Answer:
Gentry Company
a) Journal Entry to record the impairment of the patent at December 31, 2016:
Debit Impairment Loss on Patent $500,000
Credit Patent $500,000
To record the impairment loss.
b) Journal entry to record amortization expense for 2017 assuming the asset has a remaining useful life of 3 years at the beginning of 2017:
Debit Patent Amortization Expense $400,000
Credit Accumulated Amortization $400,000
To record the amortization expense for the year.
c) (c) Using the same assumption as part (a) above, prepare the journal entry (if any) at December 31, 2017, assuming the fair value of the asset has increased to $1,900,000:
Debit Patent $200,000
Credit Impairment Gain $200,000
To record impairment gain.
(d) Prepare the journal entry (if any) to record the impairment of the asset at December 31, 2016, assuming Gentry ceased using the patent at the end of 2016 and intends to dispose of the patent in the coming year. Gentry expects to incur a $10,000 cost of disposal:
Debit Impairment Loss $200,000
Credit Patent $200,000
To record the impairment loss on disposal.
Debit Cost of Disposal of Patent $10,000
Credit Cash Account $10,000
To record the cost of disposal of the patent.
Explanation:
a) Data and Calculations:
1) Patent:
Cost $3,400,000
Carrying amount $1,700,000
Expected future cash flows $1,500,000
Fair Value $1,200,000
2) Assumptions:
a) Impairment at December 31, 2016:
Carrying amount $1,700,000
Fair Value $1,200,000
Impairment = $500,000
b) Amortization for 2017:
Carrying amount $1,200,000
Remaining useful life = 3 years
Amortization expense for 2017 = $400,000 ($1,200,000/3)
c) Impairment Testing for 2017:
Carrying amount = $1,700,000
Fair value = $1,900,000
Impairment Gain = $200,000
d) Gentry ceased using the patent at the end of 2016 and intends to dispose of the patent in the coming year. Gentry expects to incur a $10,000 cost of disposal:
December 31, 2016:
Carrying amount $1,700,000
Expected future cash flows $1,500,000
Disposal cost = $10,000
Impairment loss = $200,000
b) The accountants at Gentry Company can calculate the patent's impairment loss as the difference between the patent's carrying value and its fair market value. The journal entry to record an impairment loss is a debit to the Patent Impairment Loss account and a credit to the related Patent account. An impairment gain can arise when the patent's fair value is higher than the carrying value.
