Analyzing and Capitalizing Operating Lease Payments Disclosed in Footnotes Costco Wholesale Corporation discloses the following in footnotes to its 10-K report relating to its leasing activities. At the end of 2013, future minimum payments...under non-cancelable leases with terms of at least one year were as follows ($ millions):

Operating leases are not reflected on-balance-sheet. In our analysis of a company, we often capitalize these operating leases, that is, add the present value of the future operating lease payments to both the reported assets and liabilities. (a) Compute the present value of Costco's operating lease payments assuming a 6% discount rate and round the remaining lease term to the nearest whole year. (Use a financial calculator or Excel to compute. Do not round until your final answers. Round each answer to the nearest whole number.)

* (Use subsequent rounded answers for calculation.)

(b) What effect does capitalization of operating leases have on Costco's total liabilities and total assets (it is reported total liabilities and total assets of $19,271 million and $30,283 million, respectively)?

In its income statement, rent expense is replaced with depreciation and interest expense. There is no effect on the balance sheet.

The company's total assets and total liabilities are increased by the present value of the capitalized leases. In its income statement, rent expense is replaced with depreciation and interest expense.

The company's total assets and total liabilities are increased by the present value of the capitalized leases. In its income statement, rent expense is replaced with interest expense.

The company's total assets and total liabilities are increased by the present value of the capitalized leases. There is no effect on the income statement.

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Thereafter Total minimum payments 189 175 167 160 153 1,753 2,597