On November $1,2020,$ the board of directors of Landon Corp. approved a stock option plan granting its CEO and CFO the options to purchase a total of $50,000$ of the company$$s common shares each at $$25$ per share. The options were granted on January $2,2021,$ and were exercisable two years after the grant date on January $2,2023,$ as long as the CEO and CFO remained being employed by Landon. The options expire three years from the grant date $($one year from vesting date$).$ Using an option pricing model, the total value the options was estimated to be $$840,000.$ On January $2,2022,$ the CFO left Landon, therefore forfeited the options grated to him. On January $2,2023,$ while the market price of the shares was $$32$ per share, the CEO exercised $30,000$ options. On December $20,2023,$ while the market price of Landon$$s shares was $$26$ per share, the CEO exercised another $10,000$ options. The remaining $10,000$ options expired on December $31,2023.$

Instructions

$1.$ What is the vesting period of the stock options? What was the initial estimate of annual compensation expense during the vesting period? What was the actual annual compensation expense during the vesting period?

$2.$ Prepare journal entries related to the stock option on the following dates:

a$)$ November $1,2020.$

b$)$ January $2,2021.$

c$)$ December $2021,$ Landon$$s SFP date.

d$)$ January $2,2022,$ CFO$$s departure. Assume Landon estimated zero forfeiture upfront.

e$)$ December $2022,$ Landon$$s SFP date.

f$)$ January $2,2023,$ CEO$$s exercise of $30,000$ of options. How much each share is considered issued for?

g$)$ December $20,2023,$ CEO$$s exercise of additional $10,000$ of options. How much each share is considered issued for?

h$)$ December $31,2023,$ the expiration of CEO$$s remaining $10,000$ of options

$3.$ Speculate the reasons that CEO allowed remaining $10,000$ stock options expire.