Rothbart Manufacturing agrees to manufacture bumper cars for 12 Banners Amusement Parks. Under the terms of the contract, 12 Banners will pay Rothbart a total of $60,000, and 12 Banners can cancel the contract if it so chooses but must pay Rothbart for work completed. Rothbart believes that, if 12 Banners cancelled the contract, Rothbart could sell the bumper cars to another amusement park and still make a profit. The manufacturing contract is expected to last six months, and as of December 31, 2016, the job is 80% complete. How much revenue should Rothbart recognize in 2016 for this contract

From the case study, Rothbart Manufacturing has incurred an equivalent cost of 80% in the manufacture of the bumper cars, it should then recognize revenue of $48,000 ($60,000 * 80%) under the percentage of completion method.

However, under the new IFRS 15 or ASC 606 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, Rothbart Manufacturing can only recognize revenue based on the fulfillment of the contract's performance obligations, evidenced by the transfer of the asset or some benefits to the buyer.

I do not see any transfer of benefits here. Instead of recognizing any revenue the current year, Rothbart Manufacturing should assign the cost incurred so far (80%) to Work in Process Inventory, which is a current asset. It can then recognize revenue when the bumper cars are sold.

Explanation:

The International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 15 specifies when revenue from contracts with customers should be recognized. This standard is equivalent to the US Accounting Standard Code 606.