-
- QUESTION
BX3011 COMPANY ACCOUNTING
GROUP ASSIGNMENT
DUE: week 9 on Tuesday 21 January at 9pm 2020.
- Submit your assignment with
- Cover sheet signed by each group member
- Assignment rubric sheet
- Completed peer assessment sheet
- Submit hard copy in relevant assignment box
- Also submit via Safe assignment in Learn JCU
- Late penalties will apply for late submissions
ASSESSMENT VALUE 20%
Objectives
This assessment item relates to the subject and course learning outcomes:
SLO4. Prepare group accounts
SLO5. Conduct tax effect accounting
CLO K2.Synthesise underlying principles and concepts for making business decisions
CLO S3.Convey information clearly and fluently, in high quality written form appropriate for their audience
CLO S5.Demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively
Details
This assessment is a group assignment and you are required to complete the assignment in order to pass the course.
Company financial statement analysis:
You are required to access the most recent annual report of one of the following companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (Annual reports are available via the JCU Library Database ‘DatAnalysis’. They are also available on the company website.):
- Coca Cola Amatil Limited CCL
- CSR Limited CSR
- Elders Limited ELD
- QBE Insurance Group Limited QBE
Please note that reports that relate to companies other than the above, or years earlier than the most recent financial year, will not be marked and will receive a Zero grade.
You are required to write an executive report with a maximum length of 2500 words, which will address all of the following points:
- Describe the nature of the company’s activities
- What type of company
- What industry
- What are its core activities, key strategies for the future
- How big
- How old
- Where is head office
- Is it a parent company – yes – briefly show your understanding of group accounts and consolidation – what are the principals of consolidation
- What is the presentation currency? Why?
- Discuss the composition of the company’s equity
- What is equity – how is it defined
- What are the figures
- what accounts make up equity
- What type of shares, fully or partly paid
- What type of reserves
- What is retained earnings figure
- Identify (look up and state) the Share price for the company’s ordinary shares for the last day of the financial year. What relationship does this have with the share capital as reported in the financial statements?
- Does the market value of the share price bear any relationship to the $ share value as disclosed in the annual report? Should it?
- Identify the share price for the company’s ordinary shares one calendar month after the end of financial year. What may have caused any difference over this one month period?
- Can you suggest any reasons why the share price has risen/fallen/stayed the same
- Could be company specific factors, global factors, industry factors
- Discuss the debt structure and the source of external (i.e. non-equity) financing
- What types of debt
- How much $
- Interest rates
- Debt/equity ratio – is it ‘normal’ for this industry
- Long term, short term, medium term
- Comment on the provision for income tax figure, deferred tax assets/liabilities
- What are the balances of the current and deferred tax items – how does this compare with income tax expense
- What are the amounts for deferred tax items, what assets and liabilities do they relate to
- Have they increased or decreased since last year
- How has company tax been calculated – for the consolidated group, or separate tax amounts for each entity
- This is a complicated area made more difficult if there are foreign subsidiaries and other taxes (capital gains tax for example), Try to stick to the basic principles of accounting for company tax.
- Discuss the key elements in the fixed assets categories
- Fixed assets – PPE AASB 116
- What are the main categories, are these subdivided further
- How do the types of Fixed assets relate to the particular industry
- How are they measured
- How are they depreciated
- Identify the intangible assets and discuss the policy for recognising the impairment of these asset
- What are they – consider the industry
- How much ($) – how does this $ compare to tangible asset $
- Impairment issues
- Increased or decreased
- Would expect some goodwill in a parent company
- Summarise the company’s financial operations during the financial year (i.e. retained earnings, dividend distributions, changes in capital).
- What went into and came out of Retained Earnings – how does this compare with the previous year – what were the main reasons for increases/decreases
- Were there dividends, what type etc
- Did share capital change – were there more shares issued, were there buybacks
- How did the company fare overall
- How did the company fare overall
Throughout your assignment – where appropriate –
- Make comparisons with previous year
- Consider industry norms
- Support your writing with referencing
Journals from elib, LearnJCU
When preparing your report you should refer to:
- the financial statements
- disclosures
- academic journals (minimum of 2)
- textbooks (minimum of 3)
- the assignment rubric
You are not expected to systematically reference the annual report that you are analysing and you are not required to attach the financial statements to your report. However, when referring to specific information inside your report, you should include a page and section reference to indicate the source of your information. Any source other than the company financial report which you use in your report, such as journals and textbooks, should be referenced both in-text and at the end of text.
