23 The capital structure of a company at 30 June 2005 is as follows:

$m

Ordinary share capital 100

Share premium account 40

Retained earnings 60

10% Loan notes 40

The company’s income statement for the year ended 30 June 2005 showed:

$m

Operating profit 44

Loan note interest (4)

___

Profit for year 40

____

What is the company’s return on capital employed?

A 40/240 = 162/3 per cent

B 40/100 = 40 per cent

C 44/240 = 181/3 per cent

D 44/200 = 22 per cent

(d) There is considerable evidence to suggest that as a result of implementation problems less than 50% of all

acquisitions achieve their objectives and actually end up reducing shareholder value.

Required:

Provide Ken with a brief report on the most likely sources of integration problems and describe the key

performance indicators he should use to measure progress towards acquisition objectives. (15 marks)

(b) Explain how the use of SWOT analysis may be of assistance to the management of Diverse Holdings Plc.

(3 marks)

4 Coral is the owner and managing director of Reef Ltd. She is considering the manner in which she will make her first

pension contributions. In November 2007 she inherited her mother’s house in the country of Kalania.

The following information has been extracted from client files and from telephone conversations with Coral.

Coral:

– 1972 – Born in the country of Kalania. Her father, who died in 2002, was domiciled in Kalania.

– 1999 – Moved to the UK and has lived and worked here since then.

– 2001 – Subscribed for 100% of the ordinary share capital of Reef Ltd.

– Intends to sell Reef Ltd and return to live in the country of Kalania in 2012.

– No income apart from that received from Reef Ltd.

Reef Ltd:

– A UK resident company with annual profits chargeable to corporation tax of approximately ￡70,000.

– Four employees including Coral.

– Provides scuba diving lessons to members of the public.

Payments from Reef Ltd to Coral in 2007/08:

– Director’s fees of ￡460 per month.

– Dividends paid of ￡14,250 in June 2007 and ￡14,250 in September 2007.

Pension contributions:

– Coral has not so far made any pension contributions in the tax year 2007/08 but wishes to make gross pension

contributions of ￡9,000.

– The contributions are to be made by Reef Ltd or Coral or a combination of the two in such a way as to minimise

the total after tax cost.

– Any contributions made by Coral will be funded by an additional dividend from Reef Ltd.

House in the country of Kalania:

– Beachfront property with potential rental income of ￡550 per month after deduction of allowable expenditure.

– Coral will use it for holidays for two months each year.

The tax system in the country of Kalania:

– No capital gains tax or inheritance tax.

– Income tax at 8% on income arising in the country of Kalania.

– No double tax treaty with the UK.

Required:

(a) With the objective of minimising the total after tax cost, advise Coral as to whether the gross pension

contributions of ￡9,000 should be made:

– wholly by Reef Ltd; or

– by Coral to the extent that they are tax allowable with the balance made by Reef Ltd.

Your answer should include supporting calculations where necessary. (9 marks)

3 You are the manager responsible for the audit of Keffler Co, a private limited company engaged in the manufacture of

plastic products. The draft financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2006 show revenue of $47·4 million

(2005 – $43·9 million), profit before taxation of $2 million (2005 – $2·4 million) and total assets of $33·8 million

(2005 – $25·7 million).

The following issues arising during the final audit have been noted on a schedule of points for your attention:

(a) In April 2005, Keffler bought the right to use a landfill site for a period of 15 years for $1·1 million. Keffler

expects that the amount of waste that it will need to dump will increase annually and that the site will be

completely filled after just ten years. Keffler has charged the following amounts to the income statement for the

year to 31 March 2006:

– $20,000 licence amortisation calculated on a sum-of-digits basis to increase the charge over the useful life

of the site; and

– $100,000 annual provision for restoring the land in 15 years’ time. (9 marks)

Required:

For each of the above issues:

(i) comment on the matters that you should consider; and

(ii) state the audit evidence that you should expect to find,

in undertaking your review of the audit working papers and financial statements of Keffler Co for the year ended

31 March 2006.

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

(ii) A proposal which will increase the after tax proceeds from the sale of the Snapper plc loan stock and a

reasoned recommendation of a more appropriate form. of external finance. (3 marks)