Chapter 20 19th Edition Accounting Changes and Error Corrections Intermediate Accounting James D Stice Earl K Stice PowerPoint presented by Douglas Cloud Professor Emeritus of Accounting, Pepperdine University © 2014 Cengage Learning 20-1 Accounting Changes • • The accounting profession has identified two main categories of accounting changes:  Change in accounting estimate  Change in accounting principle The basic accounting issue is whether accounting changes should be reported as adjustments of the prior periods’ statements or whether the changes should affect only the current and future years (continued) 20-2 Accounting Changes Several alternatives have been suggested for reporting annual changes Restate the financial statements presented for prior years to reflect the effect of the change Make no adjustment to statements presented in prior years Same as (2), except report the cumulative effect of the change as a special item in the income statement (continued) 20-3 Accounting Changes Report the cumulative effect in the current year as in (3) but also present limited pro forma information for all periods included in the financial statements reporting what might have been if the change had been made in the prior year Make the change effective only for current and future periods with no catch-up adjustment (continued) 20-4 Accounting Changes • Under the provisions of International Accounting Standard (IAS) 8, companies would debit the beginning balance in the retained earnings account • The FASB adopted Statement No 154 in May 2005 • This change brought U.S accounting into conformity with IAS 20-5 Change in Accounting Estimate • • • Contrary to what many people believe, accounting information cannot always be measured precisely To be reported on a timely basis for decision making, accounting information often must be based on estimates of future events These estimates, which are based on the best professional judgment given the information available at the time, may have to be revised at a later time (continues) 20-6 Change in Accounting Estimate Examples of areas for which changes in accounting estimates often are needed include: Uncollectible receivables Useful lives of depreciable or intangible assets Residual value of depreciable assets Warranty obligations Quantities of mineral reserves Actuarial assumptions for pensions and other postemployment benefits (continues) 20-7 Change in Accounting Estimate Number of periods benefited by deferred costs (continued) 20-8 Change in Accounting Estimate • Some changes in accounting principle are actually just another form of a change in estimate • If a company changes its depreciation method, it is really making a statement about a change in the expected usage pattern with respect to that asset • A change in depreciation method is accounted for as a change in estimate and is called “a change in accounting estimate effected by a change in accounting principle.” 20-9 Change in Accounting Principle • • A change in accounting principle involves a change from one generally accepted principle or method to another A change from a principle that is not generally accepted to one that is generally accepted is considered to be an error correction rather than a change in accounting principle (continued) 20-10 Failure to Record Prepaid Expenses (5) It is discovered that miscellaneous general expense for 2011 included taxes of $275 that should have been deferred in adjusting the accounts on December 31, 2011 The effects of the failure to record the prepaid expense are shown in the chart on Slide 20-42 (continued) 20-41 Failure to Record Prepaid Expenses (continued) 20-42 Failure to Record Prepaid Expenses Because this is a counterbalancing error, no entry to correct the accounts is required in 2013 If this error had been discovered in 2012 instead of 2013, the following correcting entry would have been made in 2012 Miscellaneous General Expense Retained Earnings 275 275 20-43 Failure to Record Accrued Revenue (6) Accrued interest on notes receivable of $150 was overlooked in adjusting the accounts on December 31, 2011 The revenue was recognized when the interest was collected in 2012 The effects of the failure to record the accrued revenue follow: (continued) 20-44 Failure to Record Accrued Revenue Because the balance sheet items at the end of 2012 were correctly stated, no entry is required in 2013 If this error had been discovered in 2012 instead of 2013, the following entry would be necessary to correct the account balances: Interest Revenue Retained Earnings 150 150 20-45 Failure to Record Unearned Revenue (7) Fees of $225 received in advance for miscellaneous services as of December 31, 2012, were overlooked in adjusting the accounts Miscellaneous revenue had been credited when fees were received The effects of the failure to recognize the unearned revenue were as follows: (continued) 20-46 Failure to Record Unearned Revenue The following entry is required to correct the accounts: Retained Earnings Miscellaneous Revenue 225 225 20-47 Failure to Record Depreciation (8) Delivery equipment was acquired at the beginning of 2011 at a cost of $6,000 The equipment has an estimated five-year life Depreciation of $1,200 relating to this equipment was overlooked at the end of 2011 and 2012 The effects of the failure to record depreciation for 2011 were as shown on Slide 20-49 (continued) 20-48 Failure to Record Depreciation (continued) 20-49 Failure to Record Depreciation The misstatements arising from the failure to record depreciation are not counterbalanced in the succeeding year The correcting entry in 2013 for depreciation that should have been recognized for 2011 and 2012 is as follows: Retained Earnings Accumulated Depreciation— Delivery Equipment 2,400 $1,200 per year2,400 ×2 (continued) 20-50 Incorrectly Capitalizing an Expenditure (9) Operating expenses of $2,000 were paid in cash at the beginning of 2011 However, the payment was incorrectly debited to equipment The “equipment” was assumed to have an estimated 5-year life and no residual value; thus, depreciation of $400 was recognized at the end of 2011 and 2012 The effects of this incorrect capitalization of an expenditure are shown in Slide 20-52 (continued) 20-51 Incorrectly Capitalizing an Expenditure The correcting entry in 2013 is as follows: Retained Earnings Accumulated Depreciation—Equipment Equipment 1,200 800 2,000 20-52 Required Disclosure for Error Restatements If an error (either accidental or intentional in nature) is subsequently discovered that affected a prior period, the nature of the error, its effect on previously issued financial statements, and the effect of its correction on current period’s net income and EPS should be disclosed in the period in which the error is corrected 20-53 Chapter 20 ₵ The The End End $ 20-54 20-55 .. .Accounting Changes • • The accounting profession has identified two main categories of accounting changes:  Change in accounting estimate  Change in accounting principle The basic accounting. .. postemployment benefits (continues) 20- 7 Change in Accounting Estimate Number of periods benefited by deferred costs (continued) 20- 8 Change in Accounting Estimate • Some changes in accounting principle are... estimate and is called “a change in accounting estimate effected by a change in accounting principle.” 20- 9 Change in Accounting Principle • • A change in accounting principle involves a change