Case 12-02 To Recognize or Not to Recognize, That Is the Question Shakespeare Inc. (“Shakespeare” or the “Company”) is a privately held book printing and publishing company with a December 31 year-end. The summary balance sheet as of December 31, 2010, included: Current assets Noncurrent assets Total assets Current liabilities Noncurrent liabilities Total liabilities Total shareholder equity $ 6,500,000 28,250,000 $34,750,000 $ 4,500,000 13,750,000 $18,250,000 $16,500,000

The summary results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2010, included revenue of $10.7 million and net income of $1.2 million. Shakespeare is planning to issue its financial statements on March 20, 2011. On March 18, 2011, Shakespeare’s management will evaluate new information about one of its accruals and two subsequent events to determine if this information or events represent items that should be recognized or disclosed in the December 31, 2010, financial statements. Medical Benefits Payable For the past several years, Shakespeare has self-insured medical benefits (health and dental) for its employees. The Company records the costs of medical care in the period in which covered events occur and includes its best estimate of the costs that have been incurred but not yet reported (IBNR) in its estimate of the medical benefits payable. Shakespeare looks to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which defines IBNR as “losses incurred by the insured entity that have not yet been reported to the insurance entity.” Shakespeare’s management estimates its liability with the assistance of thirdparty experts using actuarial techniques, assumptions, and observations that are based on past experience of claims paid through the balance sheet date. The Company monitors the continued reasonableness of the assumptions and methods used to estimate the IBNR liability each reporting period.