Becker - Module 9

Question 1

What are the basic sections of external financial reports for governmental entities using the integrated reporting model established by GASB #34?

Answer 1

• Management’s discussion and analysis (required supplementary information)
• Government-wide financial statements
• Fund financial statements (reconciled to government-wide financials)
• Notes to the financial statements
• Required supplementary information (RSI)

Question 2

What sections of the external financial reporting model represent the basic financial statements?

Answer 2

• Government-wide financial statements
• Fund financial statements
• Notes to the financial statements

Question 3

For governmental entities, what are the detailed external financial reporting requirements?

Answer 3

Reporting government-wide statements
- Statement of net position
- Statement of activities
Reporting governmental fund financial statements
- Balance sheet
- Statement of revenues, expenditures, and changes in fund balances
- Reconciliation to the government-wide statements
Reporting proprietary fund financial statements
- Balance sheet / Statement of net position
- Statement of revenues, expenses, and changes in fund net position
- Statement of cash flows, direct format
Reporting fiduciary fund financial statements
- Statement of fiduciary net position
- Statement of changes in fiduciary net position
Combining statement for major component units
- Statement of net position
- Statement of activities
Notes to the financial statements
- Schedule of changes in capital assets
- Schedule of changes in long-term liabilities
Required supplementary information
- Management’s discussion and analysis
- Budgetary comparison schedules
- Pension and infrastructure information

Question 4

What is a CAFR? What does it include?

Answer 4

CAFR: Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

Introductory section

• Letter of transmittal
• Organizational chart
• List of principal officers

Basic financial statements and required supplementary information (GASB #34)

• Management’s discussion and analysis
• Government-wide financial statements
• Fund financial statements
• Notes to the financial statements
• Required supplementary information

Statistical section

Question 5

What are the minimum disclosure requirements on the government-wide statement of net position?

Answer 5

Primary government 
- Government activities
- Business-type activities
- Total primary government activities
Discretely presented component units

Question 6

What are some of the major topics included in Management’s Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)?

Answer 6

• Description of the basic financial statements
• Identity of the primary government and discrete component units
• Economic conditions and outlook
• Major initiatives

Question 7

Identify the three components of net position displayed on government-wide financial statements

Answer 7

• Invested in capital assets, net
• Restricted (by category)
• Unrestricted

Question 8

Define infrastructure assets, and describe where they are reported.

Answer 8

Infrastructure assets refer to streets, bridges, gutters, water systems, and other assets of the government.

They are reported as assets in the government-wide statements, at historical cost and depreciated unless certain conditions are met for reporting using the modified approach.

Question 9

What is the appropriate reporting treatment of donated works of art and historical treasures held by a governmental organization?

Answer 9

Governments may elect not to capitalize donated works of art if works are protected and displayed and proceeds from any future sales are going to be reinvested in other works.

Question 10

When are eliminating entries made as part of preparing government-wide financial statements?

Answer 10

Interfund activities between funds that are consolidated within governmental or business-type activity reporting categories are eliminated when preparing government-wide financial statements.

Question 11

List the components of program revenues in the statement of activities.
[SOC]

Answer 11

Service charges
Operating grants and contributions
Capital grants and contributions

Question 12

State the reporting treatment of internal service funds

Answer 12

Activity resulting from internal service funds are reported in proprietary funds but should be reported in the governmental activities column of the government-wide financial statements unless the government’s enterprise funds are the primary recipient of internal service fund services.

Question 13

What is the format of the government-wide statement of activities?

Answer 13

The government-wide statement of activities is presented in a net cost format defined as follows:

• Revenues separated into program revenues (SOC) and general revenues.
• Expenses are reduced by program revenues resulting in net (expense) revenue and changes in net position.
• General revenues, extraordinary items, and special items are reported separately.
• Result is change in net position.

Question 14

What is the threshold for identification as a major fund?

Answer 14

Total assets and deferred outflows of revenue, liabilities and deferred inflows of revenue, revenues, or expenditures/expenses of the individual fund are:

• At least 10% of the corresponding total for fund category to which the major fund belongs; and
• At least 5% of the corresponding total for all governmental and enterprise funds combined.

