A firm’s debt contract contains a covenant placing a maximum value on balance sheet gearing and the firm’s gearing is approaching the maximum. Which of the following accounting choices is most likely to be made by managers as Positive Accounting Theory predicts: A) To expense interest rather than capitalise interest B) To renegotiate tax payments C) To postpone sales revenue to a future period D) To take advantage of an off-balance sheet finance scheme to reduce long- term borrowings
Question
A firm’s debt contract contains a covenant placing a maximum value on balance sheet gearing and the firm’s gearing is approaching the maximum. Which of the following accounting choices is most likely to be made by managers as Positive Accounting Theory predicts: A) To expense interest rather than capitalise interest B) To renegotiate tax payments C) To postpone sales revenue to a future period D) To take advantage of an off-balance sheet finance scheme to reduce long- term borrowings
Solution
The Positive Accounting Theory (PAT) predicts that managers will make decisions that benefit them personally and improve the financial appearance of the company. In this case, the firm's gearing is approaching the maximum limit set by a covenant in their debt contract.
Here are the implications of each choice:
A) Expensing interest rather than capitalizing it would increase current expenses and decrease net income, which could potentially increase the gearing ratio, making this choice less likely.
B) Renegotiating tax payments might not directly affect the gearing ratio, as it's more related to the timing of tax payments rather than the amount of debt or equity.
C) Postponing sales revenue to a future period would decrease current income, potentially increasing the gearing ratio, making this choice less likely.
D) Taking advantage of an off-balance sheet finance scheme to reduce long-term borrowings would decrease the total debt in the balance sheet, thus reducing the gearing ratio.
Therefore, according to the Positive Accounting Theory, the most likely choice to be made by managers would be D) To take advantage of an off-balance sheet finance scheme to reduce long-term borrowings. This choice would help to improve the firm's financial appearance by reducing the gearing ratio, and it would also likely benefit the managers personally.
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