Question

Exchange Corp. is a company that acts as a facilitator in tax-favored real estate swaps. Such swaps, know as 1031 exchanges, permit participants to avoid some or all of the capital gains taxes that would otherwise be due. The bookkeeper for the company has been asked to prepare a report for the company to help its owner/manager analyze performance. The first such report appears below: Exchange Corp. Analysis of Revenues and Costs For the Month Ended May 31 Actual Unit Revenues and Costs Planning Budget Unit Revenues and Costs Variances Exchanges completed 25 20 Revenue $ 520 $ 570 $ 50 U Expenses: Legal and search fees 173 165 8 U Office expenses 178 215 37 F Equipment depreciation 24 30 6 F Rent 60 75 15 F Insurance 12 15 3 F Total expense 447 500 53 F Net operating income $ 73 $ 70 $ 3 F Note that the revenues and costs in the above report are unit revenues and costs. For example, the average office expense is $215 per exchange completed on the planning budget; whereas, the average actual office expense is $178 per exchange completed. Legal and search fees is a variable cost; office expenses is a mixed cost; and equipment depreciation, rent, and insurance are fixed costs. In the planning budget, the fixed component of office expenses was $4,200. All of the company’s revenues come from fees collected when an exchange is completed. Required: 1. Is the report prepared by the bookkeeper useful as a performance report? 2. Complete the performance report that would help the owner/manager assess the performance of the company in May.

Answer 1

1. Report prepaid by the book-keeper is not useful as a performance report, because it is not easily understandable. Report of Performance Report Exchange Corp for the month ended May 3 Amount Payment Amount Receipt Cash in hand Actual office Exp $215 $3275 $520 Actual unit Revenue * Other Cost $4200 Cost planning budget unit revenue $ 570 Cost variance exchange 25 20 Revenue $50 $4415 $4415 * Note: Other eost - legal & search fees, equipment depreciation Rent, insurance * Legal & search fees is a variable cost * office expenses is a mixed cost. * Equipment depreciation rent, and insurance are fixed cost

Summary

Preparation of performance report.