A company suffered a substantial loss when its production facility was destroyed in an earthquake against which it was not insured. Geological scientists were surprised by the earthquake as there was no evidence that one had ever occurred in that area in the past. Which of the following statements is most accurate? The company should report the loss on its income statement:
A is correct. To qualify as an extraordinary item, an item must be both unusual in nature and infrequent in occurrence: The description of the earthquake meets these criteria. Extraordinary items are only allowed under U.S. GAAP and are reported on the income statement net of tax.