ACCOUNTING 325: INTERMED MANAG & TAX ACCT
(Monday: Section 1,1600-1840, GMCS 313)
Spring 2016
San Diego State University
College of Business Administration
Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy
COURSE INFORMATION
Instructors: James E. Williamson, until March 8
Instructor: Nathan Oestreich, beginning March 10
Office: SSE 2429; TTh, 1530 - 1700
Office: SSE 2413; TTh, `by appointment
Course Overview
In this course we will examine the theories, practices, and concepts necessary to understand the decision making requirements
of internal users of accounting information. We will also explore the tax considerations which affect managerial decision
making. A NEW TOPIC is the formal inclusion of ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL costs in our analysis.
Student Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course students should be able to:
1. Use the tax formula and the necessary components to calculate taxable income, and ultimately the federal income tax,
for individuals, corporations and estates and trusts. Compare and contrast the different taxable entities.
2. Assess the effects of personal, investment, and business transactions individually and collectively on the federal income
tax, the gift and estate taxes, and other selected taxes. Define and illustrate various cost terms and concepts and evaluate
their relevancy for different decision-making purposes. Discuss the impact of technology on the manufacturing
environment and its implications for product costing and the development of activity-based costing and management.
3. Explain the development and use of standard costs, prepare and interpret variance analysis reports and relate them to
responsibility accounting and control.
4. Explain the purposes of budgeting; prepare a master budget and its component schedules and relate the budget to
planning and control.
5. Explain why the formal inclusion of environmental and social costs in the decision making process are necessary to be
successful in the 21st Century.
Because this course is specifically directed toward students majoring in Finance, instead of accounting, I quote from Warren
Buffet:
You should have a knowledge of how business operates and the language of business (accounting), some enthusiasm for
the subject, and qualities of temperament which may be more important than IQ points. These will enable you to think
independently and to avoid various forms of mass hysteria that infect the investments markets from time to time.
Understanding the fundamentals of accounting is a form of self-defense:
When managers want to get across the facts of the business to you, it can be done within the rules of accounting.
Unfortunately, when they want to play games, at least in some industries, it can also be done within the rules of
accounting. If you can’t recognize the differences, you shouldn’t be in the equity-picking business. (Janet Lowe, Warren
Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World’s Greatest Investor. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, 1997.)
PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS AND DEGREE LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE B.S. IN BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
PLG I: Written and Oral Communication - Communicate effectively with individuals, teams, and large groups, both in
writing and orally.
Learning Outcomes:
DLO 1.1: Write well-organized and grammatically correct papers including letters, memos, case analyses, and research reports.
DLO 1.2: Make effective oral presentations that are informative as well as persuasive, as appropriate.
PLG II: Analytical and Critical Thinking Skills - Demonstrate effective analytical
and critical thinking skills to make an appropriate decision in a complex situation.
Learning Outcomes:
DLO 2.1: Apply relevant information and arrive at a well-reasoned conclusion.
PLG III: Ethical Reasoning - Distinguish and analyze ethical problems that occur in business and society, and
choose and defend ethical solutions.
Learning Outcomes:
DLO 3.1: Explain the various ethical dimensions of business decision making. DLO 3.2: Explain the role of various
affected parties in business decision making.
DLO 3.3: Assess the ethics of decision alternatives using different ethical decision rules.
DLO 3.4: Apply ethical decision-making rules to cases drawn from various business sub-disciplines.
PLG IV: Global Perspective – Demonstrate a global perspective and an
understanding of the dynamics of the global economy in making decisions.
Learning Outcomes:
DLO 4.1: Identify and describe the impact of the global economy on business decisions.
DLO 4.2: Explain and apply a global perspective in making business decisions.
PLG V: Essential Business Knowledge - Demonstrate an understanding of the major functional areas of
Business.
Learning Outcomes:
DLO 5.1: Describe basic concepts in each major functional area of business. DLO 5.2: Apply techniques and
theories from various areas of Business to business situations.
Enrollment Information
This is a required course for Finance majors. Upper division status is required.
Course Materials
Required Materials (See Aztec Shops book list):
INDIVIDUAL TAXATION, Pratt & Kulsrud, 2016; and
Intermed Manag & Tax Acctg 325, Williamson.
Extra Credit Materials
REENGINEERING THE CORPORATION, Hammer, et al.
Course Structure and Conduct
Style of the Course: Traditional Lecture, Lecture-Discussion, In-class problem solving.
Students with Disabilities
If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact
Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations
based upon disability cannot be provided until you have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student
Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in this class.
Become familiar with the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any cheating or plagiarism will result in a grade
of “F” in the course.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:

Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases, sentences,
paragraphs and/or pages of work)

Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own

Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit

Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases

Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy and this helpful guide from the Library
Turnitin
Students agree that by taking this course all required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to
Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers will be included as source documents in the Turnitin.com
reference database solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of such papers. You may submit your papers in such a way
that no identifying information about you is included. Another option is that you may request, in writing, that your papers not
be submitted to Turnitin.com. However, if you choose this option you will be required to provide documentation to
substantiate that the papers are your original work and do not include any plagiarized material.
Assessments and Grading
Course grades will be assigned in accordance with San Diego State University policy (see General Catalog, pp. 468-470).
Undergraduate grades shall be: A (outstanding achievement, available only for the highest accomplishment), B (praiseworthy
performance, definitely above average), C (average, awarded for satisfactory performance, the most common undergraduate
grade), D (minimally passing, less than the typical undergraduate achievement), F (failing).
Table1. Your course grade will be based on the following weighted components
Component
Weight/Points
Exam 1
50
Exam 2
150
Exam 3
150
Daily work
50
EXTRA CREDIT WORK. You may earn as many as fifteen extra credit points by reading the Hammer et al book and writing a five
page report on your observations after reading the book. This offer of extra credit is good only for papers submitted on or
before the February 29 deadline. Only hard copies of paper will be accepted and must be handed to me in class or in my office
no later than seven o’clock on February 29. Late papers will not be read and will receive no points.
SDSU Writing Center
Tell your students (in class, on your syllabus, on your course Black Board site) about the SDSU Writing Center. It is
located in LLA 1103, open every weekday to all students on campus. Students can make an appointment or drop-in. If
you are asking your students to do any writing (as all upper-division and graduate courses should be), the Writing
Center is a terrific asset. Additional information can be found at http://www.writingcenter.sdsu.edu/.
Your FINAL GRADE in the class will be determined by the total number of points that you earn during the semester:
GRADE
POINTS
GRADE
POINTS
A
B+
BC
F
360-400
350-354
310-319
260-299
000-199
AB
C+
D
355-359
320-349
300-309
200-259
Date
Topics
Activities
January 25
Introduction to Strategy, Cost Management, and Cost Systems
January 25
and February
1
An Overview of Federal Taxation
Chapter 1 from Ct Accounting
Exercises 6,17,18,19,21,33,46
Chapter 1 from Taxation
Exercises 17,18,19,20,23,26,28,
31,32,33,34
February 1, 8
Taxable Entities, Tax Formula
Chapter 3 from Taxation
Exercises 31,32,33,34,35,37,38,39,42,
45,46,47,48,49,50,56
February 8, 15
Activity-Based Costing and Customer Profitability Analysis
Chapter 5 from Cost Accounting
Exercises 16,17,18,19,20,21,22,32,50
February 15
Short-Term Profit Planning: CVP
Chapter 9 from Cost Accounting
Exercises
11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,
33,36,43,50
February 22
Exam 1 (45 minute time limit)
Comprehensive from beginning of
semester
February 22
Decision Making with a Strategic Emphasis
Chapter 11 from Cost Accounting
Exercises 11,12,13,14,15,17,23,26,28
February 22
Cost Planning for the Product Life Cycle: Target Costing, Theory of Constraints,
and Strategic Pricing
Chapter 13 from Cost Accounting
Exercises 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,
33,46,47,51
February 29
The Management and Control of Quality
FINAL DAY TO TURN IN EXTRA CREDIT PAPER (Hard Copy only accepted)
Chapter 17 from Cost Accounting
Exercises
12,14,15,16,17,25,30,32,47,57
February 29
Strategic Performance Measurement: Investment Centers & Transfer Pricing
March 7
EXAM 2 (one hour and fifteen minutes)
March 7
Capital Recovery: Depreciation
Chapter 9 from Taxation
March 14
Property Transactions; Basis Determination and Recognition of Gain or Loss
Chapter 14 from Taxation
Problems 10, 25, 27, 31,33,34, 38
March 14
Like-kind Exchanges
March 21
Jurisdictional Issues
Chapter 15 from Taxation (Selected
pages)
Reading TBA
March 28
through April
1
SPRING RECESS AND CESAR CHAVEZ DAY ON MARCH 31
Chapter 19 from Cost Accounting
Exercises 11,12,13,15,16,17,18,19,20,
31,40,55
Comprehensive from beginning of
the semester
YOUR CHOICE
April 4
Property Transactions: Capital Gains and Losses
Chapter 16 from Taxation
Problems 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 22, 23,
30,56
April 11, 18
Employee Compensation and Retirement Plans
Chapter 18 from Taxation
April 25
Taxation of Business Forms Their Owners
Chapter 19 from Taxation
May 2
EXAM 3
May 6 – 12
Final Exam Week
Exams and Exam Policies. Exams will be objective in nature (i.e., multiple choice and true false) and are open-book.
Cases and class work to be announced. At least one essay will be submitted to Turnitin.
Grade of Incomplete. A grade of Incomplete (I) indicates that a portion of required coursework has not been completed and
evaluated in the prescribed time period due to unforeseen, but fully justified, reasons and that there is still a possibility of
earning credit. It is your responsibility to bring pertinent information to the instructor and to reach agreement on the means by
which the remaining course requirements will be satisfied. The conditions for removal of the Incomplete shall be reduced to
writing by the instructor and given to you with a copy placed on file with the department chair until the Incomplete is removed
or the time limit for removal has passed. A final grade is assigned when the work agreed upon has been completed and
evaluated. An Incomplete shall not be assigned when the only way you could make up the work would be to attend a major
portion of the class when it is next offered. Contract forms for Incomplete grades are available at the Office of the Registrar
website
Tentative Course Schedule
Changes to the course schedule, if any, will be announced in class.