Question

15. Your company contracted for a 30-second commercial (an advertisement) that aired during the Super Bowl at a cost of $1.2 million. It is legally obligated to pay for the commercial, but has not yet done so. How is your company's balance sheet affected on the day the commercial aired? It increases both assets and liabilities by $1.2 million. It increases assets and decreases stockholders' equity by $1.2 million each. It does not affect the balance sheet. D) It increases liabilities and decreases stockholders' equity by $1.2 million each.

Answer 1

Answer: D) It increases liabilities and decreases stockholders' equity by $1.2 million each.

Explanation:

Even though the company has not paid for the advertisement, the expense has already been incurred and by the Accrual principle of accounting it needs to be recorded.

It will therefore be recorded as an expense which will reduce the Income for the year which is a Stockholder equity account so therefore it will reduce the Stockholder account by $1.2 million.

Because the company has not yet paid for the advert, the amount have to be recorded as a liability to the company so liabilities will increase by $1.2 million.