BuyCo, Incorporated, holds 28 percent of the outstanding shares of Marqueen company and appropriately applies the equity method of accounting. Excess cost amortization (related to a patent$)$ associated with this investment amounts to $12,000 per year. For 2023$,$ Marqueen reported earnings of $119,000 and declares cash dividends of $34,000. During that year, Marqueen acquired inventory for $60,000$,$which it then sold to BuyCo for $75,000.  At the end of 2023, BuyCo continued to hold merchandise with a transfer price of $27,000.

Required:

What Equity in Investee Income should BuyCo report for 2023?

How will the intra−$-$entity transfer affect BuyCo's reporting in 2024?

If BuyCo had sold the inventory to Marqueen, would your answers to parts $($a$)$ and (b$)$ change?