Discuss whether Baxter Company correctly reported the following items in the financial statements:
a. In 2010, the company discovered a clerical error in the prior year’s accounting records. As a result, the reported net income for 2009 was overstated by $20,000. The company corrected this error by restating the prior-year financial statements.
b. In 2010, the company voluntarily changed its method of accounting for long-term construction contracts from the percentage of completion method to the completed contract method. Both methods are acceptable under generally acceptable accounting principles. The cumulative effect of this change was reported as a separate component of income in the 2010 income statement.