**********
Let’s consider the rubric
BX3011 Company Accounting: Assignment Rubric
Criteria
Unsatisfactory (0%-49.9%)
Satisfactory (50%-74.9%)
Exemplary (75% -100%)
Mark
K2(B) Critical application of theoretical concepts underpinning perspectives in industry based scenarios.
Consider theoretical concepts in CF & standards
Fails to critically apply theoretical concepts to a perspective
Applies sound critical application of theoretical concepts, drawing from at least one of more perspectives to demonstrate understanding.
Applies convincing critical application of theoretical concepts, that is both relevant and innovative, drawing from multiple/global perspectives to demonstrate understanding.
20
S3(B) Content development:
Logical flow, critical analysis, clear & relevant outcomes, concise and cohesive
Demonstrates very limited ability to organise content in a logical, concise and cohesive manner.
Demonstrates sound ability to organise content in a logical, concise and cohesive manner with sound critical analysis, and outcomes supported with clear evidence
Demonstrates a high level of ability to organise content in a logical, concise and cohesive manner with high level critical analysis, and outcomes supported with quality evidence
20
S3(D) Sources and evidence:
Research evidence; accurate, credible, relevant, current data sources referenced in appropriate style
Demonstrates very limited use of relevant research evidence from limited sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the style of writing and appropriate referencing.
Demonstrates sound use of relevant research evidence from an array of related sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the style of writing with accurate referencing.
Demonstrates a higher level use of relevant research evidence from an array of related sources to support ideas that are appropriate for the style of writing with accurate referencing.
20
S5(A) Demonstrate ability to work collaboratively
Note that peer assessment is taken into account
Fails to demonstrate basic ability to work in collaboration with others towards a common purpose
Demonstrates the basic ability to work in collaboration with others towards a common purpose
Works in a highly constructive and cooperative learning environment with team members from diverse backgrounds. Makes opportunities to further the collaboration.
20
SLO(4) Demonstrate an understanding of accounting for the preparation of group accounts
Parent company and principals of consolidation – goodwill
Demonstrated very limited understanding of accounting for the preparation of group accounts
Demonstrates a sound ability and understanding of accounting for the preparation of group accounts
Demonstrates a clear understanding of company accounting. Explains, interprets and articulates the application of accounting for the preparation of group accounts
10
SLO(5) Demonstrate an understanding of accounting for income tax
Demonstrated very limited understanding of accounting for income tax
Demonstrates a sound ability and understanding of accounting for income tax
Demonstrates a clear understanding of company accounting. Explains, interprets and articulates the application of accounting for income tax
10
Total marks
100
When structuring your report refer to the guides available under report writing in LearnJCU
Eg from Writing Numeracy and Study Skills or I have put some resources under ‘Assessment’, ‘Group Assignment 20%’ folder
Report presentation and layout
Formal reports are usually divided into sections with numbered headings. Although the structure of a report can vary, business and academic reports usually contain the following sections, in the given order:
- Assignment cover sheet required only at JCU
- Title page
- Executive summary
- Table of contents
- Introduction
- Report body – could divide into various (9) question areas
- Conclusions
- Reference list
- Appendices
Subject | Report Writing | Pages | 12 | Style | APA |
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Answer
Elders Limited’s Financial Statement Analysis
- Income Tax Figure, Deferred Tax Assets/Liabilities
A deferred tax asset/liability is an asset or liability found in a company’s balance sheet that serves to reduce or increase the taxable income. For instance, a deferred tax asset can be found where an organization has overpaid its taxes or paid some of its taxes in advance on its balance sheet (Murdoch, Krause, & Guy, 2015). Such taxes are then returned to the business as a tax relief and the overpayment thus, becomes an asset for the said company. In Elders Limited (ELD), the balances of current tax items and deferred tax assets is $1,166 million for 2018 and $398 million for 2019. Such balances emanated from the $1,895 million current income tax expenses in 2019 and $3,884 million in 2018 as well as deferred income taxes benefits of 20,846 million and 18, 285 million in 2018 and 2019, respectively (Elders Limited, 2019). The balances in the current and deferred tax items in ELD serves to reduce the income tax expense. However, deferred tax items relate to the assets and liabilities in inventory, intangibles, losses available in offsetting against future taxable income, and provision of employee entitlements among other provisions. The nature of the balances between the current and differed tax assesses and liabilities means that ELD is doing well to offset any future taxable income.
