Question

Washington County Airport (WCA) faces three potential contingency situations, described below. The end of the fiscal year is December 31, 2021.1. WCA is suing a national airline. WCA's lawyers confirm that it is probable WCA will be awarded damages of $500,000 in the case.2. In June, 2021 a worker was injured in an accident and has sued the company for $200,000. Legal counsel believes it is reasonably possible, but not probable, that the outcome of the suit will be unfavorable, and that the settlement would cost the company from $100,000 to $200,000.3. A suit for $1.5 million was filed by an airline on November 3, 2021. Legal counsel believes an unfavorable outcome is probable. A reasonable estimate of the award payment to the airline is between $500,000 and $1 million. No amount within this range is a better estimate of potential damages than any other amount.Required:Determine the appropriate means of reporting each situation for the year ended December 31, 2021 and record any necessary entries. (If no entry is required for a particular transaction/event, select "No Journal Entry Required" in the first account field. Enter your answers in dollars, not in millions (i.e. $5 should be entered as $5,000,000).)

Answer 1

Answer: answers below

Explanation:1.) No entry required. The same can be disclosed in notes to financial statements so as to give information of this case of all the stakeholders. This is due to conservative approach. Contingent Assets are recorded to ledgers only if they are certain. As there is no certainty to win the case, same can not be posted to General Ledger.

2.) of all the stakeholders. The contingent liability should not be accrued because the loss in not probable. The note should indicate the range of the possible loss.

3.) Loss Dr 5

Contingent Liability Cr 5

Note: Disclose the nature of liability, amount of suit, nature of contingency, reason and range of the possible loss. Liability should be recorded as it is probable to incur and amount of loss can be reasonably estimated. In case of range of possible loss, provision should be made of lower amount.