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Variable Interest Entity

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Submitted By fulthrodle
Words 1699
Pages 7
Off the Balance Sheet
Robert W Tully
Keiser University

Abstract This paper briefly identifies what VIEs are and the purpose of FASB Statements 166 and 167. As with any freedom there is also responsibility, when this responsibility is neglected, authority must intervene.
Off the Balance Sheet
Thank you for reading this research paper on off balance sheet arrangement, variable interest entities, and noncontrolling interest. The author will attempt to present this paper in his own words to demonstrate an understanding of the material and keep it simple enough for a reader with little financial background to easily understand the material.
In the recent past, off balance sheet arrangements have received a great deal of attention due to the well know fraud committed by the company Enron. This paper is not aimed at dissecting the Enron case and will be mentioned infrequently as possible. What is important is to understand the purpose of variable interest entities are, why the arrangements are important, and how they are presented on the financial statements.
The simplest way to explain the concept of a VIE is to use a petroleum company as an example. For ease of this example I will use the X as the company name. X Company generates revenue by drilling for oil, a part of the oil extraction process cycle is the technology associated with locating the oil. Since the science and technology is separate from the drilling process, Company X establishes a VIE Science and Technology Lab. There is not a direct ration associated with the search phase like there is with the drilling phase. For instance; each day of drilling operations equals 50K barrels of crude oil, however searching for an oil bed could take days or even months. To help minimize the cost associated with the search phase Company X establishes Company S as a VIE. Now Company X backs the

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