©2014 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. All rights reserved.
Solutions Manual to accompany Intermediate Accounting, Volume 1, 6
th
edition 6-6
Cases
Case 6-1 Solar Power Inc.
Overview
SPI’s primary financial statement user is the banker who is placing reliance on the
financial statements to determine the amount of bank loans that will be extended.
Management is very motivated to have the funds of this loan be as high as possible which
may influence the selection of accounting policies. Management will want to maximize
EBITDA to ensure that the loan balance does not exceed three times the EBTDA amount.
This translates to a bias towards accounting policies which maximize the recognition of
revenue and delay/minimize expense recognition.
Issues
(1) Sharone contract - This contract is a multiple deliverable: the delivery of the panels
and installation and the 5 year maintenance contract. The $4 million contract will have
to be allocated based on the stand alone fair values of the panels and installation and the 5
year maintenance contract. The revenue related to the panels and installation will be
recognized when delivery and installation is complete. The portion of the contract related
to the 5 year maintenance contract will be deferred and recognized evenly over the 5 year
period or at intervals when the service is actually performed. In either case, the unearned
revenue will be recognized as a liability.
Allocation based on the fair values:
Standalone fair
values
$
Allocation Contract allocation
$
Panels and
installation
3,200,000 68% 2,720,000
Maintenance
contract
$300,000 X 5
1,500,000 32% 1,280,000
$4,700,000 4,000,000
At December 31, 20X9, the amount of revenue that can be recognized is:
Sale of panels and installation $2,720,000
Maintenance Sept - Dec - 4/60 months X $1,280,000 85,333
Total $2,805,333
This means that $494,667 ($3,300,000 - 2,805,333) of revenue will have to be reversed
and reported as unearned as at December 31, 20X9.
The warranty likely is not sold separately and is an assurance warranty. Therefore, the
warranty will be recognized using the cost deferral method. A provision of $150,000 and
related warranty costs will be recognized at the time of delivery and installation.