Horizon Corporation manufactures personal computers. The company began operations in 2012 and reported profits for the years 2012 through 2019. Due primarily to increased competition and price slashing in the industry, 2020’s income statement reported a loss of $20 million. Just before the end of the 2021 fiscal year, a memo from the company’s chief financial officer (CFO) to Jim Fielding, the company controller, included the following comments:

If we don’t do something about the large amount of unsold computers already manufactured, our auditors will require us to record a write-down. The resulting loss for 2021 will cause a violation of our debt covenants and force the company into bankruptcy. I suggest that you ship half of our inventory to J.B. Sales, Inc., in Oklahoma City. I know the company’s president, and he will accept the inventory and acknowledge the shipment as a purchase. We can record the sale in 2021 which will boost our loss to a profit. Then J.B. Sales will simply return the inventory in 2022 after the financial statements have been issued.

Required:

1. Understand the reporting effect: What is the effect on income before taxes of the sales transaction requested by the CFO?

2. Specify the options: If Jim does not record the sales transaction requested by the CFO, what is the effect on total assets and income before taxes of the inventory write-down?

3. Identify the impact: Are investors and creditors potentially harmed by the CFO’s suggestion?

4. Make a decision: Should Jim follow the CFO’s suggestion?