Plant Company began operations in 2016 and determined its ending inventory at cost and at lower-of-LIFO-cost-or-market at December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2017. This information is presented below.

Cost Lower-of-Cost-or-Market

December 31, 2016 $87,000 $71,000

December 31, 2017 100,000 98,000

December 31, 2018 97,000 97,000

A. Prepare the journal entries assuming that the inventory is recorded at market, and a perpetual inventory system (cost-of-goods-sold method) is used.

B. Prepare journal entries required at December 31, 2016, December 31,2017 and December 31, 2018, assuming that the inventory is recorded at market under a perpetual system (loss method is used).

C. Which of the two methods above provides the higher net income in each year?