Pension Accounting at At&T

This case provides students with the opportunity to analyze the pension footnote disclosures for AT&T Inc. In particular, it focuses on the components of pension expense, the balance sheet accounts, and the various assumptions that drive these figures. What is most unique about the example is that the case is set in 2008, and in 2010, AT&T elected to immediately recognize actuarial gains and losses in net income. To provide comparable prior year financial statements, AT&T restated 2008 accounting for immediate recognition of actuarial gains and losses. Therefore, students can see the significant effect of this change in accounting policy by comparing the $12.8 billion in net income originally reported in 2008 with the $2.3 billion loss AT&T reported for the restated 2008. Excerpt UVA-C-2391 Rev. Jul. 11, 2018 Pension Accounting at AT&T Company Description AT&T Inc. (AT&T) is the largest communications company in the world, responsible for transferring more than 100 petabytes of traffic daily. It is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and operates on six continents, representing nearly the entire world economy, and is known for innovation by sponsoring over 12,000 patents worldwide. The company, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has roots in the American Telephone and Telegraph Company established by Alexander Graham Bell in 1885. Assignment . . .