You were recently hired by a $35 million manufacturing company ($35 million in sales) as the company staff accountant. The controller (your boss) has asked you to explain several accounting practices to the two existing members of the accounting staff. The four areas the controller wants you to explain to the staff include,

• Closing entries
• Retained Earnings Statement
• Year-end Adjustments
• Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding

Note: The previous months financial statements (prepared just before you were hired) were incorrect. The Controller did not catch the errors before the incorrect financials were presented to the President. The Controller has become heavily involved in company operations (hoping to become the Chief Operating Officer) and does not have the time to carry out all the accounting responsibilities. It became clear last month that the company needed to hire an accountant with a four-year accounting degree (you).

Required: Prepare a clearly written set of instructions for each of the four areas the controller wants you to explain. The controller has provided some baseline information for you to incorporate into your instructions. You will be evaluated on how clear and complete the instructions are presented. The goal is for the accounting staff to fully understand the accounting (how and why) after reading your instructions.

Items to incorporate into your instruction manual for closing entries (including the partial trial balance provided above) are as follows:

• How does the accountant know that the Retained Earnings balance of $25 million is the balance as of the beginning of the year?
• Using the balances provided above, how could a quick addition/subtraction exercise on your calculator provide net income?
• How could the accountant calculate ending retained earnings without preparing the retained earnings statement?
• Explain the closing process utilizing the income summary account. Provide T accounts in your explanation along with the journal entries.

1. Retained Earnings Statement (use the same financial information tied to your closing entries instruction manual)

• Explain what the retained earnings statement calculates.
• Explain why dividends are only included in the retained earnings statement.

Note: One of the errors in last months financials was the double counting of dividends (included in the retained earnings statement as well as the stockholders equity section).

2. Year-end Adjustments

• Explain and provide examples of year-end adjustments. Include in your instructions the following example. What is the year-end adjustment accomplishing? Why is it necessary? What would the income statement impact be if the adjustment was not made? What is the balance sheet impact if the adjustment is not made? Include an explanation for the interest expense calculation.

1. Weighted-Average Common Shares Outstanding

• Explain how weighted-average common shares outstanding is calculated. Explain why (walk through the calculation) the weighted-average common shares outstanding based on the information above is 9 million shares.
• Explain why preferred shares are excluded when determining weighted-average common shares outstanding.
• Why are preferred dividends subtracted out of net income when determining EPS?
• Why are preferred dividends only subtracted from income from continuing operations and not also subtracted out of income from discontinued operations?

Nashville Nets Inc. Adjusted Trial Balance December 31, 2018 Debit Credit 1,000,000 9,000,000 25,000,000 $ 2,400,000 105,350,000 $ Common Stock, Par $ 0.10 APIC (Additional Paidin Capital in Excess of Par) Retained Earnings Dividends Paid Sales Sales Discounts Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Selling Expenses Administrative Expenses Rent Revenue Loss on sale of equipment Income Tax Expense $ $ 1,250,000 41,950,000 14, 150,000 3,340,000 120,000 $ $ 50,000 21,580,000 Date June 1, 2022 Description Airflowing Corp. purchased a truck for $ 85,000 from Ford Motor Company Fleet Sales Division. The sales agreement call for Aiflo wing Comp. to pay $10,000 on purchase date and to sign a 1-year, 10% note for the remaining balance of the purchase price. Debit Credit Truck $ 85,000 Notes payable $ 75,000 Cash $ 10,000 6/1/22 12/31/22 $ 4375 Interest expense Year-end adjustment Interest payable $ 4,375 Information Provided: Common Shares Balance at the beginning of the year On July 1, the company sold an additional 5,000,000 shares 8,000,000 shares Nashville Nets Inc. Adjusted Trial Balance December 31, 2018 Debit Credit 1,000,000 9,000,000 25,000,000 $ 2,400,000 105,350,000 $ Common Stock, Par $ 0.10 APIC (Additional Paidin Capital in Excess of Par) Retained Earnings Dividends Paid Sales Sales Discounts Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) Selling Expenses Administrative Expenses Rent Revenue Loss on sale of equipment Income Tax Expense $ $ 1,250,000 41,950,000 14, 150,000 3,340,000 120,000 $ $ 50,000 21,580,000 Date June 1, 2022 Description Airflowing Corp. purchased a truck for $ 85,000 from Ford Motor Company Fleet Sales Division. The sales agreement call for Aiflo wing Comp. to pay $10,000 on purchase date and to sign a 1-year, 10% note for the remaining balance of the purchase price. Debit Credit Truck $ 85,000 Notes payable $ 75,000 Cash $ 10,000 6/1/22 12/31/22 $ 4375 Interest expense Year-end adjustment Interest payable $ 4,375 Information Provided: Common Shares Balance at the beginning of the year On July 1, the company sold an additional 5,000,000 shares 8,000,000 shares