I am having a hard time with this problem. I have to solve for each letter, and this is what it gives me:

merchandise inventory (beg) - I
Purchases - 338
Purchase Returns and Allowances - j
freight-in - 58
net cost of purchases - k
goods available for sale - 424
merchandise inventory (end) - L
COGS - 358

COGS is cost of goods available for sale - merchandise inventory (end), so 424-L=358. L then is 66.
Now in order to get goods available for sale (424), you take merchandise inventory (end) + net cost of purchase, so I+k=424.
In order to get Net cost of purchases, you have to take purchases, subtract returns and allowances, and add freight-in. 338-j+58=k. Simplified, its 396-j=k.
How do you solve for that?

I+(396-j)=424
I-j=28


it also gives me the rest of the income statement, but I don't think that helps much here since I'm only having trouble with the COGS part of this question.

With the given information, there isn't any way to solve it, since you end up with two variables.

I don't see what else would be available on the income statement to help, since nothing else on there affects this, and the inventory is a balance sheet account. The only other thing would be if you had last year's balance sheet, which would have ending inventory, which is this year's beginning inventory.

Otherwise, I don't see a way to solve it.