AICPA CPA-Financial CPA Financial Accounting and Reporting CPA Exam Practice Test

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Total 163 questions
Question 1

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 B represents the general accounting treatment required for these transactions. These treatments are:

* Cumulative effect approach - Include the cumulative effect of the adjustment resulting from the accounting change or error correction in the 1993 financial statements, and do not restate the 1992 financial statements.

* Retroactive or retrospective restatement approach - Restate the 1992 financial statements and adjust 1992 beginning retained earnings if the error or change affects a period prior to 1992.

* Prospective approach - Report 1993 and future financial statements on the new basis but do not restate 1992 financial statements.

Item to Be Answered

During 1993, Quo determined that an insurance premium paid and entirely expensed in 1992 was for the period January 1, 1992, through January 1, 1994.

List B (Select one)



Answer : B

Choice 'B' is correct. If comparative FS are issued, restate prior year's FS. If comparative FS are not issued, restate prior year-end's retained earnings account by 'adjusting' (net of tax) the opening balance of the current retained earnings statement.


Question 2

For interim financial reporting, the computation of a company's second quarter provision for income taxes uses an effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year. The effective tax rate should reflect anticipated:



Answer : D

Choice 'd' is correct. Yes - Yes.

The effective income tax rates for operations for the full year should reflect anticipated foreign tax rates and available tax planning alternatives. In addition, the effect of other anticipated tax credits, capital gains rates, and foreign tax credits should be included.


Question 3

Conn Co. reported a retained earnings balance of $400,000 at December 31, 1991. In August 1992, Conn determined that insurance premiums of $60,000 for the three-year period beginning January 1, 1991, had been paid and fully expensed in 1991. Conn has a 30% income tax rate. What amount should Conn report as adjusted beginning retained earnings in its 1992 statement of retained earnings?



Answer : B

Choice 'b' is correct. $428,000 net of tax.


Question 4

On August 31, 1992, Harvey Co. decided to change from the FIFO periodic inventory system to the weighted average periodic inventory system. Harvey is on a calendar year basis. The cumulative effect of the change is determined:



Answer : A

Rule: The cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle equals the difference between retained earnings at the beginning of period of the change and what retained earnings would have been if the change was applied to all affected prior periods.

Choice 'a' is correct. As of January 1, 1992, the beginning of the year. This assumes that the company is not presenting comparative financial statements. If comparative financial statements are presented, then the adjustment is made to the beginning retained earnings of the earliest year presented.

Choice 'b' is incorrect. The cumulative effect of the change is not determined as of the date the decision is made.

Choices 'c' and 'd' are incorrect. The cumulative effect of the change is not determined by a weighted average. (A far out distractor.)


Question 5

On January 2, 1991, Air, Inc. agreed to pay its former president $300,000 under a deferred compensation arrangement. Air should have recorded this expense in 1990 but did not do so. Air's reported income tax expense would have been $70,000 lower in 1990 had it properly accrued this deferred compensation in its December 31,1991, financial statements, Air should adjust the beginning balance of its retained earnings by a:



Answer : B

Choice 'b' is correct. $230,000 debit.


Question 6

Goddard has used the FIFO method of inventory valuation since it began operations in 1987. Goddard decided to change to the weighted-average method for determining inventory costs at the beginning of 1990. The following schedule shows year-end inventory balances under the FIFO and weighted-average methods:

What amount, before income taxes, should be reported in the 1990 retained earnings statement as the cumulative effect of the change in accounting principle?



Answer : A

Choice 'a' is correct. $5,000 decrease.

The cumulative effect of change in accounting principle is determined as of the beginning of the year of change if comparative financial statements are not presented. In this case, the year of change is 1990, so the cumulative effect is the difference in inventory as of the end of 1989. [Note that inventory is a balance sheet item, so the change is based on the balances at the end of the last year the prior method was used. Had this question shown annual income statement amounts of cost of goods sold, we would have had to look at all the past years in the aggregate.] This will allow us to arrive at the adjustment to obtain the amount of retained earnings that would have been reported at the beginning of the period of change if the new accounting principle had been used for all prior periods.


Question 7

Is the cumulative effect of an inventory pricing change on prior years earnings reported on the financial statements for



Answer : B

Choice 'b' is correct. The cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle is now reported as an adjustment to beginning retained earnings when it is considered practicable to calculate the cumulative effect. When making a change to LIFO, it is generally considered impracticable to calculate the cumulative effect of the change (in most cases, data on the historical LIFO layers in not available). In a change to LIFO, the beginning inventory dollar amount becomes the first LIFO layer. No cumulative effect adjustment is made. The change is accounted for prospectively.

A change from LIFO to weighted average, there is no such impracticability. The cumulative effect is computed and the change is handled retrospectively.

Choices 'a', 'c', and 'd' are incorrect, per the above Explanation: .


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Total 163 questions