Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A. Counterbalancing Errors
We first need to determine if the books are closed for the current year.
(1) If the books are closed for the current year:
a) No entry is necessary if the error has already counterbalanced.
b) An entry must be made to retained earnings if the error has not counterbalanced.
(2) If the books are not closed for the current year:
a) If the company is in the second year and the error has already counterbalanced, an
entry is necessary to correct the current period and adjusted beginning retained
earnings.
b) If the error has not counterbalanced, an entry is necessary to adjusted beginning
retained earnings and correct the current period.
Restatement of the financial statements is necessary under all conditions.
Example: Spencer Company forgot to accrue payroll at the end of 2001. The amount of
accrued payroll at December 31, 2001 was $25,000. Assuming that the books for 2002 have
NOT been closed the correcting journal entry would be as follows:
B. Noncounterbalancing Errors
It makes no difference whether the books are closed or still open, a correcting journal entry is
necessary.
D:\Teaching\3322\web\post\module4\c20\tnotes\c20b.doc 11/29/2007 1
Correction of Accounting Errors
Example: Spencer Company purchased a machine on January 1, 2000 for $100,000. The
machine had an estimated salvage value of $10,000 and a service live of 9 years. Spencer
Company uses the straight-line method to depreciate all of its assets. The company incorrectly
expensed the equipment as an expense in the year of purchase. The error was discovered in
2002. Assuming that the books for 2002 are still open the following journal entry would be
required to correct this error.
Analysis of error:
Cost of equipment 100,000 100,000
Salvage value 10,000
Depreciable base 90,000
Service life 9
Annual deprecation 10,000
Years to December 31, 2001 2
Accumulated deprecation 20,000 20,000
Book value at December 31, 2001 80,000
Depreciation expense for 2002 10,000
Accumulated deprecation 30,000
If the 2002 books are closed the following journal entry would be made to correct the error made
in 2000.
Again, it is important to note that if comparative financial statements are prepared the correct
amounts for equipment, accumulated depreciation and depreciation expense are to be reported
for each year presented.
D:\Teaching\3322\web\post\module4\c20\tnotes\c20b.doc 11/29/2007 2