At the end of 2015,the payroll supervisor for Claro,Inc.failed to accrue $24,800 in commissions for their outside salespersons.The cost was recorded in 2016 when the commissions were paid and Commissions Expenses was debited and Cash credited for the full amount.The error was not discovered until late in 2016 while reconciling year-end expenses for 2016.The tax rate for both years was 35%.What is the proper journal entry to correct the error for 2016?
A) Taxes Receivable 8,680 Commission Expense 24,800
B) Commission Expense 24,800
C) Taxes Payable 8,680 Retained Earnings -Prior Period Adj. 16,120
D)No entry required.The error has self corrected.

Question

At the end of 2015,the payroll supervisor for Claro,Inc.failed to accrue $24,800 in commissions for their outside salespersons.The cost was recorded in 2016 when the commissions were paid and Commissions Expenses was debited and Cash credited for the full amount.The error was not discovered until late in 2016 while reconciling year-end expenses for 2016.The tax rate for both years was 35%.What is the proper journal entry to correct the error for 2016?
A) Taxes Receivable 8,680 Commission Expense 24,800 
B) Commission Expense 24,800 
C) Taxes Payable 8,680 Retained Earnings -Prior Period Adj. 16,120 
D)No entry required.The error has self corrected.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The proper journal entry to correct the error for 2016 would be to recognize the tax benefit of the prior period adjustment. Since the error was not discovered until late in 2016, Claro, Inc. overpaid its taxes by $8,680 ($24,800 x 35%). To correct this error, Taxes Payable should be credited for $8,680 while Retained Earnings -Prior Period Adj. should be debited for $16,120 ($24,800 - $8,680). Therefore, the correct journal entry is:

Taxes Payable         8,680
Retained Earnings - Prior Period Adj.   16,120
Commission Expense   24,800

At the End of 2015,the Payroll Supervisor for Claro,Inc