Choice C2-1 of Accounting Method a. The equity method is to be used when an investor has significant influence over an investee. Significant influence normally is assumed when more than 20 percent ownership is held. Factors to be considered in determining whether to apply equity-method reporting include the following: 1. Is the investee under the control of the courts or other parties as a result of filing for reorganization or entering into liquidation procedures? 2. Does the investor have representation on the board of directors, or has it attempted to gain representation and been unable to do so? 3. Has the investee initiated litigation or complaints challenging the investor's ability to exercise significant influence? 4. Has the investor signed an agreement surrendering its ability to exercise significant influence? 5. Is majority ownership concentrated in a small group that operates the company without regard of the wishes of the investor? 6. Is the investor able to acquire the information to needed use equitymethod reporting? b. When subsidiary net income is greater than dividends paid, equity-method reporting is likely to show a larger reported contribution to the earnings of Slanted Building Supplies. If 20X4 earnings are negative or less than dividends distributed in 20X4, the cost basis is likely to result in a larger contribution to Slanted's reported earnings. c. As the investor uses more of its resources to acquire ownership of the investee, and as the investor has a greater share of the investee's profits and losses, the success of the investee's operations may have more of an impact on the overall financial well-being of the investor. In many cases, the investor will want to participate in key decisions of the investee once the investor's ownership share reaches a certain level. Also, use of the equity method eliminates the possibility of the investor manipulating its own income by influencing investee dividend distributions, as might occur under the cost method.