Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and internal control assessment of LJB Company

¶ … Advice for the Company on the New Internal Control Requirements

Internal control requirements are the policies, mechanisms and procedures that organizations should satisfy to minimize the operational risks. The internal control is very critical to deter employees from implementing fraudulent operations; an organization is required to adhere to the internal system before going public. Section 404 of the SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) Act states that internal control is critical for a publicly operating company and internal control system is an auditing and accounting procedure that organizations should employ to achieve an efficient, effective and reliable financial reporting.

Overview of the LJB Company operations reveals that the company does not meet the requirements of the Section 404 of the SOX Act. Part of the Section 404 of the internal control system is that the function of the internal auditor should be separated from the work of an external auditor. In other word, an internal auditor of a company should not perform the same work of external auditor. Overview of the operation of the LJB Company reveals that the company does not implement an effective internal control based on the current company internal operations. Presently, the company accountant performs the work of controller, treasurer, as well as human resources functions. All these functions must be separated based on the requirement of SOX Act.

Typically, it is mandatory for the company management to allow an external auditor to access the internal operations as well as the financial reporting of the company. In essence, the external auditors must attest for the effectiveness of the company internal control system. Moreover, the company is required to publish its internal control reporting in its annual reports to assist the stakeholder evaluating the effectiveness of the company operations. Thus, it is the responsibility of the management to design the company internal control system to comply with the Section 404 of SOX Act.

2. Advise to the President on what the Company is doing correctly

Based on the information provided in the case study, there are some items that the company is doing which are being done in a correct way. The company is doing the following operations correctly:

Use of the numbered invoice: First, the use of the numbered invoice is being done correctly because it assists the company to track the checks that are being issued within the company. Moreover, the number numbered check will assist the company to track the checks issued to other stakeholders such as suppliers and employees.

Checks locked when the accountant is not in office: The decision of the accountant to lock all the checks in the safety lock box when not in office is done correctly because the strategy will prevent the theft of the checks or prevent other person to carry out a potential fraud with the check.

The accountant competing "the monthly ban reconciliation" as well as receiving the checks are also being done correctly because it will assist the company to update the company monthly statements in a correct manner and enhancing the correct reporting.

Issue about the Indelible Ink

Based on the issue about the indelible ink, the company should buy the indelible ink machine because buying the indelible ink machine will prevent forgery within the company. Typically, the machine will prevent forgery in the company because the ink cannot be washed away or erased, which will consequently assist the company to implement an effective internal control system.

3. Things that the company is doing wrong

Several areas need to be corrected before the LJB Company can become a public company. Typically, the company needs to correct these items to abide by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) regulations and abide to the Section 404 regulation stipulated by the SOX Act.

Importance of cash Budget to the Company

Cash is very critical for a company survival. A company needs to plan its cash needs to ensure that the company meets its cash operating needs. In essence, a cash budget is very essential for a company because it reveals the company projected cash flow for a fiscal year. By understanding the cash amount a company will generate and spend during a fiscal year, the company can make an effective planning in its operations, which will assist the company to maintain an effective business operation.

"Five basic Principles of Cash Management"

"Five basic principles of cash management" to have the chance of having adequate cash are as follows:

1. First, a company should accelerate the speed of collection of receivables. By speeding up the collection process, a company will be able to have adequate cash for its business operations. However, an organization must be very careful when collecting receivables because forcing customer to pay very early can make customer to switch to the competitors. However, the company can entice customers to pay very early by offering discounts for customers who pay on time. (Kimmel, Weygandt, Donald).

2. Moreover, the company should keep the inventory at a very low level. In essence, large inventories will make a company to tie up cash and it will lead to high costs of operations because of the higher holding and storage costs. Keeping a minimal inventory level will assist the company to free the inventory for the profitable ventures. Thus, a company should use the past historical records to forecast the total number of product to keep in the inventory within a fiscal year, the strategy will assist the company to keep minimal level of inventory at all times.

3. A company should also monitor its payments of its liabilities. The company should ensure that it does not pay its liabilities very too earlier because the action may lead to a reduction in a cash balance. However, it is still very critical for a company not damage its credit relationships and rating by prolonging the payments of its liabilities.

4. Planning the timing of the major expenditures. A company capital investment is very critical for a company expansion because it assists a company to improve its operations. However, it is still very critical to plan the timing of capital expenditures because the investment will make a company to incur many funds.

