by Edgar

IFRS Conference – Revised IFRS 3 on Business Combination


To be effective on July 2009.

Auditors trained in the world of historical cost accounting now have to deal with issues of Fair Value.

1. Stepped acquisition as a way of earning management.
Suppose you had intended to buy 60% stake in the target business with projection that that business would be in net loss in Year 1 and significant profit in Year. To avoid consolidating the bad result of target business into your company from Year 1, you decide to split the acquisition over 2 years ie. 30% in Year 1 and another 30% in Year 2.

2. The magic of 1% stake
If we base on 50% as a measure of control over a company, and you expect your 50%-stake-subsidiary to lose heavily this year and that you do not wish to consolidate that results with other companies in your Group, can you enter into sell-and-buyback contract for the 1% stake ie. sell 1% to demerge the loss-making subsidiary in one year and buy-back 1% to re-consolidate?

3. Internal consistency (within a FRS), external inconsistency (between FRSs)
The choice words from Professor Pearl Tan from SMU. She cited an inconsistency when borrowing costs can be capitalised but pre-acquisition costs must be expensed off to P&L under the revised IFRS 3. Sir Tweedie responded to that comment but I missed the rebuttal sadly.

by Edgar

FRS coming to effect in 2009

1. Revised FRS 1: Presentation of Financial Statements
• effective 1 January 2009
• learn how to prepare the revised formats to financial statements

2. FRS 23: Borrowing Costs
• effective 1 January 2009
• learn how to capitalise interest on qualifying assets

3. FRS 27 – Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements
• effective 1 July 2009.
• learn the new rules for consolidation

4. FRS 103: Business Combinations
• effective 1 July 2009
• learn the new rules for consolidation

5. FRS 107: Financial Instruments: Disclosures
• effective 1 January 2008
• learn about the best practices for the new disclosure requirements under FRS 107

6. INT FRS 113: Customer Loyalty Programmes
• effective 1 July 2008
• learn how to account for reward points for credit and loyalty cards etc

by Edgar

Are you a bankrupt?

If you are, I am sorry you are disqualified from being appointed as the Group CFO of a public listed company.

In yesterday BT’s, it was reported that Innovalues nearly appointed a bankrupt as their Group CFO. The process was only halted after someone anonymously sent a copy of an “individual insolvency search result” to a director of Innovalues.

Apparently the poor chap has verbally informed the interviewer of his status BUT somehow, nobody (including the chap himself/herself) cared to put that information on paper.

Consequent to that embarassing revelation, Innovalues has, of course, promised to do better on their recruitment procedures.

And by the way, the position is still open.

by Edgar

Negative impact of Fair Value is here!

July 29, 2008 –Australand hit by revaluation, writedown

CapitaLand’s Aussie unit’s half-year earnings slide 79% to A$25.6m

Property revaluation and project writedown have resulted in CapitaLand’s Australian subsidiary, Australand, reporting a 79 per cent year-on-year fall in net profit to A$25.6 million (S$33.4 million) for the half-year ended June 30, 2008.

July 29, 2008– Oceanus interim gain halves to 21.3m yuan on goodwill writeoff

Oceanus saw its net profit for the first six months of this year halved from 44.09 million yuan a year ago to 21.27 million yuan, due largely to a hefty goodwill write-off of about 150 million yuan arising from its reverse takeover of TR Networks in April.

by Edgar

As a new accountant.. Part C

Good morning, I wish to focus on Accounting Estimates and the need to review them for bias.

I participated in a few rounds of discussion with a client recently on the basis of estimates done for various balance sheet items.

On occassions, you could be in a position where you could be pressured to accept the basis amd thus values of estimates and pass the necessary entries to reflect them on the balance sheet.

How would resolve the situation without losing your job?

by Edgar

As a new accountant.. Part B

the railway station

I wish to focus on journal entries and other adjustments today.

  • We need to have some understanding of the whereabout of key controls over the recording and processing of journal entries.
  • Keep an eye on material journal entries and other adjustments at end of reporting period during the course of preparing the financial statements. Eg. top-side entries, consolidating and eliminating adjustments and other closing journal entries such as reclassifications.
  • Is there a specific file holding journal entry vouchers with proper authorisation?
by Edgar

As a new accountant.. Part A

things people will do for their business

When one is hired/appointed to a new position in a new company, please keep your eyes and ears open to the following areas when you are being briefed on your new responsibilities by your new colleagues.

  1. You should obtain an understanding of the business and its environment.
  2. You should obtain an understanding of the business’s accounting processes.
  3. Are there opportunities that controls may be incomplete, non existent or overrided?
  4. What is the money flow for the business? Follow the money!
  5. Focus on other key areas of potential risks in journal entries, accounting estimates and significant transactions.

Be careful.

by Edgar

Financial Reporting Process (FRP)

a wall of orchids.. not china wall

What is FRP?
Essentially FRP is the processes, procedures and controls that the management rely on in doing the following tasks:-

  • performing accounting period close
  • preparing the financial statements
  • reviewing and approving the financial statements

We need an understanding of how key judgements are made.

Why is understanding the FRP critical to Audit or to you, a newbie Accountant joining the management team in a new company?

  • FRP is where management is more likely to manipulate the financial statements. It is often more difficult to manipulate routine transaction entries.
  • FRP forms the foundation for other systems and processes within the company.

As a new management staff, while it may take some time before you get a complete feel of the decision process, it is also utmost critical that you get to know it soon. Why? You are responsible for all things big and small from the first day you start work in that office.

Take care.

by Edgar

FRS 10 Events after balance sheet – Summary

Events after the balance sheet date are those events, favourable and unfavourable, that occur between the balance sheet date and the date when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Two types of events can be identified:

(a) those that provide evidence of conditions that existed at the balance sheet date (adjusting events after the balance sheet date); and
(b) those that are indicative of conditions that arose after the balance sheet date (non-adjusting events after the balance sheet date).

Things you got to know for FRS 10:-

  • When are financial statements authorised for issue?

  • Can you name some examples of adjusting events?

  • Can you name some examples of non-adjusting events?
by Edgar

What is your personal effective tax rate?


For those who have submitted your income tax return in April, have you received your notice of assessment yet? Can share with us your tax payable 🙂

In Feb 2008, Mr Sum Yee Loong of Deloitte & Touche presented the following statistics.

If you are an employee married with two children and earns a gross annual remuneration of $100,000, your effective tax is only 3.98%. The other countries cited:-
– Hong Kong 5.15%
-USA 5.35%
– Malaysia 19.26%
– China 20.84%
– India 31.88%

However, if you are an employee married with two children and earns a gross annual remuneration of $200,000, your effective tax would more than doubled to 9.13%. The other countries cited:-
– Hong Kong 11.08%
-USA 14.46%
– Malaysia 23.54%
– China 26.91%
– India 32.94%

Conclusion
While the change in effective tax rate is very high for Singapore for the two income brackets studied, Singapore still offer the lowest effective tax rates for your personal income.

What is your effective tax rate?

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