ACCAF4法律的三种分类五种特征!

发布时间:2019-07-20


ACCA作为财会界的黄金证书,一直是很多小伙伴向往的考取的证书,但是因为其考试科目多,考试难度大的问题难倒了很多小伙伴,为此小编特地整理了关于ACCAF4的考试备考内容,具体内容如下。

一、三种分类方式

判例法(case law)指可作为先例据以决案的法院判决,是法官造法,也就是我们说的司法者造法,这点通常与成文法 (statute law) 相对,成文法是由议会制定法律。判例法和成文法都是英国法系法律的两个重要渊源 (source of law) ,也是重要的法律类型之一(types of law)。此时这种分类是按照法律制定的主体来区分的。

根据判例法制度,某一判决中的法律规则不仅适用于该案,而且往往作为一种先例(precedent)而适用于以后该法院或下级法院所管辖的案件。只要案件的基本事实相同或相似,就必须以判例所定规则处理。这就是所谓“遵循先例” (stare decisis) 原则。

此外,我们又可以通过法律规范的主体是否平等,将法律分为私法 (private law) 和公法(public law)

私法 (private law) 主要是指调整普通公民,组织之间关系的法律,在社会层面上双方当事人的法律地位平等,私法关键在于调整公民个人的权利义务关系(right and obligation)

公法(public law)主要是指调整国家与普通公民、组织之间关系的法律,从定义中可以看出双方当事人中必须至少有一方是公权力机关。在我们生活中的tax lawconstituition law都是属于公法范畴的。

最后我们还可以依据法律规范的内容不同,将法律分为刑法(criminal law)和民法 (civil law)。民法属于私法的范畴,重点在于双方当事人之间权利与义务的分配,刑法属于公法的范畴,重点在于确定什么样的行为是犯罪行为,和对于犯罪行为给与怎么样的处罚(punishment),所以可以归纳为三个字罪与罚。考试中时常会考到两者的区别,需要同学们对该块内容加以重视。

二、五大必会特征

1. Burden of proof 举证责任

举证责任的一般原则是谁主张,这举证。在民事案件中由我们的原告(claimant)进行举证,在刑事案件中由国家提起公诉,这里的检察官(prosecution)就是代表国家。

2. Standard of proof 举证的标准

在民法中,举证的标准是看原告和被告谁的证据更占优势,即谁的证词可能性越高(balance of probabilities),谁胜诉的概率就越高。

在刑事案件中,举证的标准会明显提高,需要排除一切合理的怀疑(beyond reasonable doubt)。这是由于刑事案件的两方在法律地位上是不平等的,且刑事案件的判决结果对于被告人更为严重,所以公诉人想要胜诉,必须承担更高的举证标准,来证明被告有罪。

3. Decision 判决结果

在民事案件中,判决结果是被告是否有责任(liable / not liable),而在刑事案件中,判决结果往往是被告人是否有罪(guilty / not guilty)

4. Aim 法律目的

民法的目的是provide compensatory remedies,具有补偿性质,而并非惩罚。但在刑事案件中,法院对国家不允许或者不赞成的行为,给与惩罚(punishment)

5. Remedies 救济方式

在民事案件中,被告如果有责任,一般给到原告赔偿金(damages)作为救济方式,但是在刑事案件中,被告人如果有罪,就会受到收监关押(prinson)和罚金(fines)的惩罚。

综合以上就是关于ACCAF4的备考内容,希望对各位小伙伴有用,小编将持续更新相关内容。


下面小编为大家准备了 ACCA考试 的相关考题,供大家学习参考。

(b) You are an audit manager in a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants currently assigned to the audit of Cleeves

Co for the year ended 30 September 2006. During the year Cleeves acquired a 100% interest in Howard Co.

