Elimination of Intercompany Investments and Calculating Minority Interests

In consolidating the books of a subsidiary with those of the parent company, you credit the parent with the portion of the subsidiary that it actually owns and exclude what outside investors own. The value of minority interests is reported in terms of the aggregate net assets (equity) rather than in terms of a fractional equity in each of the assets and liabilities of the subsidiary.

To reflect minority interest, General Ledger generates an adjustments entry that debits the investment of the parent in the subsidiary account and credits a minority interest account. The system calculates the adjustment by multiplying the percentage of minority interest in the subsidiary by the total equity of the subsidiary.

Effectively, the combined result of the adjustments and eliminations entries is to express the value of the parent investment in terms of the assets and liabilities of the subsidiary offset by a minority interest liability. The equity ownership for each subsidiary in the consolidation is eliminated, with only the parent company's equity accounts and minority interest account remaining. Consolidated capital stock and retained earnings is equal to the balances of the parent.