Saturday, 23 November 2019

On February ​5, 2018​, Jubilee Rental​ Corporation's board of directors declared a dividend of $ 0.16​, to be paid on March ​18, 2018​, to the shareholders of record as of the close of business on March ​9, 2018. Jubilee has 2,000,000 shares of $ 0.01 ​par-value common stock authorized with 800,000 shares issued and outstanding. The company has no preferred stock.

On February ​5, 2018​, Jubilee Rental​ Corporation's board of directors declared a dividend of $ 0.16​, to be paid on March ​18, 2018​, to the shareholders of record as of the close of business on March ​9, 2018. Jubilee has 2,000,000 shares of $ 0.01 ​par-value common stock authorized with 800,000 shares issued and outstanding. The company has no preferred stock.
Record the declaration of the dividend and the payment of the dividend. Include the proper dates with each journal entry.
Answer
A dividend is a distribution by a corporation to its​ stockholders, usually based on the​ company's earnings. Dividends usually take one of three​ forms: Cash;​ Stock; and Noncash Assets. Most dividends are cash dividends. A corporation declares a dividend before paying it. Only the board of directors has the authority to declare a dividend. The corporation has no obligation to pay a dividend until the board declares​ one, but once​ declared, the dividend becomes a legal liability of the corporation.
There are three relevant dates for​ dividends:
1.
Declaration date​ - On the declaration​ date, the board of directors announces the dividend. Declaration of the dividend creates a liability for the corporation. It is recorded by debiting Retained Earnings and crediting Dividends Payable.
2.
Date of record​ - As part of the​ declaration, the corporation announces the record​ date, which is the date on which the company looks to see who its stockholders are. Only those who are stockholders on the date of record will receive the dividend. The date of record follows the declaration date by a few weeks. There is no journal entry for the date of record.
3.
Payment date​ - Payment of the dividend usually follows the record date by a week or two. Payment is recorded by debiting Dividends Payable and crediting Cash.
The net effect of a dividend declaration and its​ payment, is a decrease in assets and a corresponding decrease in​ stockholders' equity.
Before we can record the journal entry for the declaration of the​ dividend, let's calculate the amount of the dividend.


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