Since last year (2018), the net deferred tax assets have increased from $78, 014 million in 2018 to $97,184 in 2019 (Elders Limited, 2019). The increase in differed tax asset means that ELD experienced continued losses from its operations or from related balance sheet adjustments. As such, the increase in the net deferred tax assets in 2019 arise from the losses as well as the balance sheet adjustments. In the case of ELD, the net differed tax assess increase of $19,170 is attributable to the losses available to offset against future taxable income, capitalized expenses, and other provisions (Elders Limited, 2019). ELD’s tax has been calculated for the consolidated group with the financial statements presented in groups which include current and non-current assets, current and non-current liabilities, cash flow, income tax, revenues, and expenses. Notably, tax consolidation; also referred to as combined reporting, serves to treat a group of wholly owned companies as well as other entities as a single entity for the purpose of tax. Nevertheless, ELD complies with the basic principles of accounting for a company tax by providing the chart of accounts (assets, liabilities, income, sales expenses, etc.), balance sheet, And the profit and loss accounts.
- Key Elements in The Fixed Assets Categories
Fixed assets; also known as tangible assets are the property, plant, and equipment (PPE) that cannot be easily converted into cash. Accounting Standard AASB 116 Property, Plant and Equipment is an accounting standard contained under sec 334 of the Corporations Act 2001 and incorporated on 7th August 2015 by the Australian Accounting Standards Board. The aim of this Standard is to provide the manner in which accounting for property plant and equipment should be done (Hu, Percy, & Yao, 2015). An examination of the ELD financial statement shows that it has followed the PPE AASB 116. In specific, the organization has as section labelled “NOTE 10” for the accounting of its property, plant, and equipment. In this category, it has provided its fixed assets in various subdivisions such as freehold land, buildings, leasehold improvements, plant and equipment owned, and that lease as well as assets under consideration (Elders Limited, 2019). Additionally, it has differentiated the fixed assets under PPE from other assets such as the biological assets which are not supposed to be contained in the PPE.
The various types of fixed assets reported are related to the agribusiness industry in which ELD is part of. For instance, the large freehold land is an asset that aligns with agribusiness considering that ELD has to provide agricultural goods and services. The fixed assets are measured based on their performance, future expectations, the existing climate, technology, and the economic and political environments. Additionally, the improvement losses are used to measure the value of the fixed assets. Based on the figures from the financial statement of the company, ELD’s PPE have depreciated based on the estimated useful economic life. However, the different fixed assets have different useful economic lives. For instance, whereas the economic life of the buildings is 50 years, that of the leased improvements is based on the lease term. The owned plant and equipment life extend from 3-10 years whereas the leased ones’ economic life is based on the lease term (Elders Limited, 2019). All the fixed assets depreciate in a straight-line which means that there will be a time that the PPEs will be expected to have no use or disposal. The various elements of the fixed element categories reported make the financial statement to align with the requirements of PPE AASB 116.
References
Elders Limited. (2019). 2019 Elders Annual Report. Retrieved from https://investors.elderslimited.com/FormBuilder/_Resource/_module/hmGBziN_d0SZypG-M7oDFg/docs/annual-reports/2019-Annual-Report.pdf Hu, F., Percy, M., & Yao, D. (2015). Asset revaluations and earnings management: Evidence from Australian companies. Corporate Ownership and Control, 13(1), 930-939. Murdoch, B., Krause, P., & Guy, P. (2015). An analysis of using time-series current and deferred income tax expense to forecast income taxes paid. Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR), 31(3), 1015-1022.
Appendix
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