accounting

Chapter 5: Merchandising Options

Merchandising Operations

  • Merchandising Operations and Inventory Systems:

    • Income measurement process

    • Inventory systems

    • Recording purchases and sales of merchandise

    • Presentation of statement of income: single-step, multi-step, comprehensive income

    • Evaluating profitability

    • Periodic inventory system

    • Sales returns and discounts under ASPE

Differences Between Service and Merchandising Companies

  • Service Companies:

    • Primary source of revenue through services provided.

  • Merchandising Companies:

    • Buy and sell inventory.

    • Types: Retailers to customers, wholesalers to retailers, manufacturers to wholesalers.

Operating Cycle

  • Definition:

    • Period from cash spent to buy inventory until cash is collected from customers.

  • Comparison:

    • Longer for merchandising companies due to purchasing, storing, and selling inventory, adding more steps.

Income Measurement Process

  • Revenue:

    • Revenue from merchandise sales (referred to as sales).

  • Expenses:

    • Divided into cost of goods sold and operating expenses.

Gross Profit Calculation

  • Formula:

    • Gross profit = Sales - Cost of Goods Sold

Income Measurement for a Merchandising Company

  • Stepwise Calculation:

    • Sales - Cost of Goods Sold = Gross Profit

    • Gross Profit - Operating Expenses = Income Before Income Tax

    • Income Before Income Tax - Income Tax Expense = Net Income

Inventory Systems

  • Flow of Costs:

    • Starting inventory + cost of goods purchased = Cost of goods available for sale.

    • Sold costs assigned to Cost of Goods Sold; unsold become ending inventory.

  • Types of Systems:

    • Periodic or perpetual.

Perpetual Inventory System
  • Characteristics:

    • Detailed records kept for each product's cost.

    • Records updated continuously.

    • Allows for constant knowledge of cost of goods sold and inventory balance.

    • Year-end physical count reconciles records to actual inventory.

Periodic Inventory System
  • Characteristics:

    • Does not maintain detailed records throughout the period.

    • Cost of goods sold calculated at period-end.

    • Considered "old school".

Page 3: Purchases of Merch

Recording Purchases

  • Recorded in inventory account.

  • Includes all costs to acquire merchandise and prepare for resale (transportation, taxes, etc).

  • Purchases made for cash or on credit.

Sales Taxes and Freight

  • GST and HST:

    • These do not form part of the cost of goods.

    • FOB Terms:

      • FOB Destination: Ownership transfers at buyer's location; seller covers shipping.

      • FOB Shipping Point: Ownership transfers upon shipping; buyer covers cost.

Purchase Returns and Allowances

  • Goods returned to seller for cash or credit.

  • An allowance may be given if the buyer keeps the merchandise, reducing cost of goods purchased.

Discounts

  • Discounts offered for early payment (e.g., 2/10, n/30).

  • Recorded at payment time; reduces inventory account.

Page 4: Adjusting Entry and End of Period

Inventory Counts

  • Conducted at least annually to check for discrepancies.

  • Differences lead to adjustments for shrinkage, needing investigation.

Recording Sales of Merchandise

  • Perpetual System:

    • Sales tax recorded as liability, not revenue.

    • For FOB destination, seller pays freight as operating expense.

    • Under IFRS, sales recorded net of estimated returns.

Statement of Income Presentation

  • Two forms: single-step and multi-step.

    • Multi-step includes gross profit, operating income, income before tax, and net income.

Statement of Comprehensive Income

  • Shows items not included in net income but in comprehensive income.

Page 5: Evaluating Profitability

Profitability Metrics

  • Gross Profit Margin:

    • Measures gross profit as a percentage of sales (GPM = Gross Profit/Sales). Higher values are better.

  • Profit Margin:

    • Measures profit percentage on sales (Profit Margin = Net Income/Sales). Higher values are better.

Appendix: Periodic System Comparisons

  • Differences in Recording:

    • Purchases and sales differ from perpetual systems.