5. Invest in idle cash -- A company should always invest in idle cash to earn returns from the investment at all times. The company should invest in risk free investment such as bonds, which will allow the company to earn interest all times.

ACCT504 Case Study 1

Preparation of journal entries for the March transactions

General Journal

(Account Name) Description

Debit

Credit

1-Mar

cash

72,000

common stock

72,000

"(Issued stocks for cash)"

rent expense

4,500

cash

4,500

"(Paid the month rent with cash)"

prepaid insurance

3,300

cash

3,300

"(Paid a one year insurance in advance)"

7-Mar

supplies

Accounts payable

(purchased supplies on account)

10-Mar

salaries expense

2,200

cash

2,200

(Paid employees' salaries)

14-Mar

equipment

9,000

cash

1,500

accounts payable

7,500

"(Purchased of the equipment materials with cash & the rest on account)"

15-Mar

cash

4,896

Landscaping revenue

4,896

received cash for the service delivered

19-Mar

accounts payable cash paid creditors on account

31-Mar

cash

5,304

Landscaping revenue

5,304

received cash for the service delivered

Divedends

1,000

cash

1,000

payment of cash divedends

103,550

103,550

Posting of the March journal entries to the T-accounts and computing thr ending balances.

Cash (111)

Landscaping Revenue (411)

beginning 72000

10200

4896 March 15

5304 March 31

4500 March 1

3300 March1

2200 March 10

1500 March 14

0

450 March 19

1000 March 31

Prepaid Insurance (117)

Rent Expense (511)

. 275

0

Supplies (119)

Salaries Expense (512)

0

Equipment (144)

Insurance Expense (513)

0

Accumulated Depreciation forEquipment (145)

Supplies Expense (514)

0

Accounts Payable (212)

Depreciation Expense (515)

900 March 7

7500 March 14

0

Income Tax Payable (213)

Income Tax Expense (516)

Common Stock (311)

0

720000 Beginning

Income Summary (517)

10200

Retained Earnings (312)

Dividends (313)

Flower Landscaping Corporation

Trial Balance

Cash

69,250

Prepaid insurance

3,300

Supplies

Equipments

9,000

accounts payable

7,950

Common Stock

72,000

Landscaping revenue

10,200

Rent expense

4,500

Salaries expense

2,200

Dividends

1,000

90,150

90,150

Preparation of adjusting entries using the following information in the General Journal below.

General Journal

Description (Account Name)

Debit

Credit

Insurance expense

Prepaid insurance supplies expense supplies depreciation expense

Accumlated depreciation income tax expense income tax payable

Preparation of an adjusted trial balance

Flower Landscaping Corporation

Adjusted Trial Balance

cash

69250

prepaid insurance

supplies equipment

Accumlated depreciation on equipment

accounts payable

Income tax payable common stock

72000

landscaping revenue

10200

rent expense

salary expense

Income tax expense insurance expense supplies expense depreciation expense

dividends

91095

91095

Flower Landscaping Corporation

Flower Landscaping Corporation

Flower Landscaping Corporation

Income Statement

Statement of Retained Earnings

Balance Sheet

For the Month Ending March 31

For the Month Ending March 31

Revenues:

Retained Earnings, March 1

Assets:

Landscaping Revenue

$10,200

Add: Net Income

1,855

Cash

$69,250

Subtotal

Prepaid Insurance

3,025

Expenses:

Less: Dividends

1,000

Supplies

Rent Expense

4,500

Retained Earnings, March 31

$855

Equipment

9,000

Salaries Expense

2,200

Less: Accum. Depr.

Insurance Expense

Total Assets

81,600

Supplies Expense

Depreciation Expense

Liabilities:

Income Tax Expense

Accounts Payable

7,950

Total Expenses

8,345

Income Tax Payable

Total Liabilities

8,745

Net Income

$1,855

Stockholders' Equity:

Common Stock

72,000

Retained Earnings

Total Stockholders' Equity

72,855

Total Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity

$81,600

Preparation of the General Journal of the closing entries at March 31

General Journal

Description (Account Name)

Debit

Credit

2014

service revenue

10200

31-Mar

income summary

10200

(to close revenue account)

income summary

rent expense

salary expense

income tax expense

Insurance expense supplies expense depreciation expense

(to close expense account)

income summary

retained earnings

(to close income to retained earnings)

retained earnings

dividends

to close dividends to retained earnings

19545

19545