BKAL 3063 INTEGRATED CASE STUDY

GROUP E (6)
(CASE REPORT ANALYSIS OF ACCOUNTING FOR THE IPHONE AT APPLE INC)

GROUP MEMBERS:
Norpadilah Binti Mohd Roslanudin

224031

Nur Fatihah Binti Zainal Lim

221536

Siti Filzah Binti Muhamad Nadzri

221357

Ummi Fadhilah Binti Mansor

221410

LECTURERS NAME:
PN ROHANA @ NORLIZA BT YUSSUF

SUBMISSION DATE:
6 OCTOBER 2015
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Apple Incorporation was establish as the phone manufacturer and produce products such as
smartphone, iPod touch user and also develop extraordinary application store which provide their
user with wide variety of mobile applications ranging from games to productivity tools. This
company has undergone the rapid development on their technical and design innovation about
the software updates. Apple announced the financial results for Quarterly of every year. The
highlighted issues in this case, this Apple Incorporation use GAAP and Non-GAAP reporting as
attempt to disclose about their quarterly results and share value. The solutions to overcome this
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issues by suggest that Apple Inc should immediately cease giving GAAP-based
earnings guidance and instead offer guidance on adjusted earnings. Next,
Apple also can implement the uses of Non-GAAP recognition because by
using this method, it could show how much a company is actually making in
a particular period.
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Financial reporting is important to provide financial information about the reporting
entity that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors in making
decisions about providing resources to the Apple Incorporation. To produce the reliable financial
reporting Apple Incorporation prepared financial report accordance to the GAAP which is
include of the common set of accounting principles, standards and procedures that companies
use to compile in their financial statements.
However there also have the uses of the Non-GAAP earnings in this company in addition
to the required GAAP earnings, stating that the alternate figure more accurately reflects the
company's performance. Some common examples of non-GAAP earnings measures are cash
earnings, operating earnings, and pro-forma income. A non-GAAP financial measure is a
numerical measure of a companys historical or future financial performance, financial position
or cash flows that includes or excludes amounts from the most directly comparable GAAP
measure.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in U.S permits companies to present
non GAAP financial measures in their public disclosures as well as registration statements filed
under the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and periodic reports filed under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), subject to compliance with Regulation G and Item 10(e)
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of Regulation S-K (Item 10(e)). These regulations were adopted to ensure that investors are
provided with financial information that is fulsome and not misleading.

2.0 ANALYSIS OF PROBLEM

2.1 Statement of problems
In 2008 Apple decided to include non-GAAP measures of earnings along with its
earnings under GAAP. The results had shown that there was a 48% increase different between
the two methods. Revenues and income under non-GAAP recording are exponentially larger
which seems like the obvious choice in recording revenues. However, the issue is, because of
Apple must recognize revenues under GAAP so that they are required to use the subscription
method of accounting. According to a CBS Marketwatch article, under the accounting method
used in the past, the company would recognize a full months revenue from a subscription
agreement, even if a deal was sealed in the middle of the month, for example, the effect of the
accounting change is to defer a portion of the revenue that had previously been recorded during
the month that the subscription started to the end of the contract. So what it comes down to is a
timing issue. In the example just now, a full month of revenue gets recognized even only if the
customer signed in the middle of the month.
Under GAAP Apple is required to record under software revenue recognition. This
requires that Apple have to recognize revenues and product costs on a straight line basis for the
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life of its service coverage periods. Revenue has to be deferred and recognized over time. The
impact of this on the income statement is that reported revenues would only account for a small
portion of actual sales of the product. This make the company not making a high profit. On the
other hand, Non-GAAP recognition show how much a company is actually making in a
particular period. Apple decided to provide its non-GAAP financial statements to show revenues
without the subscription accounting method. The non-GAAP method makes companies look
more profitable on their financial statements by boosting the revenue that would be recognize.
This method tends to benefit the company instead of shareholders and customers. Also, it does
not account for things that may happen between the time of purchase and the end of the
subscription period.
2.2 Cause of problems
Opportunistic reasons
Apple Corporation exploiting chances offered by immediate circumstances without reference to a
general plan whereby they use subscription accounting for the solution to adopt for them to
provide free software updates to iPhone users under GAAP accounting rules. While they used
Non-GAAP results "eliminate the impact of subscription accounting," which is a strange way to
describe deferred revenue, unless the objective is to convey stronger performance regardless of
accounting standards
The Power of Control in Top Management
Apple Incorporation use the power to make an agreement with the AT&T to get benefit from the
iPhone sales whereby they does not follow the mobile carriers that provide subsidies to lower the
purchase price of the new phone. They tend to make a revenue-sharing agreement that gave

Apple a share of the subscribers monthly service fees. Apple should realize the money when
they get it. So if AT & T pays Apple when a customer buys an iPhone for the entire length of the
contract then Apple should report the total amount. If AT & T gives Apple a check every month
then they should report what they got.

