in an amount equal to the cash collected under the contract. Again, Ms. Storm argued against his proposal, indicating that generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) required recognition of an equal amount of contract revenue each month. Required: 1. Give a reason that might explain Mr. Murphys desire to recognize contract revenue earlier rather than later.arrow_forwardBrief Exercise 2-30 Transaction Analysis Galle Inc. entered into the following transactions during January. Borrowed $50,000 from First Street Bank by signing a new payable. Purchased $25,000 of equipment for cash. (Continued) Paid $500 to landlord for rent for January. Performed services for customers on account, $10,000. Collected $31000 from customers for services performed in Transaction d. Paid salaries of $2,500 for the current month. Required: Show the effect of each transaction using the following model.arrow_forwardCustomer Deposits Wolfe $ Wolfe collected $9,000 from a customer on April 1 and agreed to provide legal services during the next three months. Wolfe $ Wolfe expects to provide an equal amount of services each month. Required Prepare the journal entry for the receipt of the customer deposit on April 1. Prepare the adjusting entry on April 30. What will be the effect on net income for April if the entry in (2) is not recorded?arrow_forward
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