Current Liabilities

Practice As You Learn

Practice As You Learn

 

There are 4 things that you may have to do related to current liabilities:

1) Record sales tax
2) Record salary expense and payroll liabilities
3) Record warranty liabilities
4) Record contingencies


1)  To record sales tax: 

1st   Compute the amount of sales tax to be paid to the city or state

Total Sales
x  % given as sales tax
=   Sales tax payable

Record the sales tax payable as a credit
Record the total sales amount with a credit
Record cash for the total of the two as a debit


2)  To record salary expense and payroll liabilities for the employee:

1st – Identify the total amount earned as salary expense, record with a debit

2nd – calculate FICA and Medicare using the percentages given 
These will each be recorded as a payable

3rd –  Identify all other items the employee has withheld from the paycheck
These will each be recorded as a payable

Record each of the above as “_______ payable” 

4th – Plug the difference to salaries payable to balance the journal entry

To record payroll liabilities for the employer

1st –  Calculate FUTA using the given rate x salary expense

2nd – Calculate SUTA using the given rate x salary expense

3rd – Calculate FICA and Medicare using the given rate x salary expense

Record each of the above as a “____ payable”

4th – Total the payables and record a debit to “payroll tax expense” for the total of the other payables to balance the journal entry


3)  To record warranty liabilities:

1st – Calculate the “warranty payable” by
Sales this period x estimated warranty %

2nd – Record the calculated amount as a debit to “warranty expense” and the same amount as a credit to “warranty payable”

Use only the current year sales to compute the liability.

3rd—As the company pays on a claim, do not record an expense, reduce the previously recorded “warranty liability”


4)  To record contingencies:

For “probable”, a journal entry to record the expense and the payable is made if the amount can be reasonably estimated

Record the low end of the estimated amount.

_______ Expense        $XXXX

       ______ Payable               $XXXX

Call the expense and the payable whatever it is related to.

You must also disclose the situation

For “reasonably possible”, no expense is recorded, only a disclosure is made

For “remote” you do nothing, do not make a journal entry or mention it anywhere

Practice Problem 1 – Current Liabilities: Sales Tax Payable

A company had sales for this period of $120,000.  The city sales tax rate is 8.2%. Record the sales and the related sales tax liability.

Check Your Answer
1st   Compute the amount of the sale that is sales tax

Total Sales                        $100,000
x  % given as sales tax              .082
=   Sales tax payable            $8,200

Record the sales tax payable as a credit
Record the total sales amount with a credit
Record cash or accounts receivable for the total of the two as a debit

Cash or A/R                      $108,200
       Sales Revenue                          $100,000
       Sales Tax Payable                        $8,200

Practice Problem 2 – Current Liabilities: Payroll Liabilities

A company has three employees who each make $25,000, $39,000 and $105,000 respectively.  Each employee withholds income tax of $4,200 and withholds for health insurance that costs $4,000 and parking fees that cost $800.  The government tax rates are as follows: FICA SS 6.2% of the first $90,000, FICA Medicare 1.45% of all, FUTA .8% of the first $7,000 and SUTA 4.1% of the first $7,000.

A.  Record the journal entry to record salary expense

B.  Record the journal entry to record the payroll tax expense

Check Your Answer
A.  To record salary expense and payroll liabilities for the employee:

1st – Identify the total amount earned as salary expense, record with a debit

Salary expense = $25,000 + $39,000 + $105,000 = $169,000 

2nd – calculate FICA and Medicare, using the given %
These will each be recorded as a payable

FICA SS
6.2% x ($25,000 + $39,000) + 6.2% x $90,000 limit
= $3,968 + $5,580 = $9,548

FICA Medicare
1.45% x $169,000 = $2,450.50

3rd – Identify all other items the employees have withheld from their paycheck
These will each be recorded as a payable

Federal Income tax payable       $12,600
Health Insurance Payable          $12,000
Parking Fee Payable                      $2,400

Record each of the above as “_______ payable”

4th – Record the journal entry – Record salaries payable to make debits = credits

Salary Expense               $169,000
       FICA SS Payable                             $9,548
       FICA Medicare Payable           $2,450.50
       Federal Income tax payable       $12,600
       Health Insurance Payable          $12,000
       Parking Fee Payable                      $2,400
       Salaries Payable                    $130,001.50 plug to balance j/e


B.  To record payroll liabilities for the employer

1st – Calculate FUTA using the given rate x salary expense

$7,000 x 3 employees = $21,000 x .008 = $168

2nd – Calculate SUTA using the given rate x salary expense

$7,000 x 3 employees = $21,000 x .041 = $861

3rd – Calculate FICA and Medicare using the given rate x salary expense

See the calculation above, it is the same amount
Record each of the above as a “____ payable”

4th – Total the payables and record a debit to “payroll tax expense”

Payroll Tax Expense        $13,027.50
       FICA SS Payable                             $9,548
       FICA Medicare Payable           $2,450.50
       FUTA Payable                                     $168
       
SUTA Payable                                      $861

Practice Problem 3 – Current Liabilities: Warranty Liabilities

A tire company offers a free 2-year warranty on all tires sold.  This company had sales of $560,000 last year and $620,000 this year.  Claims on the warranty have historically occurred at a rate of 4% of sales.  $22,000 in warranty claims occurred last year and $19,000 occurred this year.

A.  Record the warranty liability for last year and this year.

B.  Record the claims against the warranty for last year and this year.

Check Your Answer
1st – Calculate the “warranty payable” by
Sales this period x estimated warranty %

Last Year Current Year
Sales $560,000 $620,000
x Hist. % x   .04 x   .04
=Warranty Payable $22,400 $24,800

2nd – Record the calculated amount as a debit to “warranty expense” and the same amount as a credit to “warranty payable”

Remember to use only the current year sales.

Last Year:

Warranty Expense          $22,400
       Warranty Payable                     $22,400

Warranty Payable            $22,000
              
Inventory                                  $22,000

This Year:

Warranty Expense           $24,800
       Warranty Payable                  $24,800

Warranty Payable            $19,000
       Inventory                                  $19,000

Practice Problem 4 – Current Liabilities:  Contingencies

A company is involved in a product liability lawsuit.  The plaintiff is asking for $10,000,000 in damages. The company’s lawyers believe the company was in the wrong and the lawsuit will be settled for between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.  The suit is not expected to go to court for 2 more years. 

Check Your Answer
1st – Determine the category the contingency is in: 

Probable  
Reasonably Possible          
Remote

This falls into “probable” since the company’s lawyers believe the company is in the wrong and a settlement will be made

2nd – Determine what is done for the “probable” category:   expense and footnote

3rd – Record an expense if an estimated amount can be determined.  Record the low.

Product liability expense     $1,000,000
       Product liability payable      $1,000,000

4th – Put a disclosure in the footnotes that describes the situation and the high and low range of what is expected to be paid.