25 September 2016
anyone can help me in consolidation I dont know which q to do or not to do I am confused plz suggest basics so that I can solve that part in every question and important adjustments
20 July 2024
Consolidation of financial statements involves combining the financial statements of parent and subsidiary companies into a single set of financial statements, reflecting the economic entity as a whole rather than individual entities. Here are the basics and important adjustments you need to consider for consolidation:
### Basics of Consolidation:
1. **Control Requirement:** - Consolidation is required when one company (the parent) controls another company (the subsidiary). Control is generally presumed when the parent owns more than 50% of the voting rights in the subsidiary.
2. **Steps in Consolidation Process:** - **Prepare Individual Financial Statements:** Start by preparing individual financial statements (balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement) for both the parent and each subsidiary. - **Adjust for Intra-group Transactions:** Eliminate intra-group transactions (e.g., intercompany sales, loans, dividends) to avoid double counting. - **Combine Financial Statements:** Combine the adjusted financial statements of the parent and subsidiaries to create consolidated financial statements.
3. **Key Adjustments:** - **Elimination of Intra-group Transactions:** Remove any transactions between the parent and subsidiaries, such as sales/purchases, dividends, and loans. For example, if the parent sells goods to the subsidiary, eliminate the sales revenue and the corresponding cost of goods sold. - **Consolidation Entries:** Create entries to adjust for the investment in subsidiaries on the parent's books, eliminating subsidiary equity balances, and recognizing non-controlling interests if applicable. - **Goodwill or Gain on Acquisition:** Calculate goodwill or gain on acquisition resulting from the difference between the acquisition cost and the fair value of net assets acquired.
4. **Consolidated Financial Statements:** - Once adjustments are made, prepare consolidated financial statements that include the financial results and financial position of the parent and its subsidiaries as a single economic entity.
### Important Adjustments:
- **Consolidation Entries:** Entries are made to reflect the parent’s investment in subsidiaries, eliminate intercompany transactions, adjust for non-controlling interests, and account for goodwill or gain on acquisition.
- **Goodwill:** Goodwill arises when the purchase price of a subsidiary exceeds the fair value of its identifiable net assets. It is recognized on the consolidated balance sheet and tested for impairment annually.
- **Non-controlling Interests (NCI):** NCI represents the portion of a subsidiary's equity not owned by the parent company. It is shown separately on the consolidated balance sheet and in the consolidated income statement to reflect the interests of external shareholders.
- **Adjustments for Uniform Accounting Policies:** Ensure that all entities within the group use consistent accounting policies for transactions and events that are significant to the group.
### Guidance for Solving Questions:
1. **Identify Control:** Determine if control exists based on ownership of voting rights. 2. **Prepare Adjustments:** Eliminate intra-group transactions and adjust for any differences in accounting policies. 3. **Calculate Consolidation Entries:** Record entries for goodwill, elimination of intercompany transactions, and adjustments for NCI. 4. **Prepare Consolidated Statements:** Combine the adjusted financial statements to prepare consolidated financial statements.
### Conclusion:
Understanding these basics and key adjustments will help you approach consolidation questions effectively. Practice with different scenarios to become familiar with applying these principles, as each consolidation may involve unique circumstances and adjustments. If you encounter specific questions or scenarios, applying these fundamentals will guide you in preparing accurate consolidated financial statements.