Errors occasionally occur when physically counting inventory items on hand. Identify the financial statement effects of an overstatement of the ending inventory in the current period. If the error is not corrected how does it affect the financial statements for the following year?

The overstatement of ending inventory will cause cost of goods sold to be understated. Consequently, net income for the period will be overstated. The effect on the balance sheet is that assets and owner’s equity will be overstated. The subsequent period will have an overstatement of beginning inventory. This will cause cost of goods sold to be overstated and net income to be understated, counterbalancing the overstatement of income in the prior period.