prawns in soup

Surprisingly I received a circular from ICPAS on how to account for the grants received from Jobs Credit.

I thought we don’t need guidance on something so simple. But then again, perhaps we should synchronise.

Anyway the specific directions that we should follow are:-

1. For grant received on 31 March 2009, we should recognise it for value 31 March 2009. For grant received on 30 Jun 2009, we should recognise it for value 30 Jun 2009 etc etc.
2. An entity should start accounting as per circular No. A7/2009 prospectively from 20 May 2009.
3. If you have chosen to apply this circular early, you are permitted to do so.
4. But if you have not applied as per Circular for the first cheque in March, you have to disclose that.

Questions

• What if we receive the cheque only after 31 March 2009? Should we then accrue for it?
• Which account should we credit the amount to?

What have you been doing for your company? Can share with me?

the start of Bintan golf

I am reading a couple of textbooks at the same time for the new term of 2009. I wish with you these few interesting paragraphs challenging the existence of the double-entry system.

The books that I am reading credited the first organised written thought on double entry system to this Franciscan monk called Luca Pacioli and his now famous work called “Summa de Arithmetica, Geometrica, Proportioni et Proportionalita” published in Venice back in 1494. It is simply a system of debits and credits, where the debits going to the left and credits going to the right. It is a system of subtraction-by-opposition ie. put on the opposite side if you want to minus.

Then a clever chap (possibly someone who cannot handle double entry) asked, “Why can’t we use positive and negative numbers instead of T-accounts?”

So if you want to pay salary, you just add to Salary expenses and minus the same amount from the Cash/Bank.

FYI – negative numbers were only accepted in the mathematics world in 17th century while double entry has been around since 13th/14th century.

In the 21st century’s classes of Edgar, both systems are used in our learning programmes.

P/S – http://accountingwithedgar.blogspot.com/2007/09/origin-of-debit-credit.html

The terms “Balance Sheet” and “Cash Flow Statement” will be passe very soon.

In Sept 2007, IASB issued the revised IAS 1 (similar to our sFRS 1) with the main changes in the presentation of financial statements and terminology.

For international versions of CAT6, CAT8, F3, F7, F8, P2 and P7:-

• “Balance sheet” will be “statement of financial position”.
• “Income statement” – no change.
• “Cash flow statement” will be ” statement of cash flows”.

It is effective from June 2008 sitting.

For other papers NOT mentioned above :-

• “Balance sheet” = “statement of financial position (balance sheet)” (for Jun / Dec 2008 exams).
• “Balance sheet” = “statement of financial position” (from Jun 2009 exam onwards)
• “Cash flow statement” = “statement of cash flows” (from Jun 2008 exam onwards)
• “Income statement” = “statement of comprehensive income” (from Jun 2009 exam onwards)

branding?

I have just completed my session on FRS16 on property, plant and equipment with F3 Financial Accounting class.

I have stressed that depreciation policy is within management’s right to decide. The management may adopt a relevant method or formula to account for depreciation for the “right impact” on its bottomline.

Allow me to cite the example of this airline company managing its fleet of planes and the choice of depreciation policy.

The company chose to expense high depreciation for its young fleet. This will consequently push up the breakeven passenger load factor and cargo capacity utilisation levels. The management are thus “motivated” to think at operating its business at different levels (ie. in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, customer service etc) compared to its competitors.

After using the planes for a few years and given its expressed desire to maintain the youngest fleet for its passengers, these planes with relatively low net book values were then disposed at market prices at very handsome accounting profits.

If these gains from disposals were to be judged as non-operating profits and thus not subjected to the usual corporate tax, this would be certainly provide the icing on the cake for the overall bottomline.

Conclusion
Attentive review and consequent adoption of any accounting policies are critical first steps of a company. While the depreciation policy alone is not the magic wand in making a company successful, it will help in certain circumstances.

The new Accounting Standards Council (ASC) will issue a separate set of accounting rules for Charities and Coops.

Donors to charities are more concerned with how the donated funds were used rather than financial performance information generally required by shareholders of companies.

The new accounting rules are still pending ie. waiting the new Council to get around to this issue.

I was curious about where and how the terms debit and credit come about.

I finally come across a brief explanation of the terms.

The words have Latin origins ie. “debitum” and “creditum”. Pacioli is the name of the Italian monk who wrote about accounting in the 15th century and used these terms.

So they were NOT “debere” or “credere” as I thought they were initially. And the mystery continues ie. who was the inventor of these terms.

Well I learned something new today.

Hi – This is the revised version as of 13 Jun 2007.

Scenario
Just finished my P1.1 exam in Jun 2007. Being not confident, I signed up for CBE in Aug 2007. Which results will ACCA take?

Ed asked : What if i failed my paper-based exam after the release of the exam results but passed my Aug CBE?
SAA said : Aug’s CBE result. Accounted as a pass for Dec 07 exam and student can only take 3 more Papers, including CBE, for Dec 07 Exam.

Ed asked : What if I passed both paper-based exam and CBE?
SAA : Paper-based exam’s result.

Is that you? Hope not.

Hi friends,

How was the paper? The following are comments I got from some of you.

Section B consists of questions on the following topics:-

• incomplete records with sole proprietorship
• control account and reconciliation with listing total
• consolidation
• ratio theory on liquidity ratios
• FRS 38 on research and development and amortisation

“I finished my MCQs in half an hour.”

“I didn’t hear anybody complaining about the paper on the way out (of exam hall).”

“I did not have time to do 2 questions. Total 19 marks.”

“.. is this paper a bit difficult from the rest? As some never learn before…”

“ok lor”

“… inventory overstated. I minus off from the retained earnings n asset. Is it correct?”

So for the rest of you, what do you think of the paper?

Hi friends,

Can help me to understand the following? I disagree with official ACCA’s answer to ACCA Paper 1.1 Dec 2006 exam Section B Q2. Can review my approach?

“During the year, $8,000 interest received on a holding of loan notes had been correctly entered in the cash book but debited to interest payable account.”

Required
a) Prepare journal entries to correct error.
b) What is the impact on profit given the correction?

Edgar’s answer
– DR Suspense a/c $8,000
– CR Interest payable a/c $8,000
[To cancel out the wrong entry into Interest Payable a/c.]

– DR Suspense a/c $8,000
– CR Interest Income $8,000
[To correctly place the entry into Interest Income a/c.]

This would increase profit by $8,000.

————————————————————–
ACCA’s official answer
-DR Suspense a/c $16,000
– CR Interest payable $8,000
– CR Interest receivable $8,000

Profit to increase by $16,000.

* Why credit “Interest Receivable”?