3.0 ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

The numbers in the Financial Statement in Apple Inc. were different
under the two methods. There is little to nothing Apple could do to fix the
current market perception regarding its fundamentals in the short term,
Apple can take certain defensive steps that could potentially alter the
markets views in the long term. Therefore, there are two alternative
solutions that Apple can implement which is follow GAAP and non-GAAP
accounting method.
First, Apple should immediately cease giving GAAP-based earnings
guidance and instead offer guidance on adjusted earnings. If Jobs really
wants the market to shift its focus from Apples GAAP-based earnings to real
earnings, then he really needs to start offering guidance on an adjusted basis
which a practice that several other tech companies already employed. By
doing this, Apple would benefit in both the short and long term.

It would benefit in the short term because there are no adjustedearnings guidance expectations that Apple would have to meet because
there are no adjusted-earnings consensus estimates at the present moment.
Thus, near-term strong earnings results would not be hampered by Apples
excessive conservatism in guidance because Apple would not be guiding
below any expectations. In other words, Apple would limit near-term headline
risk regarding its guidance because it would simply not be providing any.
Yet, the major benefit Apple would gain from offering only adjustedbased earnings guidance is that analysts will be forced to comment and give
estimates on Apples adjusted earnings which will eventually shift the market
focus in that direction as well.
Furthermore,

Under

GAAP

companies

recognize

revenues

when

persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery occurs, price is fixed,

and collection is probable. Thus, the GAAP method best reflects the
economic reality because it accounts for actual instances where sales cannot
be recognized, such as when deliveries are lost, subscriptions are cancelled,
or when payment isnt collected.
The next solution that Apple can implement is use Non-GAAP
recognition. By using this method, it could show how much a company is
actually making in a particular period. This makes it easier for a company to
show its potential for future performance. Apple decided to provide its non-

GAAP financial statements to show revenues without the subscription

accounting method which recognized the revenue at the point of sale.
The non-GAAP numbers did not adjust the estimated costs associated
with its plan to provide new features and software upgrades to Iphone buyers
free of charge and these figures were not prepare under a comprehensive set
of rules or principles.
Apple should really consider is doing away with subscription accounting
altogether. It could do so in tandem with its next iPhone refresh by stating
that third-iteration iPhone purchases will have to pay for future software
upgrades as they become available. All previous 3G and EDGE iPhone
revenue would be amortized under subscription accounting while next
generation iPhone revenue would be recognized at the point of sale in the
quarter in which the sale occurs.

4.0 RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS

The best recommended among the alternative solution for Accounting for the iPhone at
Apple Inc. is by using non-GAAP recognition.
It is because when Apple Inc. using non-GAAP tends to benefit the company instead of
shareholder and customer. It is because revenue and income recording by using this method is
larger which seem like obvious choice in recording revenues and it shows how much a company
actually making a sale of iPhone. When record the actual revenue and sale, the company look
more profitable on their financial statement be boosting the revenues that would be recognized.
When using the real revenue and sale, easy for company to predict the performance in
future and better information for future investor to invest in the company. Research also, suggest
for Apple to used non-GAAP supplementary disclosure to communicate adjusted accounting
number that better prediction future performance it also assuming that non-GAAP numbers
informative and credible. By using non-GAAP it does a not mean Apple make any fraud or
misconduct of financial statements. By doing this, Apple would benefit in both the short and long
term.

5.0 EXTERNAL SOURCING

https://www.sec.gov/rules/final/33-8176.htm
http://www.skadden.com/newsletters/Corporate_Finance_Alert_The_Use_of_Non-

GAAP_Financial_Measures_A_Disclosure_Guide.pdf
http://faculty.washington.edu/rbowen/cases/Apple%20Revenue%20Rec%20Strategy

%20(A)_10-10.pdf
http://www.beyondvc.com/2004/07/subscription_ac.html
http://bullishcross.com/2009/01/how-the-iphone-and-poor-apple-management-have-

contributed-to-the-downfall-of-apple/
http://seekingalpha.com/article/132536-apples-non-gaap-earnings-are-the-real-story
http://bullishcross.com/2009/01/how-the-iphone-and-poor-apple-management-have-

contributed-to-the-downfall-of-apple/
http://bullishcross.com/2009/01/how-the-iphone-and-poor-apple-management-havecontributed-to-the-downfall-of-apple/