193) Symington and Cribbs (S&C) is a sporting goods distributor. S&C uses the FIFO inventory
method to determine the cost of its ending inventory. Ending inventory quantities are determined
by a physical count. For the fiscal year-end December 31, 2018, ending inventory was originally
determined to be $67 million. However, in early January of 2019, the company’s controller, Amy
Grant, discovered that an error was made in the inventory count. The correct amount of ending
inventory should be $87 million. The auditors did not discover the error and the financial
statements are scheduled to be issued on February 26, 2019. S&C is a public company.
Amy’s first reaction was to communicate her finding to the auditors and to revise the financial
statements before they are issued. However, she knows that this was a very good year for the
company with profits far exceeding analysts’ expectations. If the error is not corrected this year, it
will self-correct next year as long as 2019 ending inventory is correctly stated. This will help
future 2019 profits. On the other hand, her fellow workers’ profit sharing plans are based on annual
pretax earnings and if she revises the statements, everyone’s profit sharing bonus will be higher
this year.
Required:
1. Is Amy correct by stating that the error will self-correct next year as long as 2019 ending
inventory is correctly stated? If the error is not corrected in the current year, what will be the effect
on 2018 and 2019 income before tax?
2. Discuss the ethical dilemma Amy faces.