QUESTIONS
1. What are the two main characteristics of intangible assets?
2. If intangibles are acquired for stock, how is the cost of the intangible determined?
3. Intangibles have either a limited useful life or an indefinite useful life. How should these two different types of intangibles be amortized?
4. Why does the accounting profession make a distinction between internally created intangibles and purchased intangibles?
5. In 2017, Ghostbusters Corp. spent $420,000 for “goodwill” visits by sales personnel to key customers. The purpose of these visits was to build a solid, friendly relationship for the future and to gain insight into the problems and needs of the companies served. How should this expenditure be reported?
6. What are factors to be considered in estimating the useful life of an intangible asset?
7. What should be the pattern of amortization for a limitedlife intangible?
8. Columbia Sportswear Company acquired a trademark that is helpful in distinguishing one of its new products.
The trademark is renewable every 10 years at minimal cost. All evidence indicates that this trademarked product will generate cash flows for an indefinite period of time. How should this trademark be amortized?
9. Romo Company spent $190,000 developing a new process, $45,000 in legal fees to obtain a patent, and $91,000 to market the process that was patented, all in the year 2017. How should these costs be accounted for in 2017?
10. Izzy Inc. purchased a patent for $350,000 which has an estimated useful life of 10 years. Its pattern of use or consumption cannot be reliably determined. Prepare the entry to record the amortization of the patent in its first year of use.
11. Explain the difference between artistic-related intangible assets and contract-related intangible assets.
12. What is goodwill? What is a bargain purchase?
13. Under what circumstances is it appropriate to record goodwill in the accounts? How should goodwill, properly recorded on the books, be written off in order to conform with generally accepted accounting principles?
14. In examining financial statements, financial analysts often write off goodwill immediately. Comment on this procedure.
15. Braxton Inc. is considering the write-off of a limited-life intangible because of its lack of profitability. Explain to the management of Braxton how to determine whether a write-off is permitted.
16. Last year, Zeno Company recorded an impairment on an intangible asset held for use. Recent appraisals indicate that the asset has increased in value. Should Zeno record this recovery in value?
17. Explain how losses on impaired intangible assets should be reported in income.
18. Simon Company determines that its goodwill is impaired.
It finds that its implied goodwill is $360,000 and its recorded goodwill is $400,000. The fair value of its identifiable assets is $1,450,000. What is the amount of goodwill impaired?
19. What is the nature of research and development costs?
20. Research and development activities may include (a) personnel costs, (b) materials and equipment costs, and
(c) indirect costs. What is the recommended accounting treatment for these three types of R&D costs?
21. Which of the following activities should be expensed currently as R&D costs?
(a) Testing in search for or evaluation of product or process alternatives.
(b) Engineering follow-through in an early phase of commercial production.
(c) Legal work in connection with patent applications or litigation, and the sale or licensing of patents.
22. Indicate the proper accounting for the following items.
(a) Organization costs. (c) Operating losses.
(b) Advertising costs.
23. In 2016, Austin Powers Corporation developed a new product that will be marketed in 2017. In connection with the development of this product, the following costs were incurred in 2016: research and development costs $400,000, materials and supplies consumed $60,000, and compensation paid to research consultants $125,000. It is anticipated that these costs will be recovered in 2019.
What is the amount of research and development costs that Austin Powers should record in 2016 as a charge to expense?
24. Recently, a group of university students decided to incorporate for the purposes of selling a process to recycle the waste product from manufacturing cheese. Some of the initial costs involved were legal fees and office expenses incurred in starting the business, state incorporation fees, and stamp taxes. One student wishes to charge these costs against revenue in the current period. Another wishes to defer these costs and amortize them in the future. Which student is correct?
25. An intangible asset with an estimated useful life of 30 years was acquired on January 1, 2007, for $540,000.
On January 1, 2017, a review was made of intangible assets and their expected service lives, and it was determined that this asset had an estimated useful life of 30 more years from the date of the review. What is the amount of amortization for this intangible in 2017?
