About Realized and Unrealized Gains and Losses
When a company headquartered in one (domestic) country executes a transaction with a company in another (foreign) country using a currency other than the domestic currency, one currency needs to be converted into another to settle the transaction. This conversion from one currency to another creates gains and losses depending on the currency exchange rate.
This topic covers realized and unrealized currency exchange gains and losses.
Realized Currency Exchange Gains and Losses
Realized currency exchange gains and losses can occur when full or partial payments are applied to voucher or invoice amounts.
Balance Paid in Full
In the following examples, the transactions were completed by the receipt of the payment of cash. Therefore, any exchange gain or loss was realized and, in an accounting sense, was recognized on the date of the cash receipt or cash payment.
For example, a U.S. company purchasing items from a British company that requires payment in British pounds must exchange dollars ($) for pounds (£) to settle the transaction. This exchange of one currency into another involves the use of an exchange rate. If the U.S. company had purchased items for £1,000 from a British company on June 1, when the exchange rate was $1.40 per British pound, $1,400 would need to be exchanged for £1,000 to make the purchase.
Because the U.S. company maintains its accounts in dollars, the transaction would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| June 1 Purchases | 1,400 |
| Cash | 1,400 |
Payment of Invoice #1725 from Sterling Co.
£1,000; exchange rate: $1.40 per British pound
For example, assume that on July 10, when the exchange rate was $.004 per yen (¥), a purchase for ¥100,000 was made from a Japanese company. Since the U.S. company maintains its accounts in dollars, the entry would be recorded at $400 (¥100,000 X $.004), as seen below:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| July 10 Purchases | 400 |
| Accounts Payable - M. Suzuki | 400 |
Invoice #823
¥100,000, exchange rate: $.004 per yen
If on the date of payment, August 9, the exchange rate had increased to $.005 per yen, the ¥100,000 account payable must be settled by exchanging $500 (¥100,000 X $.005) for ¥100,000. In this case, the U.S. company incurs an exchange rate loss of $100, because $500 was needed to settle a $400 debt (accounts payable). The cash payment would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| August 9 Accounts Payable - M. Suzuki | 400 |
| Exchange Loss | 100 |
| Cash | 500 |
Cash paid on Invoice #823
¥100,000, or $400, current exchange rate: $.005 per yen
All transactions with foreign companies can be analyzed as in the examples above. For example, assume that on May 1, when the exchange rate was $.25 per euro, a sale on account for $1,000 from a U.S. company to a French company was billed in euros (€4,000). The transaction would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| May 1 Accounts Receivable - Crusoe Co | 1,000 |
| Sales | 1,000 |
Invoice #7782
€4,000, exchange rate: $.25 per euro
If the exchange rate had increased to $.30 per euro on May 31, the date of receipt of cash, the U.S. company would realize an exchange gain of $200. The gain was realized because the ‚€4,000, which had a value of $1,000 on the date of sale, had increased in value to $1200 (€4,000 * $.30) on May 31 when payment was received. The receipt of the cash would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| May 31 Cash | 1,200 |
| Accounts Receivable - Crusoe Co. | 1,000 |
| Exchange Gain | 200 |
Cash received on Invoice #7782
€4,000 or $1,000, exchange rate: $.30 per euro
Partial Payments
When the balance is not paid in full, however, the system calculates currency gains and losses on each payment amount instead of the outstanding voucher or invoice amount. Currency translation gains or losses are only recorded when payments are applied to posted invoices. The system uses the following formula when performing the gain/loss calculation:
Gain/Loss Amount = (Payment / Applied Invoice Exchange Rate) - (Payment / Payment Exchange Rate)
where:
Average Invoice Exchange Rate = Foreign Amount Outstanding Balance / Domestic Outstanding Balance
For example, a German company purchasing items from an U.S. company pays in euros. The U.S. company must then exchange euros for U.S. dollars to settle the transaction. In this case, the German company is making partial payments rather than paying the balance in full. The transaction would occur as follows:
| Foreign Amount (euro) | Exchange Rate | Domestic Amount (U.S Dollar) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice #101 | 1100.00 | 2.000 | 550.00 | |
| Credit Memo 201 | 200.00 | 4.000 | 50.00 | |
| Currency Gain/Loss | 50.00 | = (200.00/2.00) - (200.00/4.00) = 50.00 LOSS | ||
| Payment 301 | 600.00 | 3.000 | 200.00 | |
| Currency Gain/Loss | 100.00 | = (600.00/2.00) - (600.00/3.00) = 100.00 LOSS | ||
| Payment 302 | 300.00 | 3.000 | 100.00 | |
| Currency Gain/Loss | 50.00 | = (300.00/2.00) - (300.00/3.00) = 50.00 LOSS |
Unrealized Currency Exchange Gains and Losses
However, if financial statements are prepared between the date of the original transaction (sale or purchase on account, for example) and the date of the cash receipt or cash payment, and the exchange rate has changed since the original transaction, an unrealized gain or loss must be recognized in the statements.
For example, assume that a sale on account for $1,000 had been made to a German company on December 20, when the exchange rate was $.50 per euro (€), and that the transaction had been recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dec. 20 Accounts Receivable - Mueller Co. | 1,000 |
| Sales | 1,000 |
Invoice #22
€2,000; exchange rate: $.50 per euro
If the exchange rate had decreased to $.45 per euro on December 31, the date of the balance sheet, the $1,000 account receivable would have a value of only $900 (€2,000 X $.45). This "unrealized" loss would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dec. 31 Exchange Loss | 100 |
| Accounts Receivable - Mueller Co. | 100 |
Invoice #22
€2,000 X $.05 decrease in exchange rate
Assuming that €2,000 are received on January 19 in the following year, when the exchange rate is $.42, the additional decline in the exchange rate from $.45 to $.42 per euro must be recognized. The cash receipt would be recorded as follows:
| Description | Amount |
|---|---|
| Jan. 19 Cash | 840 |
| Exchange Loss ($.03X‚€2,000) | 60 |
| Accounts Receivable - Mueller Co. | 900 |
Cash received on Invoice #22
€2,000, or $840, exchange rate: $.42 per euro
If the exchange rate had increased between December 31 and January 19, an exchange gain would be recorded on January 19. For example, if the exchange rate had increased from $.45 to $.47 per euro during this period, an exchange gain would be credited for $40 ($.02 X €2,000).
Consolidated Financial Statements with Foreign Subsidiaries
Before the financial statements of domestic and foreign companies are consolidated, the amounts shown on the statements for the foreign companies must be converted to domestic currency. Asset and liability amounts are normally converted to domestic currency by using the exchange rates as of the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are normally converted by using the exchange rates that were in effect when those transactions were executed. (For practical purposes, a weighted average rate for the period is generally used.) The adjustments (gains or losses) resulting from the conversion are reported as a separate item in the stockholders' equity section of the balance sheets of the foreign companies.
After the foreign company statements have been converted to domestic currency, the financial statements of domestic and foreign subsidiaries are consolidated in the normal manner. For more information, see Consolidation Overview.