Question

The Lewiston Company accrues $100 for one day’s wage expense at 12/31/22. The 1/2/23 reversing entry is not made. These wages plus wages of two days in the new year are paid on 1/2/23. Total cash paid is $300. The following journal entry is made on 1/2/23: Wage Expense $300 Cash $300 Indicate the errors for 12/31/23 Retained Earnings and 2023 Wage Expense, respectively:

Answer 1

since $100 worth of 2022 wages were reported ion 2023, the wages expense account for 2023 will be overstated by $100, so net income 2023 will be understated by $100.

Even thought the net income 2023 was understated, the retained earnings account will not be understated. This is because the net income 2022 was overstated by $100, which will offset the understatement of the net income 2023 account.

Wages expense is a temporal account which must be closed at the end of the accounting period, while retained earnings is a permanent account that is carried from one year to another.