Whispering Toothpaste Company initiates a defined benefit pension plan for its 50 employees on January 1, 2017. The insurance company which administers the pension plan provided the following selected information for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019.

		For Year Ended December 31,
		2017		2018		2019
Plan assets (fair value)		$50,000		$84,800		$180,380
Accumulated benefit obligation		44,500		163,700		290,000
Projected benefit obligation		60,000		198,900		326,200
Net (gain) loss (for purposes of corridor calculation)		0		77,700		83,070
Employers funding contribution (made at end of year)		50,000		60,000		105,500

There were no balances as of January 1, 2017, when the plan was initiated. The actual and expected return on plan assets was 10% over the 3-year period, but the settlement rate used to discount the companys pension obligation was 13% in 2017, 11% in 2018, and 8% in 2019. The service cost component of net periodic pension expense amounted to the following: 2017, $60,000; 2018, $84,800; and 2019, $119,600. The average remaining service life per employee is 12 years. No benefits were paid in 2017, $30,200 of benefits were paid in 2018, and $18,400 of benefits were paid in 2019 (all benefits paid at end of year).

A) Calculate the amount of net periodic pension expense that the company would recognize in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

B) Prepare the journal entries to record net periodic pension expense, employers funding contribution, and related pension amounts for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019.