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In January of Year 1, a company began doing business as a corporation in order to sell technology-related accessories and services. During its first month of operations, the following events occurred:
January 1
The corporation received $900,000 in cash in exchange for stock issued to stockholders.
January 3
The corporation borrowed $250,000 from a bank. The loan is a four-year loan with an interest rate of 12%, payable each year on January 1 beginning in Year 2.
January 5
The corporation purchased equipment to be used in the business for $200,000 cash.
January 8
The corporation purchased inventory costing $200,000 by paying $120,000 in cash. The remainder was put on credit accounts with suppliers.
January 15
The corporation hired five employees. Each employee will be paid $1,000 at the end of each month.
January 30
The corporation paid $6,000 cash for a one-year insurance policy. The policy period will begin on February 1, Year 1.
What will be the impact of the January 1 event on the company's balance sheet on that date, along with an increase to cash of $900,000?
The correct answer is A. Stockholders' equity will increase by $900,000. On January 1, the corporation received cash in exchange for issuing stock. That means the company's assets increase because cash increases, and stockholders' equity also increases because ownership shares were issued. OpenStax explains that when a company issues stock for cash or other assets, the asset account increases and the related equity accounts are credited.
Option B is incorrect because no borrowing occurred on January 1, so loan payable does not increase from that event. Option C is incorrect because ''investments'' is not the proper classification for the corporation's own issuance of stock in this context. Option D is incorrect because retained earnings increase from profitable operations over time, not from owner contributions or stock issuances. This transaction is a classic example of the accounting equation staying balanced: Assets increase by $900,000 and Stockholders' Equity increases by $900,000. Therefore, the correct balance sheet effect, along with the rise in cash, is an equal increase in stockholders' equity.