Howard is material to Cleeves and audited by another firm, Parr & Co. You have just received Parr’s draft

auditor’s report for the year ended 30 September 2006. The wording is that of an unmodified report except for

the opinion paragraph which is as follows:

Audit opinion

As more fully explained in notes 11 and 15 impairment losses on non-current assets have not been

recognised in profit or loss as the directors are unable to quantify the amounts.

In our opinion, provision should be made for these as required by International Accounting Standard 36

(Impairment). If the provision had been so recognised the effect would have been to increase the loss before

and after tax for the year and to reduce the value of tangible and intangible non-current assets. However,

as the directors are unable to quantify the amounts we are unable to indicate the financial effect of such

omissions.

In view of the failure to provide for the impairments referred to above, in our opinion the financial statements

do not present fairly in all material respects the financial position of Howard Co as of 30 September 2006

and of its loss and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with International Financial Reporting

Standards.

Your review of the prior year auditor’s report shows that the 2005 audit opinion was worded identically.

Required:

(i) Critically appraise the appropriateness of the audit opinion given by Parr & Co on the financial

statements of Howard Co, for the years ended 30 September 2006 and 2005. (7 marks)

正确答案:

(b) (i) Appropriateness of audit opinion given
Tutorial note: The answer points suggested by the marking scheme are listed in roughly the order in which they might
be extracted from the information presented in the question. The suggested answer groups together some of these
points under headings to give the analysis of the situation a possible structure.
Heading
■ The opinion paragraph is not properly headed. It does not state the form. of the opinion that has been given nor
the grounds for qualification.
■ The opinion ‘the financial statements do not give a true and fair view’ is an ‘adverse’ opinion.
■ That ‘provision should be made’, but has not, is a matter of disagreement that should be clearly stated as noncompliance
with IAS 36. The title of IAS 36 Impairment of Assets should be given in full.
■ The opinion should be headed ‘Disagreement on Accounting Policies – Inappropriate Accounting Method – Adverse
Opinion’.
1 ISA 250 does not specify with whom agreement should be reached but presumably with those charged with corporate governance (e.g audit committee or
2 other supervisory board).
20
6D–INTBA
Paper 3.1INT
Content
■ It is appropriate that the opinion paragraph should refer to the note(s) in the financial statements where the matter
giving rise to the modification is more fully explained. However, this is not an excuse for the audit opinion being
‘light’ on detail. For example, the reason for impairment could be summarised in the auditor’s report.
■ The effects have not been quantified, but they should be quantifiable. The maximum possible loss would be the
carrying amount of the non-current assets identified as impaired.
■ It is not clear why the directors have been ‘unable to quantify the amounts’. Since impairments should be
quantifiable any ‘inability’ suggest a limitation in scope of the audit, in which case the opinion should be disclaimed
(or ‘except for’) on grounds of lack of evidence rather than disagreement.
■ The wording is confusing. ‘Failure to provide’ suggests disagreement. However, there must be sufficient evidence
to support any disagreement. Although the directors cannot quantify the amounts it seems the auditors must have
been able to (estimate at least) in order to form. an opinion that the amounts involved are sufficiently material to
warrant a qualification.
■ The first paragraph refers to ‘non-current assets’. The second paragraph specifies ‘tangible and intangible assets’.
There is no explanation why or how both tangible and intangible assets are impaired.
■ The first paragraph refers to ‘profit or loss’ and the second and third paragraphs to ‘loss’. It may be clearer if the
first paragraph were to refer to recognition in the income statement.
■ It is not clear why the failure to recognise impairment warrants an adverse opinion rather than ‘except for’. The
effects of non-compliance with IAS 36 are to overstate the carrying amount(s) of non-current assets (that can be
specified) and to understate the loss. The matter does not appear to be pervasive and so an adverse opinion looks
unsuitable as the financial statements as a whole are not incomplete or misleading. A loss is already being reported
so it is not that a reported profit would be turned into a loss (which is sometimes judged to be ‘pervasive’).
Prior year
■ As the 2005 auditor’s report, as previously issued, included an adverse opinion and the matter that gave rise to
the modification:
– is unresolved; and
– results in a modification of the 2006 auditor’s report,
the 2006 auditor’s report should also be modified regarding the corresponding figures (ISA 710 Comparatives).
■ The 2006 auditor’s report does not refer to the prior period modification nor highlight that the matter resulting in
the current period modification is not new. For example, the report could say ‘As previously reported and as more
fully explained in notes ….’ and state ‘increase the loss by $x (2005 – $y)’.


