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What is service cost, and what is the basis of its measurement?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Service cost is used to calculate the total pension expense during the accounting year. The total service cost is added to the pension expense.

Step by step solution

01

Service cost

Service cost is the component of the organization's pension expense that measures the actual present value of the pension benefits. It can be calculated using the pension benefit formula by considering the total service years of an employee.

02

The basis of measurement of service cost

The primary basis of measuring the service cost is to ascertain the amount of benefit earned during the accounting period and the cost incurred. According to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the future amount of compensation paid to the employee must be considered in evaluating the current obligation of an organization and the total pension expense; if the organization uses the plan benefit formula, its ascertainment.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

On January 1, 2017, Harrington Company has the following defined benefit pension plan balances. Projected benefi t obligation \(4,500,000 Fair value of plan assets 4,200,000 The interest (settlement) rate applicable to the plan is 10%. On January 1, 2018, the company amends its pension agreement so that prior service costs of \)500,000 are created. Other data related to the pension plan are as follows. Insert Page Layout Formulas Data Review View A P18 fx BCD E F G Postretirement Benefit Worksheet鈥擧older Inc.xls Home 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Postretirement Asset/Liability Other Comprehensive Income鈥擯SC APBO Memo Record Items Plan Assets General Journal Entries Annual Expense Cash (1) (2) (3) 3,000 (6) 410,000 56,000 36,900 5,000 497,900 Cr. 120,000 2,000 (4) 5,000 183,000 Dr. Balance, Jan. 1, 2017 Service cost Interest cost Actual/Expected return Contributions Benefits Amortization of PSC Journal entry for 2017 Accumulated OCI, Dec. 31, 2016 Balance, Dec. 31, 2017 66,000 (7) (5) (8) 30,000 Dr. 27,000 Dr. 290,000 (9) 314,900 Cr. 2017 2018 Service cost \(150,000 \)180,000 Prior service cost amortization 鈥0鈥 90,000 Contributions (funding) to the plan 240,000 285,000 Benefi ts paid 200,000 280,000 Actual return on plan assets 252,000 260,000 Expected rate of return on assets 6% 8% Instructions (a) Prepare a pension worksheet for the pension plan for 2017 and 2018. (b) For 2018, prepare the journal entry to record pension-related amounts.

At December 31, 2017, Besler Corporation had a projected benefit obligation of \(560,000, plan assets of \)322,000, and prior service cost of $127,000 in accumulated other comprehensive income. Determine the pension asset/liability at December 31, 2017.

Many business organizations have been concerned with providing for the retirement of employees since the late 1800s. Increase in this concern resulted in the establishment of private pension plans in most large companies and in many medium- and small-sized ones. The substantial growth of these plans, both in numbers of employees covered and in amounts of retirement benefits, has increased the significance of pension costs in relation to the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of many companies. In examining the costs of pension plans, a CPA encounters certain terms. The components of pension costs that the terms represent must be dealt with appropriately if generally accepted accounting principles are to be reflected in the financial statements of entities with pension plans.

Instructions

(a) Define a private pension plan. How does a contributory pension plan differ from a noncontributory plan?

(b) Differentiate between 鈥渁ccounting for the employer鈥 and 鈥渁ccounting for the pension fund.鈥

(c) Explain the terms 鈥渇unded鈥 and 鈥減ension liability鈥 as they relate to: (1) The pension fund. (2) The employer.

(d) (1) Discuss the theoretical justification for accrual recognition of pension costs. (2) Discuss the relative objectivity of the measurement process of accrual versus cash (pay-as-you-go) accounting for annual pension costs.

(e) Distinguish among the following as they relate to pension plans. (1) Service cost. (2) Prior service costs. (3) Vested benefits.

At the end of the current period, Agler Inc. had a projected benefit obligation of \(400,000 and pension plan assets (at fair value) of \)350,000. What are the accounts and amounts that will be reported on the company鈥檚 balance sheet as pension assets or pension liabilities?

Jackson Company adopts acceptable accounting for its defined benefit pension plan on January 1, 2016, with the following beginning balances: plan assets \(200,000; projected benefit obligation \)250,000. Other data relating to 3 years鈥 operation of the plan are as follows.

2016 2017 2018 Annual service cost \(16,000 \) 19,000 $ 26,000 Settlement rate and expected rate of return 10% 10% 10% Actual return on plan assets 18,000 22,000 24,000 Annual funding (contributions) 16,000 40,000 48,000 Benefits paid 14,000 16,400 21,000 Prior service cost (plan amended, 1/1/17) 160,000 Amortization of prior service cost 54,400 41,600 Change in actuarial assumptions establishes a December 31, 2018, projected benefi t obligation of: 520,000

Instructions (a) Prepare a pension worksheet presenting all 3 years鈥 pension balances and activities. (b) Prepare the journal entries (from the worksheet) to reflect all pension plan transactions and events at December 31 of each year. (c) Indicate the pension-related amounts reported in the financial statements for 2018.

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