(1) Mary Howard, CPA, has long audited the Wheat City Grain Company's financial statements. Much of Wheat City's assets consist of wheat stored in three of its grain elevators, and the Company maintains perpetual inventory records of the quantity of wheat stored there. Concurrently, on a surprise basis, at different times each month, state grain inspectors also "count" the quantity of wheat found in these elevators-and have found no material differences in the perpetual records for the five years that they have performed this function. To save both time and audit fees, Mary wants to rely on the state inspectors' counts instead of her making independent counts thereof. Can Mary do this?

(2) Xco is an accrual basis taxpayer with multiple lines of businesses. One business is a gas station. The land underneath the gas station did not appear contaminated when Xco purchased it. However, the land now has potential soil and groundwater problems (environmental liabilities). Xco engaged in a section 351 tax free exchange transferring the gas station to a new subsidiary Sco in exchange for the stock of Sco and the assumption of the environmental liabilities. Before the transfer, Xco did not take any environmental remediation efforts to clean up the land's soil and groundwater problems. How is the basis of Xco's land determined?

(3) Gates Inc. has its reviewed interim financial information included with the audited financial statement. However, after the review the auditor believes that the interim financial information is not prepared in accordance with an applicable financial reporting framework. The review report which references the departure is not presented with the interim financial information that accompanies the audited financial statements. The engagement partner requests your assistance to research as to the impact on the report of the audited financial statements.

(4) Alex Curtis, during the audit of Landon Company, has determined that the company will be preparing its financial statements on a liquidation basis of accounting due to the fact that management has decided to liquidate Landon Company at the end of the first quarter of next year. You have determined that this basis of accounting is not GAAP. As a result, Alex seeks your assistance to determine if Alex can issue an unmodified/unqualified audit report.

your assistance to determine if Alex can issue an unmodified/unqualified audit report.

(5) - In order to help induce Jill Gregory to remain as president of the Reed Company, in 2000 it promises to pay her (or her estate) $200,000 per year for the next 15 years-even if she leaves the company or dies. Reed wants to properly record this transaction as deferred compensation, but is unsure of how many years it should use to amortize this cost. Moreover, Reed also purchased a "whole life" life insurance policy for Jill, naming the company as the sole beneficiary. Reed wants to ascertain if it can offset the cash surrender value of the policy against the above deferred compensation liability.