Question

A business provides its employees with varying amounts of vacation per year, depending on the length of employment. The estimated amount of the current year’s vacation pay is $63,600.

Required:

a. Journalize the adjusting entry required on January 31, the end of the first month of the current year, to record the accrued vacation pay. Refer to the Chart of Accounts for exact wording of account titles.

b. How is the vacation pay reported on the company’s balance sheet? When is this amount removed from the company’s balance sheet?

CHART OF ACCOUNTS

General Ledger

	ASSETS
110	Cash
111	Accounts Receivable
112	Interest Receivable
113	Notes Receivable
115	Inventory
116	Supplies
118	Prepaid Insurance
120	Land
123	Building
124	Accumulated Depreciation-Building
125	Office Equipment
126	Accumulated Depreciation-Office Equipment

	LIABILITIES
210	Accounts Payable
213	Interest Payable
214	Notes Payable
215	Salaries Payable
216	Social Security Tax Payable
217	Medicare Tax Payable
218	Employees Federal Income Tax Payable
219	Employees State Income Tax Payable
221	Retirement Savings Deductions Payable
224	Federal Unemployment Tax Payable
225	State Unemployment Tax Payable
226	Vacation Pay Payable
227	Unfunded Pension Liability
228	Product Warranty Payable

	EQUITY
310	Common Stock
311	Retained Earnings
312	Dividends

	REVENUE
410	Sales
610	Interest Revenue

	EXPENSES
510	Cost of Goods Sold
520	Salaries Expense
524	Depreciation Expense-Building
525	Delivery Expense
526	Repairs Expense
529	Selling Expenses
531	Rent Expense
532	Depreciation Expense-Office Equipment
533	Insurance Expense
534	Supplies Expense
535	Payroll Tax Expense
536	Vacation Pay Expense
537	Pension Expense
538	Cash Short and Over
539	Product Warranty Expense
540	Miscellaneous Expense
710	Interest Expense

a. Journalize the adjusting entry required on January 31, the end of the first month of the current year, to record the accrued vacation pay. Refer to the Chart of Accounts for exact wording of account titles.

PAGE 1

JOURNAL

ACCOUNTING EQUATION

	DATE	DESCRIPTION	POST. REF.	DEBIT	CREDIT	ASSETS	LIABILITIES	EQUITY
1		Adjusting Entries
2
3

b. How is the vacation pay reported on the company’s balance sheet?

, unless employees are allowed to accumulate their vacation pay for use in future years.

When is this amount removed from the company’s balance sheet?

Answer 1

a.	DATE	DESCRIPTION	POST. REF.	DEBIT	CREDIT	ASSETS	LIABILITIES	EQUITY
	Jan. 31	Vacation Pay Expense		5,300				↓
		Vacation Pay Payable			5,300		↑
		(63,600 x 1/12)
b.	Vacation pay is reported as a current liability on the balance sheet.
	If employees are allowed to accumulate their vacation pay, then
	the estimated vacation pay that will not be taken in the current year
	will be reported as a long-term liability.