What is a Deferred Revenue Write-off used for in an acquisition?

• A. To reduce Deferred Revenue to avoid double-counting revenue in the combined company.
• B. Increasing the Deferred Revenue balance.
• C. Recognizing revenue earlier in the period.
• D. Journalizing a new forecasted revenue stream.

Answer: (A)

In an acquisition, the deferred revenue write-off is used to remove the portion of pre-close, unearned revenue from the seller that would otherwise be counted again by the combined company. Deferred revenue represents cash received for goods or services not yet delivered, so revenue is only recognized as those obligations are fulfilled. After the deal closes, some of those obligations may not transfer to the buyer or may be fulfilled outside the new entity’s operations, so counting that same revenue twice would inflate the post-close financials. Writing off the deferred revenue aligns the acquired business’s liabilities with what the buyer will actually recognize going forward, avoiding double-counting.

The other options don’t fit because increasing the deferred revenue balance would push revenue recognition in the wrong direction, recognizing revenue earlier would violate standard accounting rules, and journalizing a new forecasted revenue stream isn’t about adjusting existing obligations but creating new projections.