Question 15

Name some significant potential reconciling items between fund balance accounts displayed on the balance sheet of the governmental funds’ financial statements and net position displayed in the government-wide balance sheet.

Answer 15

Reconciling items may result from differences in measurement focus or basis of accounting (GALS BARE)

Governmental fund equity (fund balances) +
Assets (noncurrent) -
Long-term debt +
internal Services fund net position

Basis of accounting
Accrual differences resulting in receivables or payables for
Revenue converted from modified to full accrual or
Expenses

Question 16

Name some significant potential reconciling items between changes in fund balance displayed on the statement of revenues expenditures and changes in fund balance in the governmental funds’ financial statements and the change in net position displayed in the government-wide statement of activities.

Answer 16

Reconciling items may result from differences in measurement focus or basis of accounting (GOES BARE)

Governmental fund changes in fund balance +
Other financing sources (debt proceeds)
Expenditure - capital outlay (net of depreciation), principal payments on debt
Service (internal) fund change in net position may need to be added

Basis of accounting
Accrual differences resulting in revenues or expenses for
Revenue converted from modified to full accrual (e.g. accrual of earned tax revenues even though collected more than 60 days after yearend)
Expenditures converted to expenses (e.g. accrual of interest expenses)

Question 17

The statement of cash flows is prepared for which funds?

What are the sections of the statement of cash flows?

Answer 17

A statement of cash flows is prepared for proprietary funds

• Cash flows from operating activities
• Cash flows from noncapital financing activities
• Cash flows from capital and related financing activities
• Cash flows from investing activities

Question 18

List the types of interfund transactions

Answer 18

Reciprocal interfund activity:

• Interfund loans
• Interfund services provided and used

Nonreciprocal interfund activity:

• Interfund transfers
• Interfund reimbursements

Question 19

Define a primary government

[SELF]

Answer 19

Primary governments are usually represented by a general-purpose government, such as a state, county, city, or other jurisdiction that can stand by itSELF

• Separately
• Elected boards
• Legally separate entity
• Financially self-sufficient

Question 20

Define a component unit

Answer 20

Component units are those governmental or not-for-profit organizations that either do not meet the criteria of a primary government or are so intertwined with the primary government that exclusion from the primary government’s financial statements would cause the primary government’s financial statements to be misleading.

Question 21

What two methods are available for reporting component units of a primary government in the primary government’s financial statements?

Answer 21

Blended: Consolidated with the primary government
Discrete: Shown in a separate column as a component unit.

Question 22

Define the criteria for discrete and blended presentations of component units.

Answer 22

Blended: when the component unit is, in substance, the same as the primary government:

• A board of the component unit is “substantively the same as that of the primary government”
• The component unit serves the primary government exclusively or almost exclusively
• The component unit is not a legal entity

Discrete: when the criteria for blended presentation are not met.

Question 23

Identify the basis of accounting for not-for-profit organizations.

Answer 23

Accrual basis of accounting

Question 24

Name the primary authoritative source for GAAP for not-for-profit organizations

Answer 24

Financial Accounting Standards Board

Question 25

What financial statements are prepared for nongovernmental not-for-profit entities?

Answer 25

- Statement of financial position - Statement of activities - Statement of cash flows - Statement of functional expenses (required for voluntary health and welfare organizations, optional but encouraged for all others)

Question 26

Name the classifications of net assets

Answer 26

- Unrestricted - Temporarily restricted - Permanently restricted

Question 27

Identify the four required elements in the statement of activities for not-for-profit organizations

Answer 27

- Change in total net assets - Change in unrestricted net assets - Change in temporarily restricted net assets - Change in permanently restricted net assets

Question 28

Name the classifications of the statement of cash flows for not-for-profit organizations

Answer 28

- Cash flows from operating activities - Cash flows from investing activities - Cash flows from financing activities

Question 29

Name the functional classification of expenses commonly used in not-for-profit organizations

Answer 29

- Program expenses - Support expenses a) fundraising expenses b) management and general

Question 30

What are the recognition criteria for: - Cash contributions - Unconditional promises - Conditional promises - Multi-year pledges