(a) Kayte operates in the shipping industry and owns vessels for transportation. In June 2014, Kayte acquired Ceemone whose assets were entirely investments in small companies. The small companies each owned and operated one or two shipping vessels. There were no employees in Ceemone or the small companies. At the acquisition date, there were only limited activities related to managing the small companies as most activities were outsourced. All the personnel in Ceemone were employed by a separate management company. The companies owning the vessels had an agreement with the management company concerning assistance with chartering, purchase and sale of vessels and any technical management. The management company used a shipbroker to assist with some of these tasks.

Kayte accounted for the investment in Ceemone as an asset acquisition. The consideration paid and related transaction costs were recognised as the acquisition price of the vessels. Kayte argued that the vessels were only passive investments and that Ceemone did not own a business consisting of processes, since all activities regarding commercial and technical management were outsourced to the management company. As a result, the acquisition was accounted for as if the vessels were acquired on a stand-alone basis.

Additionally, Kayte had borrowed heavily to purchase some vessels and was struggling to meet its debt obligations. Kayte had sold some of these vessels but in some cases, the bank did not wish Kayte to sell the vessel. In these cases, the vessel was transferred to a new entity, in which the bank retained a variable interest based upon the level of the indebtedness. Kayte’s directors felt that the entity was a subsidiary of the bank and are uncertain as to whether they have complied with the requirements of IFRS 3 Business Combinations and IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements as regards the above transactions. (12 marks)

(b) Kayte’s vessels constitute a material part of its total assets. The economic life of the vessels is estimated to be 30 years, but the useful life of some of the vessels is only 10 years because Kayte’s policy is to sell these vessels when they are 10 years old. Kayte estimated the residual value of these vessels at sale to be half of acquisition cost and this value was assumed to be constant during their useful life. Kayte argued that the estimates of residual value used were conservative in view of an immature market with a high degree of uncertainty and presented documentation which indicated some vessels were being sold for a price considerably above carrying value. Broker valuations of the residual value were considerably higher than those used by Kayte. Kayte argued against broker valuations on the grounds that it would result in greater volatility in reporting.

Kayte keeps some of the vessels for the whole 30 years and these vessels are required to undergo an engine overhaul in dry dock every 10 years to restore their service potential, hence the reason why some of the vessels are sold. The residual value of the vessels kept for 30 years is based upon the steel value of the vessel at the end of its economic life. At the time of purchase, the service potential which will be required to be restored by the engine overhaul is measured based on the cost as if it had been performed at the time of the purchase of the vessel. In the current period, one of the vessels had to have its engine totally replaced after only eight years. Normally, engines last for the 30-year economic life if overhauled every 10 years. Additionally, one type of vessel was having its funnels replaced after 15 years but the funnels had not been depreciated separately. (11 marks)

Required:

Discuss the accounting treatment of the above transactions in the financial statements of Kayte.

Note: The mark allocation is shown against each of the elements above.

Professional marks will be awarded in question 3 for clarity and quality of presentation. (2 marks)

正确答案:

(a) The accounting for the transaction as an asset acquisition does not comply with the requirements of IFRS 3 Business Combinations and should have been accounted as a business combination. This would mean that transaction costs would be expensed, the vessels recognised at fair value, any deferred tax recognised at nominal value and the difference between these amounts and the consideration paid to be recognised as goodwill.

