CHAPTER 1 INTERCORPORATE ACQUISITIONS AND INVESTMENTS IN OTHER ENTITIES

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Q1-1 Complex organizational structures often result when companies do business in a complex business environment. New subsidiaries or other entities may be formed for purposes such as extending operations into foreign countries, seeking to protect existing assets from risks associated with entry into new product lines, separating activities that fall under regulatory controls, and reducing taxes by separating certain types of operations. Q1-2 The split-off and spin-off result in the same reduction of reported assets and liabilities. Only the stockholders’ equity accounts of the company are different. The number of shares outstanding remains unchanged in the case of a spin-off and retained earnings or paid-in capital is reduced. Shares of the parent are exchanged for shares of the subsidiary in a split-off, thereby reducing the outstanding shares of the parent company. Q1-3 The management of Enron appears to have used special-purpose entities to avoid reporting debt on its balance sheet and to create fictional transactions that resulted in reported income. It also transferred bad loans and investments to special-purpose entities to avoid recognizing losses in its income statement. Q1-4 (a) A statutory merger occurs when one company acquires another company and the assets and liabilities of the acquired company are transferred to the acquiring company; the acquired company is liquidated, and only the acquiring company remains. (b) A statutory consolidation occurs