Answer 30

``` Cash contributions: as revenues or gains in the period in which they are received, measured at fair value at the date of gift Unconditional promises (pledges): recorded at its fair value when received Conditional promises (pledges): recognition occurs when future even occurs (condition met) Multi-year pledges: recorded at net present value at the date the pledge is made, with future collections considered temporarily restricted (by time) ```

Question 31

How are pledges accounted for?

Answer 31

Unconditional promises to contribute in the future (pledges) are reported as restricted support (time restriction), at the present value of the estimated future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risks involved.

Question 32

When are donated services displayed as revenue and expense (or capital improvement) on the financial statements of not-for-profit organizations? [SOME]

Answer 32

Donated services are recognized as revenue of the financial statements of not-for-profit organizations SOME of the time. Recognized donated services must meet the following criteria: The service creates or enhances nonfinancial assets or: - Specialized skill was required to deliver the service and it was delivered by an individual possessing those skills; - Otherwise needed service (would have been purchased by the organizations anyway); - Measured Easily (the accurate valuation of the service is easy)

Question 33

How are donated materials accounted for?

Answer 33

Donated materials are recorded as revenue at fair value on date of receipt, if the fair value can be objectively determined. Contributions of works of art, historical treasures, etc. need not be recognized as revenue if they are protected by the organization, held by the organization for display and, if sold, the proceeds of the sale are designated for the acquisitions of other works.

Question 34

What does the term variance power mean in the context of not-for-profit accounting and reporting?

Answer 34

Variance power defines the extent to which an organization has discretion over the use of the resources it receives. The presence or absence of variance power governs the recognition of the asset received as revenue or a liability.

Question 35

In considering transferring assets from a recipient organization to a beneficiary organization, when are the assets received recognized as liabilities by the recipient organization?

Answer 35

When assets are transferred without variance power, so that the recipient organization does not have the unilateral authority to redirect assets to another beneficiary, those transfers are recognized as liabilities.

Question 36

In considering transferring assets from a recipient organization to a beneficiary organization, when are the assets received recognized as revenue by the recipient organization?

Answer 36

When assets are transferred with variance power, which gives the recipient organization the unilateral authority to redirect assets to another beneficiary, the transfer is recognized as revenue.

Question 37

How are marketable securities reported?

Answer 37

All debt securities and those equity securities that have readily determinable fair values are measured at fair value.

Question 38

Where are gains and losses on investments reported?

Answer 38

Gains and losses on investments are reported in the statement of activities as increases or decreases in unrestricted net assets, unless the use of the investment is restricted by explicit donor stipulations or by law.

Question 39

Is depreciation expense recorded in the financial statements of a not-for-profit organization?

Answer 39

Depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation are recorded.

Question 40

For a university, identify common unrestricted revenues

Answer 40

- Student tuition and fees, at gross - Government aid, grants, and contracts - Gifts and private grants - Endowment income - Sales and services of educational departments - Revenues of auxiliary enterprises

Question 41

If student tuition and fees are displayed at gross amount, what happens to scholarships and tuition waivers?

Answer 41

Scholarships and tuition waivers may be displayed as expenditures or as a contra revenue line item.

Question 42

For health care entities, identify the revenue accounts.

Answer 42

- Patient service revenue, including patient services and other operating revenue. - Other operating revenue, including tuition from schools, educational programs, donated supplies and equipment, and specific purpose grants. - Nonoperating revenue, gains and/or losses, including unrestricted interest and dividend income from investment activities, unrestricted grants, donated services, etc.

Question 43

Describe how patient service revenue is recorded.

Answer 43

Patient services revenue is recorded on the gross basis using established rates. Note that charity care does not qualify for recognition as revenue. Provisions for contractual adjustments and discounts are then deducted to arrive at net service revenue. The allowance for uncollectibles is treated as an expense for the period during which the services are provided.

Question 44

Describe the treatment of charity care in a health care organization.

Answer 44

Charity care is not recognized as either revenue or expenses on the financial statements of a health care organization. Charity care represents services for which the health care organization does note anticipate any cash flows.