In accordance with IFRS 3, an entity should determine whether a transaction is a business combination by applying the definition of a business in IFRS 3. A business is an integrated set of activities and assets which is capable of being conducted and managed for the purpose of providing a return in the form. of dividends, lower costs or other economic benefits directly to investors or other owners, members or participants. A business consists of inputs and processes applied to those inputs which have the ability to create outputs. Although businesses usually have outputs, outputs are not required to qualify as a business.

When analysing the transaction, the following elements are relevant:

(i) Inputs: Shares in vessel owning companies, charter arrangements, outsourcing arrangements with a management company, and relationships with a shipping broker.

(ii) Processes: Activities regarding chartering and operating the vessels, financing the business, purchase and sales of vessels.

(iii) Outputs: Ceemone would generate revenue from charter agreements and has the ability to gain economic benefit from the vessels.

IFRS 3 states that whether a seller operated a set of assets and activities as a business or intends to operate it as a business is not relevant in evaluating whether it is a business. It is not relevant therefore that some activities were outsourced as Ceemone could chose to conduct and manage the integrated set of assets and activities as a business. As a result, the acquisition included all the elements which constitute a business, in accordance with IFRS 3.

IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements sets out the situation where an investor controls an investee. This is the case, if and only if, the investor has all of the following elements:

(i) power over the investee, that is, the investor has existing rights which give it the ability to direct the relevant activities (the activities which significantly affect the investee’s returns);

(ii) exposure, or rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee;

(iii) the ability to use its power over the investee to affect the amount of the investor’s returns.

Where a party has all three elements, then it is a parent; where at least one element is missing, then it is not. In every case, IFRS 10 looks to the substance of the arrangement and not just to its legal form. Each situation needs to be assessed individually. The question arises in this case as to whether the entities created are subsidiaries of the bank. The bank is likely to have power over the investee, may be exposed to variable returns and certainly may have the power to affect the amount of the returns. Thus the bank is likely to have a measure of control but the extent will depend on the constitution of the entity.

(b) Kayte’s calculation of the residual value of the vessels with a 10-year useful life is unacceptable under IAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment because estimating residual value based on acquisition cost does not comply with the requirements of IAS 16. Kayte should prepare a new model to determine residual value which would take account of broker valuations at the end of each reporting period and which would produce zero depreciation charge when estimated residual value was higher than the carrying amount.

IAS 16 paragraph 6 defines residual value as the estimated amount which an entity would currently obtain from disposal of the asset, after deducting the estimated costs of disposal, if the asset were already at the age and in the condition expected at the end of its useful life.

IAS 16 requires the residual value to be reviewed at least at the end of each financial year end with the depreciable amount of an asset allocated on a systematic basis over its useful life. IAS 16 specifies that the depreciable amount of an asset is determined after deducting its residual value.

Kayte’s original model implied that the residual value was constant for the vessel’s entire useful life. The residual value has to be adjusted especially when an expected sale approaches, and the residual value has to come closer to disposal proceeds minus disposal costs at the end of the useful life. IAS 16 says that in cases when the residual value is greater than the asset’s carrying amount, the depreciation charge is zero unless and until its residual value subsequently decreases to an amount below the asset’s carrying amount. The residual value should be the value at the reporting date as if the vessel were already of the age and in the condition expected at the end of its useful life. An increase in the expected residual value of an asset because of past events will affect the depreciable amount, while expectation of future changes in residual value other than the effects of expected wear and tear will not. There is no guidance in IAS 16 on how to estimate residual value when the useful life is considered to be shorter than the economic life. Undesirable volatility is not a convincing argument to support the accounting treatment, and broker valuations could be a useful starting point to estimate residual value.

