International Accounting
Case Study A: Jasmine Manufacturing Ltd.
Jasmine Ltd. prepares its financial statements based on self-developed Accounting rules called JRules. The company has two foreign operations, one in Argentina and the other in Brazil. Each subsidiary prepares financial statements in accordance with its respective local GAAP. For comparison purposes; however, each subsidiary prepares an annual reconciliation of Jasmine Ltd.'s financial statements with its local GAAP. The 2014 reconciliations of Jasmine Ltd.'s Income and Stockholders' Equity prepared by each subsidiary are given below:
| |
ARGENTINA |
BRAZIL |
| Income under J-Rules |
1,050 |
1,050 |
| Adjustments: |
|
|
| Goodwill Amortization |
300 |
(100) |
| Capitalized interest |
50 |
50 |
| Depreciation related to capitalized interest |
(20) |
(20) |
| Depreciation related to revalued fixed assets |
--- |
(8) |
| |
|
|
| Income under local GAAP |
1,380 |
972 |
| |
|
|
| Stockholders' equity under J-Rules |
15,000 |
15,000 |
| Adjustments: |
|
|
| Goodwill |
900 |
(300) |
| Capitalized interest |
30 |
30 |
| Revaluation of fixed assets |
--- |
56 |
| |
|
|
| Stockholders' equity under local GAAP |
15,930 |
14,786 |
Notes regarding Accounting Differences:
J-Rules require capitalization of goodwill and its amortization over 20 years. In both Argentina and Brazil, the goodwill is treated as an asset. However, Brazil amortizes goodwill over five years while Argentina does not amortize the goodwill and only subject it to an annual impairment test. Under J-rules all interest are expensed immediately. In both Argentina and Brazil, interest related to self-constructed assets must be capitalized as a part of the cost of the asset.
Case Study B: Jasmine Manufacturing Ltd.
According to J-Rules, assets are carried at historical costs, less accumulated depreciation.
Argentina follows the same rule while Brazil carries assets at revalued amounts. Depreciation is based on revalued amount of fixed assets.
Case Study Questions
1. Why does the adjustment related to goodwill amortization increase net income under Argentinian GAAP but decrease net income under Brazilian GAAP?
2. Why are there two separate adjustments to income related to interest?
3. Why is the positive adjustment to stockholders' equity for capitalized interest smaller than the positive adjustment to income for capitalized interest?
4. Why are the adjustments to stockholders' equity larger than the adjustments to income?
5. Why does the goodwill adjustment increase stockholders' under Argentinian GAAP but decrease stockholders' equity under Brazilian GAAP?
6. Why does the adjustment for depreciation related to revalued fixed assets decrease income, whereas the adjustment for revaluation of fixed assets increases stockholders' equity?
7. Why does the adjustment to income for capitalized interest increase income, whereas the adjustment for depreciation related to capitalized interest decreases income?