Question

For each of the following unrelated situations, calculate the annual amortization expense and prepare a journal entry to record the expense: A patent with a 10-year remaining legal life was purchased for $350,000. The patent will be commercially exploitable for another eight years. A patent was acquired on a device designed by a production worker. Although the cost of the patent to date consisted of $52,300 in legal fees for handling the patent application, the patent should be commercially valuable during its entire remaining legal life of 10 years and is currently worth $400,000. A franchise granting exclusive distribution rights for a new solar water heater within a three-state area for five years was obtained at a cost of $70,000. Satisfactory sales performance over the five years permits renewal of the franchise for another three years (at an additional cost determined at renewal).

Answer 1

Answer:

(a) Debit Amortization expense - Patents for $43,750; and Credit Patents for $43,750.

(b) Debit Amortization expense - Patents for $5,230; and Credit Patents for $5,230.

(c) Debit Amortization expense - Franchise for $14,000; and Credit Franchises for $14,000.

Explanation:

(a) A patent with a 10-year remaining legal life was purchased for $350,000. The patent will be commercially exploitable for another eight years.

Annual amortization expenses = Purchase cost of the patent / Number of commercially exploitable years = $350,000 / 8 = $43,750

Therefore, the journal entries will look as follows:

General Journal

Description                                             Debit ($)            Credit ($)    

Amortization expense - Patents             43,750

Patents                                                                                43,750

(To record patent amortization.)                                                          

(b) A patent was acquired on a device designed by a production worker. Although the cost of the patent to date consisted of $52,300 in legal fees for handling the patent application, the patent should be commercially valuable during its entire remaining legal life of 10 years and is currently worth $400,000.

Annual amortization expenses = Legal fees / Remaining legal life = $52,300 / 10 = $5,230

Therefore, the journal entries will look as follows:

General Journal

Description                                             Debit ($)            Credit ($)    

Amortization expense - Patents             5,230

Patents                                                                                 5,230

(To record patent amortization.)                                                          

(c) A franchise granting exclusive distribution rights for a new solar water heater within a three-state area for five years was obtained at a cost of $70,000. Satisfactory sales performance over the five years permits renewal of the franchise for another three years (at an additional cost determined at renewal).

Annual amortization expenses = Cost of acquiring the franchise / Number of years acquired = $70,000 / 5 = $14,000

Therefore, the journal entries will look as follows:

General Journal

Description                                             Debit ($)            Credit ($)    

Amortization expense - franchise           14,000

franchise                                                                               14,000

(To record franchise amortization.)