Case 8 / 183 Entry

3-Statement Change: Take Out a $100 Loan

Accounting & Financial Statements

The prompt

“Walk me through what happens across the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet if a company takes out a $100 loan, first at the moment the loan is issued and then over the following year as it accrues interest, with everything else held constant.”

📋 What you're given

Walk me through what happens across the income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet if a company takes out a $100 loan, first at the moment the loan is issued and then over the following year as it accrues interest, with everything else held constant.

1. Task Overview

Task: trace the immediate balance sheet impact of taking out a $100 loan, then the Year 1 income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet effects once the loan starts accruing interest.

Step 1: Given Data — Starting Position and Loan Terms

Before modeling the loan, here is the company's starting position and the terms of the new borrowing.

Line ItemValue
Starting Cash$1,000
Starting Debt$500
New Loan Amount$100
Interest Rate on New Loan5% (0.05)
Tax Rate25% (0.25)

Step 2: Day 0 — Immediate Effect of Taking Out the Loan

Think about what happens on Day 0 when loan proceeds hit the company's accounts — and whether anything reaches the income statement yet.

Show Day 0 Balance Sheet Effect Formula

ΔCash = +Loan Amount; ΔDebt = +Loan Amount; ΔNet Income = $0

Using this formula, compute the new Cash and Debt balances immediately after the loan is issued.

Step 3: Year 1 — Interest Expense on the New Loan

Show Interest Expense Formula

Interest Expense = Loan Amount × Interest Rate

Using this formula, compute the Year 1 interest expense on the loan.

Step 4: Year 1 — Net Income, Cash Flow, and Balance Sheet Effects

Show After-Tax Interest Impact Formula

ΔNet Income = -Interest Expense × (1 - Tax Rate)

Assume:

  • Interest is paid in cash during the year (not accrued or capitalized)
  • No principal is repaid during Year 1 — the loan is interest-only
  • The tax benefit from the interest deduction is realized in the same period

Using these inputs, compute the after-tax impact on Net Income, Retained Earnings, Cash Flow from Operations, and the ending Cash balance.

💡 Model answer

Try answering out loud first — then reveal the model answer and compare.

⚠️ Common mistakes

  • Recording an income statement impact on Day 0 — receiving loan proceeds is a balance sheet event only; interest hasn't accrued yet.
  • Forgetting the tax shield and using the full pre-tax interest expense as the cash flow and Retained Earnings impact instead of the after-tax figure.
  • Double-counting the loan proceeds by adding $100 to both Cash Flow from Financing and Cash Flow from Operations.
  • Assuming the loan amortizes (reduces Debt) in Year 1 when the case specifies an interest-only loan.
  • Confusing the interest rate with the tax rate when computing the after-tax Net Income impact.

🔁 Follow-up questions

Previous Case 7: 3-Statement Change: Buy $100 of Inventory for Cash Next Case 9: 3-Statement Change: Buy Equipment for $100 Cash

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