The Nantell Corporation just purchased an expensive piece of equipment. Assume that the firm planned to depreciate the equipment over 5 years on a straight-line basis, but Congress then passed a provision that requires the company to depreciate the equipment on a straight-line basis over 7 years. Other things held constant, which of the following will occur as a result of this Congressional action

A) Nantell's taxable income will be lower

B) Nantell's operating income (EBIT) will increase

C) Nantell's cash position will improve (increase)

D) Nantell's reported net income for the year will be lower

E) Nantell's tax liability for the year will be lower

D

Explanation:

Nantell's operating income (EBIT) will increase., because now the company will record lower depreciation expense in the income statement due to increase in the life from 5 to 7 taken for the depreciation purposes. So decline in depreciation will result in higher EBIT.

a. is wrong as lower depreciation means higher net income.

b. is wrong as tax liability will not get impacted as tax will follows old method of depreciation.

c. is incorrect as depreciation is non cash expense thus does not impact cash position and tax has already be on the earlier method.

e. is incorrect as increase in EBIT will result in higher taxable income.

hence option D is the only correct option