Test Bank for Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision Making, Eighth Edition
FOR INSTRUCTOR USE ONLY
CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Discuss the major characteristics of a corporation. The major characteristics of a
corporation are separate legal existence, limited liability of stockholders, transferable
ownership rights, ability to acquire capital, continuous life, corporation management,
government regulations, and additional taxes.
2. Explain how to account for the issuance of common and preferred stock, and the
purchase of treasury stock. When a company records issuance of common stock for cash,
it credits the par value of the shares to Common Stock. It records in a separate paid-in
capital account the portion of the proceeds that is above par value. When no-par common
stock has a stated value, the entries are similar to those for par value stock. When no-par
common stock does not have a stated value, the entire proceeds from the issue are credited
to Common Stock.
Companies generally use the cost method in accounting for treasury stock. Under this
approach, a company debits Treasury Stock at the price paid to reacquire the shares.
3. Explain how to account for cash dividends and describe the effect of stock dividends
and stock splits. Companies make entries for dividends at the declaration date and the
payment date. At the declaration date, the entries for a cash dividend are debit Cash
Dividends and credit Dividends Payable.
Preferred stock has contractual provisions that give it priority over common stock in certain
areas. Typically, preferred stockholders have a preference as to (1) dividends and (2) assets
in the event of liquidation. However, they sometimes do not have voting rights. The effects of
stock dividends and splits are as follows. Small stock dividends transfer an amount equal to
the fair value of the shares issued from retained earnings to the paid-in capital accounts.
Stock splits reduce the par value per share of the common stock while increasing the
number of shares so that the balance in the Common Stock account remains the same.
4. Discuss how stockholders’ equity is reported and analyzed. Additions to retained
earnings consist of net income. Deductions consist of net loss and cash and stock dividends.
In some instances, portions of retained earnings are restricted, making that portion
unavailable for the payment of dividends.
In the stockholders’ equity section of the balance sheet, companies report paid-in capital and
retained earnings and identify specific sources of paid-in capital. Within paid-in capital,
companies show two classifications: capital stock and additional paid-in capital. If a
corporation has treasury stock, it deducts the cost of treasury stock from total paid-in capital
and retained earnings to determine total stockholders’ equity.
A company’s dividend record can be evaluated by looking at what percentage of net income
it chooses to pay out in dividends, as measured by the dividend payout ratio (dividends
divided by net income). Earnings performance is measured with the return on common
stockholders’ equity (income available to common stockholders divided by average common
stockholders’ equity.)
*5. Prepare entries for stock dividends. To record the declaration of a small stock dividend
(less than 20%), debit Stock Dividends for an amount equal to the fair value of the shares
issued. Record a credit to a temporary stockholders’ equity account—Common Stock
Dividends Distributable—for the par value of the shares, and credit the balance to Paid-in
Capital in Excess of Par Value. When the shares are issued, debit Common Stock Dividends
Distributable and credit Common Stock.