(b) The Superior Fitness Co (SFC), which is well established in Mayland, operates nine centres. Each of SFC’s

centres is similar in size to those of HFG. SFC also provides dietary plans and fitness programmes to its clients.

The directors of HFG have decided that they wish to benchmark the performance of HFG with that of SFC.

Required:

Discuss the problems that the directors of HFG might experience in their wish to benchmark the performance

of HFG with the performance of SFC, and recommend how such problems might be successfully addressed.

(7 marks)

(c) Illustrate how:

(i) inquiry; and (4 marks)

(ii) the factors that should be considered in the design of a reward scheme for BGL; (7 marks)

2 It was the final day of a two-week-long audit of Van Buren Company, a longstanding client of Fillmore Pierce Auditors.

In the afternoon, Anne Hayes, a recently qualified accountant and member of the audit team, was following an audit

trail on some cash payments when she discovered what she described to the audit partner, Zachary Lincoln, as an

‘irregularity’. A large and material cash payment had been recorded with no recipient named. The corresponding

invoice was handwritten on a scrap of paper and the signature was illegible.

Zachary, the audit partner, was under pressure to finish the audit that afternoon. He advised Anne to seek an

explanation from Frank Monroe, the client’s finance director. Zachary told her that Van Buren was a longstanding client

of Fillmore Pierce and he would be surprised if there was anything unethical or illegal about the payment. He said

that he had personally been involved in the Van Buren audit for the last eight years and that it had always been

without incident. He also said that Frank Monroe was an old friend of his from university days and that he was certain

that he wouldn’t approve anything unethical or illegal. Zachary said that Fillmore Pierce had also done some

consultancy for Van Buren so it was a very important client that he didn’t want Anne to upset with unwelcome and

uncomfortable questioning.

When Anne sought an explanation from Mr Monroe, she was told that nobody could remember what the payment

was for but that she had to recognise that ‘real’ audits were sometimes a bit messy and that not all audit trails would

end as she might like them to. He also reminded her that it was the final day and both he and the audit firm were

under time pressure to conclude business and get the audit signed off.

When Anne told Zachary what Frank had said, Zachary agreed not to get the audit signed off without Anne’s support,

but warned her that she should be very certain that the irregularity was worth delaying the signoff for. It was therefore

now Anne’s decision whether to extend the audit or have it signed off by the end of Friday afternoon.

Required:

(a) Explain why ‘auditor independence’ is necessary in auditor-client relationships and describe THREE threats

to auditor independence in the case. (9 marks)

(ii) Can we entertain our clients as a gesture of goodwill or is corporate hospitality ruled out? (3 marks)

Required:

For EACH of the three FAQs, explain the threats to objectivity that may arise and the safeguards that should

be available to manage them to an acceptable level.

NOTE: The mark allocation is shown against each of the three questions.

(d) Sirus raised a loan with a bank of $2 million on 1 May 2007. The market interest rate of 8% per annum is to

be paid annually in arrears and the principal is to be repaid in 10 years time. The terms of the loan allow Sirus

to redeem the loan after seven years by paying the full amount of the interest to be charged over the ten year

period, plus a penalty of $200,000 and the principal of $2 million. The effective interest rate of the repayment

option is 9·1%. The directors of Sirus are currently restructuring the funding of the company and are in initial

discussions with the bank about the possibility of repaying the loan within the next financial year. Sirus is

uncertain about the accounting treatment for the current loan agreement and whether the loan can be shown as

a current liability because of the discussions with the bank. (6 marks)

Appropriateness of the format and presentation of the report and quality of discussion (2 marks)

Required:

Draft a report to the directors of Sirus which discusses the principles and nature of the accounting treatment of

the above elements under International Financial Reporting Standards in the financial statements for the year

ended 30 April 2008.

(iii) Tyre has entered into two new long lease property agreements for two major retail outlets. Annual rentals are paid

under these agreements. Tyre has had to pay a premium to enter into these agreements because of the outlets’

location. Tyre feels that the premiums paid are justifiable because of the increase in revenue that will occur

because of the outlets’ location. Tyre has analysed the leases and has decided that one is a finance lease and

one is an operating lease but the company is unsure as to how to treat this premium. (5 marks)

Required:

Advise the directors of Tyre on how to treat the above items in the financial statements for the year ended

31 May 2006.

(The mark allocation is shown against each of the above items)

2 Chen Products produces four manufactured products: Products 1, 2, 3 and 4. The company’s risk committee recently

met to discuss how the company might respond to a number of problems that have arisen with Product 2. After a

number of incidents in which Product 2 had failed whilst being used by customers, Chen Products had been presented

with compensation claims from customers injured and inconvenienced by the product failure. It was decided that the

risk committee should meet to discuss the options.

When the discussion of Product 2 began, committee chairman Anne Ricardo reminded her colleagues that, apart from

the compensation claims, Product 2 was a highly profitable product.

Chen’s risk management committee comprised four non-executive directors who each had different backgrounds and

areas of expertise. None of them had direct experience of Chen’s industry or products. It was noted that it was

common for them to disagree among themselves as to how risks should be managed and that in some situations,

each member proposed a quite different strategy to manage a given risk. This was the case when they discussed

which risk management strategy to adopt with regard to Product 2.

Required:

(a) Describe the typical roles of a risk management committee. (6 marks)

(ii) Describe the claim of each of the four identified stakeholders. (4 marks)

(c) Using sensitivity analysis, estimate by what percentage the life cycle of the Snowballer would need to change

before the recommendation in (a) above is varied. (4 marks)

(b) Using the information contained in Appendix 1.1, discuss the financial performance of HLP and MAS,

incorporating details of the following in your discussion:

(i) Overall client fees (total and per consultation)

(ii) Advisory protection scheme consultation ‘utilisation levels’ for both property and commercial clients

(iii) Cost/expense levels. (10 marks)