Accounting Assignment
Submit an outline and questions for your Portfolio Project. Prepare and submit the following in a Word document:
1) State the Portfolio Project option you have selected.
2) Provide an outline of your paper.
a. Your outline should include the major topics, major resources, and the intended flow of the information for the written portion of the requirements.
b. Under each major topic, write a few sentences on what you think you might cover in that section.
3) Include a cover and a reference page.
4) Provide 4 articles that you might consider using as references. Required or Recommended Readings cannot be used to meet this requirement.
5) Give a short explanation for why you feel each source is pertinent to your project. This is not expected to be a final list of sources. The goal here is to motivate you to begin examining research that might help you with the project.
6) Provide your instructor with a list of questions you have at this point regarding your project choice. You must have at least one question. You should have multiple questions by this point in time.
Your outline and questions should be two pages in length, not including the required title and reference pages (citing at least 3 source), and must be formatted according to the APA format.
Portfolio Project Description
Codification to Research a Complex Accounting Issue: The Case of Goodwill Impairment at Jackson Enterprises
Note: The two-step impairment test was US GAAP at December 31, 2014, which is the key date for this case study. The FASB has since issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-04, which eliminate Step 2 of the impairment test. However, for answer the requirements of this case study below, please perform the two-step impairment text which was US GAAP at December 31, 2014. For your information, today, the quantitative impairment test now includes only one step, which is the comparison of the carrying value to the fair market value of the reporting unit, with the difference representing the recognized goodwill impairment. While the quantitative aspect of the test has changed under ASU 2017-04, the FASB did not remove the preliminary, qualitative assessment option to determine the appropriateness of the quantitative test.
Read the Case of Goodwill Impairment at Jackson Enterprises. After reading the case study, answer the questions provided.
Financial reporting personnel at Jackson Enterprises (JE) are in the process of completing year-end activities, including necessary adjusting of entries to the consolidated financial statements. While JE has not previously believed it necessary to adjust its recognized goodwill from the Dynamic and ZD acquisitions, the valuation of goodwill is, nonetheless, a prominent concern in the closing process. Assume you are asked to research the financial statement issues surrounding the goodwill recorded for the Dynamic and ZD subsidiaries.
Prepare a paper to address the questions below. In memorandum format, detail the issues involved, the judgements you made based on authoritative literature, and your recommendations for the direction of the goodwill valuation as it relates to Dynamic and ZA. In other words, does the evidence suggest further action is required in determining the appropriate valuation of good will? If so, what steps need to be taken?
Note: Remember that textbooks are not considered authoritative guidance in accounting research.
I. Identify and cite the relevant topics/subtopics from the FASB Accounting Standards Codification for this case.
II. Identify the specific accounting issue that you believe needs to be initially addressed for JE's consideration of goodwill regarding both Dynamic and ZD.
III. What does the qualitative evidence from the case indicate about whether JE should perform the two-step impairment test? In your response, identify specific factors discussed in the Codification and relate them to the information provided to you in the case.
IV. Beyond the assessment of qualitative factors, what other evidence should be considered for the purpose of the analysis? What does this information suggest? For Dynamic, what do you think is the most appropriate fair value amount to use in assessing the fair value of this reporting unit? Explain. Why is this important?
V. Based upon the information provided above, should Dynamic and ZD be combined or separated for the purposes of the goodwill analysis? Explain. Why is this important?
VI. Based upon your initial analysis, do you think the $200 million goodwill balance (i.e., the $150 million for Dynamic and the $50 million for ZD) is the appropriate valuation for goodwill on the December 31, 2014 balance sheet of JE?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
(1) The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
(2) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
(3) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.