  • Cost of Goods Sold Calculation:

    • Done at period-end using:

      1. Calculating cost of goods purchased.

      2. Determining ending inventory.

      3. Calculating cost of goods sold.

Chapter 6: Reporting and Analyzing Inventory

Determining Inventory Quantities

  • Methods:

    • Ownership determination, physical inventory, making cost adjustments, and internal controls.

  • Errors in Inventory:

    • Need to present and analyze inventory correctly, adhering to cost formulas.

Ownership of Goods

  • Considerations:

    • Goods in transit complicate ownership determination.

    • Ownership remains with the original owner, not the holder.

Taking Physical Inventory

  • Effective counting necessitates strong internal control systems for accuracy and accountability.

Inventory Cost Formulas

  • Unit Costs:

    • Requires application of unit costs to totaled inventory quantities.

Methods of Cost Flow Assumptions
  • Specific Identification:

    • Tracks actual goods sold; applicable in perpetual systems with specific projects.

  • FIFO (First In, First Out):

    • Assumes oldest merchandise sold first; ending inventory reflects recent purchases costs.

  • Average Cost:

    • Uses average unit costs after each purchase.

Page 7: FIFO and Average Cost

FIFO Characteristics

  • Ending inventory recorded at current cost; cost of goods sold reflects oldest costs.

  • Identical for periodic and perpetual systems.

Average Cost Characteristics

  • Averaging typically applied when inventory flow isn't straightforward; utilizes moving averages.

Choice of Inventory Cost Formula

  • Opt for a formula representing actual or approximated physical flow of goods and yields recent costs.

Page 8: Financial Statement Effects Summary

Effects of Cost Fluctuations

  • Rising Costs:

    • FIFO typically results in lower gross profit and net income.

    • Average Cost may yield a higher gross profit.

  • Falling Costs:

    • FIFO results in higher gross profit; average cost may lead to lower values.

Advantages of Cost Formulas

  • Specific Identification:

    • Accurate reporting of cost of goods sold with revenues.

  • FIFO:

    • Ending inventory reflects replacement costs.

  • Average Cost:

    • Provides closer matching of costs to actual sales.

Page 9: Inventory Errors

Common Errors

  • Counting and cost determination inaccuracies; errors impact both financial position and income statement.

    • Understated inventory results in overstated cost of goods sold, reducing gross profit.

Reporting Inventory

  • On Financial Position:

    • Reported at lower of cost or net realizable value (NRV).

Page 10: Cash and Internal Control

Internal Control Systems

  • Purpose:

    • Provides reliable reporting, efficient operations, legal compliance; aids in fraud prevention.

  • Components:

    • Risk assessment, control environment, control activities, monitoring, communication.

Cash Controls

  • Controls over receipts and payments are critical given cash susceptibility to theft.

  • Bank Accounts:

    • Utilizing banks adds a safeguard, providing additional records for transactions.

Online Banking

  • Authorized staff can manage transactions and monitor accounts in real time, enhancing efficiency.

Page 13: Reconciling Bank Accounts

Bank Reconciliation Process

  • Balance per bank statement reconciled with company’s cash balance to identify discrepancies.

Reporting Cash

  • Cash listed first in current assets; can include equivalents.

Chapter 8: Reporting and Analyzing Receivables

Accounts Receivable

  • Represents amounts owed by customers; classified into accounts and notes receivable.

Recording Accounts Receivable

  • Recorded at the initial transaction price, adjusted for returns, allowances, and sales discounts.

Managing Uncollectible Accounts

  • Use of allowance method to estimate expected credit losses; reduces receivables in current assets.

Page 15: Summary of Allowance Method

Credit Losses Recognition

  • Detailed procedures for measuring, recording, and recovering uncollectible accounts; impacts income statements and balance sheets.

Notes Receivable

  • Legal claims with repayment obligations and interest benefits, used primarily beyond standard credit terms.

Statement Presentation

  • Properly shown as current assets with an associated allowance for doubtful accounts.