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Present Value of an
Ordinary Annuity

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PVOA Used in Recording a Transaction and Amortizing Discount




Let's illustrate how the calculation of the present value of an annuity is used in recording an accounting transaction.


Exercise #11. On December 31, 2008, FreshStart provides a service for its customer DownCo in exchange for a promissory note requiring five annual payments of $1,000 each. The payments are to occur on December 31 of each year beginning on December 31, 2009. The note does not specify any interest, and there is no market for the note. The value of the service performed by FreshStart is very unique and no market value is available. Based on the credit worthiness of DownCo and the length of the note, it is estimated that DownCo would have to pay 10% interest if it borrowed a similar amount from a bank. As FreshStart's accountant, how would you record the transaction on December 31, 2008?

Both the cost principle and the revenue recognition principle prohibit you from recording the $5,000 as December 2008 revenue, since a portion of the $5,000 is interest that will be earned in the five years 2009 through 2012. Since there is no fair market value (or cash equivalent amount) known for the note or for the service provided, you realize that the present value (or cash equivalent amount) of the note must be computed.

Your first step is to prepare a timeline that displays the relevant facts:

PVOA= ??





$1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000








1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year 1 year
12/31/08 12/31/09 12/31/10 12/31/11 12/31/12 12/31/13
0 1 2 3 4 5

n = 5 years;  i = 10% per year



Calculation of Exercise #11 using the PVOA Table
Using the information on the timeline, you insert the known figures into the PVOA equation:
PVOA = PMT times [ PVOA factor for n = 5; i = 10% ]

PVOA = $1,000 times [ 3.791 ] ← PVOA factor from PVOA Table

PVOA = $3,791
This calculation tells you that receiving $1,000 at the end of each of the next 5 years is the equivalent of $3,791 at the present time if the time value of money is 10% per year. The difference between $3,791 and the future amounts aggregating $5,000 (5 payments at $1,000 each) is $1,209. This $1,209 is interest that will be earned by FreshStart over the next five years. Expressed another way, FreshStart earned only $3,791 in service revenues from DownCo on December 31, 2008.

A proof of this calculation is shown below:

   Loan Amortization Schedule
   (For $3,791 at 10% per year with 5 annual payments.)

Date Total Payment Interest Payment* Principal Payment** Principal Balance
Dec. 31, 2008


$ 3,791.00
Dec. 31, 2009 $ 1,000.00 $   379.10 $ 620.90 3,170.10
Dec. 31, 2010 1,000.00 317.01 682.99 2,487.11
Dec. 31, 2011 1,000.00 248.71 751.29 1,735.82
Dec. 31, 2012 1,000.00 173.58 826.42 909.40
Dec. 31, 2013 1,000.00   90.60 (R) 909.40 0.00


$ 1,209.00


    * Interest payment equals 10% of the previous principal balance.
    ** Principal payment equals $1,000 minus interest payment.
    (R) Rounded


FreshStart's journal entry to record this transaction on December 31, 2008 is:
DateAccount Name Debit Credit
Dec. 31, 2008Notes Receivable $5,000
Discount on Notes Receivable 1,209
Service Revenues 3,791

The $1,209 in Discount on Notes Receivable is to be amortized from this balance sheet account to the income statement account Interest Revenues over the life of the note.

If the discount and resulting interest revenue is immaterial in light of FreshStart's income statement, the discount can be amortized by using the straight-line method. Under the straight-line method, $241.80 ($1,209 divided by 5 years) will be recorded in each of the years 2009–2013, as shown in the following entry:
Discount on Notes Receivable 242
Interest Revenue 242

If the discount and resulting interest revenue is material in light of FreshStart's income statement, generally accepted accounting principles requires that the discount be amortized by the effective interest rate method. The amounts for the effective interest rate method appear in the Interest Payment column of $3,791 amortization schedule and are used in the following journal entries:
DateAccount Name Debit Credit
Dec. 31, 2009Discount on Notes Receivable 379
Interest Revenue 379
Cash 1,000
Notes Receivable 1,000


Dec. 31, 2010Discount on Notes Receivable 317
Interest Revenue 317
Cash 1,000
Notes Receivable 1,000


Dec. 31, 2011Discount on Notes Receivable 249
Interest Revenue 249
Cash 1,000
Notes Receivable 1,000


Dec. 31, 2012Discount on Notes Receivable 174
Interest Revenue 174
Cash 1,000
Notes Receivable 1,000


Dec. 31, 2013Discount on Notes Receivable 90
Interest Revenue 90
Cash 1,000
Notes Receivable 1,000

After posting these journal entries, the book value (or carrying value) of this note receivable can be determined from the balances in the following T-accounts:

Notes Receivable
Discount on Notes Receivable
12–31–08 entry 5,000




1,209 12–31–08 entry


1,000 12–31–09 entry
12–31–09 entry 379

bal. 12–31–09 4,000




830 bal. 12–31–09


1,000 12–31–10 entry
12–31–10 entry 317

bal. 12–31–10 3,000




513 bal. 12–31–10


1,000 12–31–11 entry
12–31–11 entry 249

bal. 12–31–11 2,000




264 bal. 12–31–11


1,000 12–31–12 entry
12–31–12 entry 174

bal. 12–31–12 1,000




 90 bal. 12–31–12


1,000 12–31–13 entry
12–31–13 entry  90

bal. 12–31–13 –0–




–0– bal. 12–31–13



The book value (or carrying value) of the notes receivable is calculated as shown here:
Date Notes Receivable Less:
Discount on Notes Receivable
Book Value of Notes Receivable
12–31–08 $   5,000 $  1,209 $   3,791
12–31–09 4,000 830 3,170
12–31–10 3,000 513 2,487
12–31–11 2,000 264 1,736
12–31–12 1,000 90 910
12–31–13 –   –   –  

Note that the book value amounts in the above exhibit are the same as the principal balance amounts in $3,791 amortization schedule. If the notes receivable was written for $3,791 with a stated interest of 10% and annual payments of $1,000, the journal entries would have been:
DateAccount Name Debit Credit
Dec. 31, 2008Notes Receivable 3,791
Service Revenue 3,791


Dec. 31, 2009Cash 1,000
Interest Revenue 379
Notes Receivable 621


Dec. 31, 2010Cash 1,000
Interest Revenue 317
Notes Receivable 683


Dec. 31, 2011Cash 1,000
Interest Revenue 249
Notes Receivable 751


Dec. 31, 2012Cash 1,000
Interest Revenue 174
Notes Receivable 826


Dec. 31, 2013Cash 1,000
Interest Revenue 90
Notes Receivable 910


Additional Information and Resources

Because the material covered here is considered an introduction to this topic, many complexities have been omitted. You should always consult with an accounting professional for assistance with your own specific circumstances.



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