Final answer:
The early retirement of a bond includes the receipt of cash by the issuing company, the recording of a gain or loss, the elimination of the liability, and the payment of cash to the bondholders.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early retirement of a bond includes multiple actions:
- Receipt of cash by the company that issued the bonds, as investors purchase the bonds.
- The recording of a gain or loss, which occurs if the redemption price differs from the carrying amount of the bond liability.
- Elimination of the liability on the balance sheet, representing the bond's principal amount that no longer needs to be repaid.
- Payment of cash, which is the cash outflow that the company makes to the bondholders to retire the bonds early.