As regards the vessels which are kept for the whole of their economic life, a residual value based upon the scrap value of steel is acceptable. Therefore the vessels should be depreciated based upon the cost less the scrap value of steel over the 30-year period. The engine need not be componentised as it will have the same 30-year life if maintained every 10 years. It is likely that the cost of major planned maintenance will increase over the life of a vessel due to inflation and the age of the vessel. This additional cost will be capitalised when incurred and therefore the depreciation charge on these components may be greater in the later stages of a vessel’s life.

When major planned maintenance work is to be undertaken, the cost should be capitalised. The engine overhaul will be capitalised as a new asset which will then be depreciated over the 10-year period to the next overhaul. The depreciation of the original capitalised amount will typically be calculated such that it had a net book value of nil when the overhaul is undertaken.

This is not the case with one vessel, because work was required earlier than expected. In this case, any remaining net book value of the old engine and overhaul cost should be expensed immediately.

The initial carve out of components should include all major maintenance events which are likely to occur over the economic life of the vessel. Sometimes, it may subsequently be found that the initial allocation was insufficiently detailed, in that not all components were identified. This is the case with the funnels. In this situation it is necessary to determine what the net book value of the component would currently be had it been initially identified. This will sometimes require the initial cost to be determined by reference to the replacement cost and the associated accumulated depreciation charge determined using the rate used for the vessel. This is likely to leave a significant net book value in the component being replaced, which will need to be written off at the time the replacement is capitalised.


(b) Assuming that the acquisition proceeds, what steps will Datum Paper Products need to take to build a shared

culture in the two companies? (10 marks)

正确答案:
(b) Developing a shared culture will be one of the key determinants of whether the anticipated benefits of the acquisition actually
materialise. Due diligence procedures before the merger should have established the key people issues. This will include
reviewing the two management styles and cultures. Clearly these are very different, looking at internal communication pre
and post acquisition, understanding the nature of reward systems in the firm to be acquired, assessing the nature of training
programmes in the firm both before and after the acquisition and attempting to gauge existing employee attitudes towards
Papier Presse and the likely reaction to the acquisition. Reviewing areas where there have been significant staff problems and
consequent negotiations will also be an important clue as to employee attitudes and morale. ‘Hard’ people issues including
pensions, management rewards, health insurance and redundancy terms will need to be realistically assessed and the
implications for both the price paid for the company and subsequent integration fully understood. All too often the compelling
strategic vision for the enlarged company ignores the people costs involved and the time needed to develop shared HR
systems.
Many models on culture and culture management could help to achieve a successful transition. Mintzberg’s cultural or
organisational configuration model, which would facilitate an understanding of the difference in structures and systems, could
be a useful starting point. DPP comes from a divisionalised company where the middle line managers are given considerable
autonomy in achieving agreed levels of performance. Papier Presse, with its dominance by family ownership and
management, could be argued to be entrepreneurial in character, where the owner/managers at the strategic apex of the
company operate a ‘hands-on’ approach and direct control of subordinates. Reconciling these different cultures and structures
will not be an easy task.
Lewin’s 3-step model of change can be used in helping a positive culture emerge from the combining of the two companies.
There is a need to unfreeze the current situation in which employees of both organisations are likely to be reluctant or resistant
to change. There needs to be a clear understanding of who does what in the new organisation – leadership and the role of
the French owners will be a critical factor in successfully changing the culture. Robbins emphasises the need for positive top
management role models in promoting and communicating the need for a change in culture. Policies to affect change on both
the hard and soft factors referred to above need to be in place to move the integration forward. A clear timescale and vision
for change will be a key part of the change process. Finally the systems will need to be in place to re-freeze or rather reinforce
the attitudes and behaviours necessary to achieve success in the merged organisation. Operating across national borderscreates real culture issues to be solved as shown in studies by Hofstede and Bartlett and Ghoshal.

(ii) Compute the annual income tax saving from your recommendation in (i) above as compared with the

situation where Cindy retains both the property and the shares. Identify any other tax implications

arising from your recommendation. Your answer should consider all relevant taxes. (3 marks)

正确答案:

 


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