The following excerpt is taken from page 66 of the Sears Holdings Corporation (parent company of Kmart

Question:

The following excerpt is taken from page 66 of the Sears Holdings Corporation (parent company of Kmart and Sears) 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016: ''Revenues from the sale of service contracts and the related direct acquisition costs are deferred and amortized over the lives of the associated contracts, while the associated service costs are expensed as incurred.''

Required

1. Assume that you buy a wide-screen television from Sears for $2,500, including a $180 service contract that will cover three years. Why does Sears recognize the revenue associated with the service contract over its life even though cash is received at the time of the sale?

2. How much revenue will Sears recognize from your purchase of the television and the service contract in Years 1, 2, and 3? (Assume a straight-line approach.) What corresponding account can you look for in the financial statements to determine the amount of service contract revenue that will be recognized in the future?

Financial Statements
Financial statements are the standardized formats to present the financial information related to a business or an organization for its users. Financial statements contain the historical information as well as current period’s financial... Corporation
A Corporation is a legal form of business that is separate from its owner. In other words, a corporation is a business or organization formed by a group of people, and its right and liabilities separate from those of the individuals involved. It may...