9 4 Merging Periodic and Perpetual Inventory Systems with a Cost Flow Assumption Financial Accounting
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Use the final moving average cost per unit to calculate the ending value of inventory and the cost of goods sold. Under specific identification, each inventory item that is sold is matched with its purchase cost. This method is most practical when inventory consists of relatively few, expensive items, particularly when individual units can be identified with serial numbers — for example, motor vehicles. Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), a common set of accounting principles, standards, and procedures that all public companies in the U.S. are required to abide by, champions consistency. Financial statements are expected to be easily comparable from one accounting period to the next to make life simpler for investors.
The Last-In, First-Out (LIFO) method takes the opposite approach, assuming that the last items to arrive in inventory are sold first. This particular accounting technique is generally adopted when tax rates are high because the costs assigned will be higher and income will be lower. Inventory represents all the finished goods or materials used in production that a company has possession of. The process of the flow of costs begins with valuing the raw materials used in manufacturing. The cost of the machinery and labor involved in production are added as well as any overhead costs.
What Is Flow of Costs?
Therefore, Company A’s merchandise turnover is more favourable than Company B’s. The purpose of the adjusting entry is to ensure that inventory is not overstated on the balance sheet and that income is not overstated on the income statement. Using the information above to apply specific identification, the resulting inventory record card appears in Figure 6.6. The LIFO reserve is the amount by which a company’s taxable income has been deferred, as compared to the FIFO method.
- This graphic representation of a general ledger account is known as a T-account.
- This chapter explains the relationship between financial statements and several steps in the accounting process.
- This means that for each dollar of sales, an average of $.33 is left to cover other expenses after deducting cost of goods sold.
- Inventory must be evaluated, at minimum, each accounting period to determine whether the net realizable value (NRV) is lower than cost, known as the lower of cost and net realizable value (LCNRV) of inventory.
- In filing income taxes with the United States government, a company must follow the regulations of the Internal Revenue Code1.
- A FIFO cost flow assumption makes sense when inventory consists of perishable items such as groceries and other time-sensitive goods.
At the end of the year, on December 31, a physical inventory is taken that finds that four bathtubs, Model WET-5, are in stock (4 – 3 + 3 – 3 + 3 – 2 + 2). Each account can be represented visually by splitting the account into left and right sides as shown. This graphic representation of a general ledger account is known as a T-account. The concept of the T-account was briefly mentioned in Introduction to Financial Statements and will be used later in this chapter to analyze transactions. A T-account is called a “T-account” because it looks like a “T,” as you can see with the T-account shown here. For example, Lynn Sanders owns a small printing company, Printing Plus.
Accounting Principles, Assumptions, and Concepts
Compare the values found for ending inventory and cost of goods sold under the various assumed cost flow methods in the previous examples. If Zapp Electronics uses the last‐in, first‐out method with a perpetual system, the cost of the last units purchased is allocated to cost of goods sold whenever a sale occurs. Therefore ending inventory consists of 50 units from beginning inventory and 50 units from the October 10 purchase. Check the value found for cost of goods sold by multiplying the 350 units that sold by the weighted average cost per unit.
- Once an asset is recorded on the books, the value of that asset must remain at its historical cost, even if its value in the market changes.
- As an illustration, recently a significant tax break was passed by Congress for first-time home buyers.
- The weighted average cost per unit equals the cost of goods available for sale divided by the number of units available for sale.
The PCAOB is the organization that sets the auditing standards, after approval by the SEC. It is important to remember that auditing is not the same as accounting. The role of the Auditor is to examine and provide assurance that financial statements are reasonably stated under the rules of appropriate accounting principles.
LO2 – Explain the impact on financial statements of inventory cost flows and errors.
This can happen when product costs rise and those later numbers are used in the cost of goods calculation, instead of the actual costs. Most businesses adopt a cost flow assumption because it’s too laborious to track each item individually. Second, income tax laws enable the government to help regulate the health of the economy. Simply by raising or lowering tax rates, the government can take money out of the economy (and slow public spending) or leave money in the economy (and increase public spending). As an illustration, recently a significant tax break was passed by Congress for first-time home buyers.
In other words, the last units purchased are always the ones remaining in inventory. Using this method, Zapp Electronics assumes that all 100 units in ending inventory were purchased on October 10. Inventory must be evaluated, at minimum, each accounting period to determine whether an assumption about cost flow is used the net realizable value (NRV) is lower than cost, known as the lower of cost and net realizable value (LCNRV) of inventory. The method utilized to assign costs to inventory and COGS can have a big bearing on a company’s key financials, reported profitability, and tax obligations.
1 Describe Principles, Assumptions, and Concepts of Accounting and Their Relationship to Financial Statements
This will always be true regardless of which inventory cost flow method is used. Using the information from the previous example, the first four units purchased are assumed to be the first four units sold under FIFO. Sales still equal $40, so gross profit under FIFO is $30 ($40 – $10). The cost of the one remaining unit in ending inventory would be the cost of the fifth unit purchased ($5). However, the costs of the goods in inventory does not have to flow the way the goods flowed. This means the bookstore can remove the oldest copy of its three copies from inventory but remove the cost of its most recently purchased copy.
It may seem that this advantage is offset by the time and expense required to continuously update inventory records, particularly where there are thousands of different items of various sizes on hand. However, computerization makes this record keeping easier and less expensive because the inventory accounting system can be tied in to the sales system so https://accounting-services.net/what-is-the-difference-between-a-csv-and-xml/ that inventory is updated whenever a sale is recorded. As purchases and sales are made, costs are assigned to the goods using the chosen cost flow assumption. This information is used to calculate the cost of goods sold amount for each sales transaction at the time of sale. These costs will vary depending on the inventory cost flow assumption used.
If costs were completely stable, it wouldn’t matter how costs were flowed. The estimated ending inventory at June 30 must be $100—the difference between the cost of goods available for sale and cost of goods sold. Estimating ending inventory requires an understanding of the relationship of ending inventory with cost of goods sold.
- Cost flow assumptions refer to three methods that U.S. business owners use to account for inventory and cost of goods sold (COGS).
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- Cost of goods sold can then be valued at retail, meaning that it will equal sales for the period.
- This means that IFRS interpretations and guidance have fewer detailed components for specific industries as compared to US GAAP guidance.
- All of the preceding issues are of less importance if the weighted average method is used.