On January 2, 1993, Quo, Inc. hired Reed to be its controller. During the year, Reed, working closely with Quo's president and outside accountants, made changes in accounting policies, corrected several errors dating from 1992 and before, and instituted new accounting policies.
Quo's 1993 financial statements will be presented in comparative form with its 1992 financial statements.
This question represents one of Quo's transactions. List A represents possible clarifications of these transactions as: a change in accounting principle, a change in accounting estimate, a correction of an error in previously presented financial statements, or neither an accounting change nor an accounting error.
During 1993, Quo increased its investment in Worth, Inc. from a 10% interest, purchased in 1992, to 30%, and acquired a seat on Worth's board of directors. As a result of its increased investment, Quo changed its method of accounting for investment in Worth, Inc. from the cost method to the equity method.
List A
Choice 'd' is correct. A change from the cost method (less than 20% ownership) to the equity method (20% or more ownership or a Board seat or other significant influence) of accounting for investment in an investee is neither an accounting change nor an accounting error. If it is not an accounting change, it cannot be a change in accounting principle or a change in accounting estimate since those two types of changes are both accounting changes.
There is a considerable amount of controversy on this particular answer. Some people think that this change is a change in accounting principle (something certainly changed, but was it the accounting principle?), and others think it is a change in accounting entity (which is not one of the available answers; anyway, did the accounting entity actually change or is it the same entity accounted for differently?). Under SFAS No. 154, a change in accounting principle is treated retrospectively and a change in accounting entity is treated retrospectively.
This kind of change (cost to equity) has never been specifically identified in any accounting literature as either a change in accounting principle or a change in accounting entity. The words 'cost method' were never mentioned in APB 20 (other than the full cost method for oil & gas companies, which is an entirely different subject), nor was it mentioned in SFAS No. 154. It was, however, discussed in APB 18 (the pronouncement for the equity method) in Paragraph 19m (bold added): 'An investment in common stock of an investee that was previously accounted for on other than the equity method may become qualified for use of the equity method by an increase in the level of ownership described in paragraph 17 (i.e., acquisition of additional voting stock by the investor, acquisition or retirement of voting stock by the investee, or other transactions). When an investment qualifies for use of the equity method, the investor should adopt the equity method of accounting. The investment, results of operations (current and prior
periods presented), and retained earnings of the investor should be adjusted retroactively in a manner consistent with the accounting for a step-by-step acquisition of a subsidiary.'
What does all this mean? It means that, when there is a change in the percentage of ownership that changes accounting from the cost method to the equity method, the change is treated retroactively (just like changes in accounting entity used to be treated, although they are now treated retrospectively). It does not say that the change is a change in accounting principle or anything else. Nothing in SFAS No.154 changed this treatment. So all this still makes Choice 'd' correct. This whole issue might easily be considered to be splitting hairs, at the very least. Some questions on the CPA exam are just that way. Most are not.
Sabra
3 days agoShanice
7 days agoAnissa
9 days agoGalen
4 days agoLennie
19 days agoJustine
27 days agoKaran
29 days agoLacey
29 days agoLennie
30 days agoJustine
1 months agoCristy
1 months agoYuki
16 days agoYuki
1 months ago