Foreign Subsidiary Translation and Discrepancies in Financial Statements | CFA Level 1 Exam Prep

Foreign Subsidiary Translation and Discrepancies

Prev Question Next Question

Question

The reason that the translation of foreign subsidiaries will generate discrepancies between the changes in accounts reported on the balance sheet and those reported in the cash flow statement is

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

B

Thus, cash flow from operations does not include the effects of the translation process.

The correct answer is A. The reason that the translation of foreign subsidiaries will generate discrepancies between the changes in accounts reported on the balance sheet and those reported in the cash flow statement is that the change in the exchange rate does not appear on the balance sheet but will appear as a component of cash collections because it is not a change resulting from operations.

Translation of foreign subsidiaries refers to the process of converting the financial statements of a subsidiary from its functional currency to the reporting currency of the parent company. This translation is necessary because the parent company consolidates the financial statements of its subsidiaries to present a comprehensive view of its financial position and performance.

When translating the financial statements of a foreign subsidiary, the exchange rate used for the conversion may differ from the exchange rate used in the previous period. As a result, there will be changes in the reported values of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses on the balance sheet.

However, the changes in exchange rates are not considered operational activities. They are external factors that affect the value of the subsidiary's assets and liabilities in the reporting currency. Therefore, these changes do not appear as a component of cash collections resulting from operational activities on the cash flow statement.

Option A correctly states that the change in the exchange rate does not appear on the balance sheet but will appear as a component of cash collections because it is not a change resulting from operations. This discrepancy arises because the balance sheet reflects the translated values of assets and liabilities, while the cash flow statement captures cash flows resulting from operational activities.

Option B is incorrect because it states that the change in the exchange rate appears as part of the balance of accounts receivable on the balance sheet, which is not accurate. The change in the exchange rate affects all balance sheet items, not just accounts receivable.

Option C is incorrect because it suggests that the change in the exchange rate appears as a component of cash from financing activities, which is also not accurate. Cash from financing activities includes activities such as issuing or repurchasing equity, borrowing or repaying debt, and paying dividends. The change in the exchange rate is not directly related to these financing activities.

Option D is incorrect because it states that the change in the exchange rate appears as part of stockholders' equity on the balance sheet. While the translation adjustment resulting from changes in exchange rates may be recorded in other comprehensive income or accumulated other comprehensive income within stockholders' equity, it does not affect the cash collections reported in the cash flow statement.

In summary, the translation of foreign subsidiaries introduces discrepancies between the changes in accounts reported on the balance sheet and those reported in the cash flow statement because the change in the exchange rate does not directly impact cash collections resulting from operational activities, but it does affect the translated values of assets and liabilities on the balance sheet.