Question Tag: Carrying Value

AT Group Ltd is preparing its financial statements to 30th June 2015. The following situations have been identified by an impairment review team;

On 1st July 2014, AT Group Ltd acquired the whole share capital of two subsidiary companies, Accra Ltd and Tema Ltd, in separate acquisitions. Consolidated goodwill was calculated as follows;

Accra Ltd Tema Ltd GH¢’000 GH¢’000 Purchase Consideration 24,000 9,000 Estimated fair value of net assets (16,000) (6,000) Consolidated goodwill 8,000 3,000

i) A review of the fair value of each subsidiary’s net assets was undertaken in June 2015. Unfortunately both companies’ net assets had declined in value. The estimated value of Accra Ltd.’s net assets as at 1st July 2014 was now only GH¢15,000,000. This was due to more detailed information becoming available about the market value of its specialized properties. Tema Ltd.’s net assets were estimated to have a fair value of GH¢1,000,000 less than their carrying value. This fall was due to some physical damage occurring to its plant and machinery. (4 marks)

ii) AT Group Ltd has an item of earth moving plant, which is rented out to companies on short-term contracts. Its carrying value, based on depreciated historical cost is GH¢400,000. The estimated selling price of this asset is only GH¢250,000, with associated selling expenses of GH¢5,000. A recent review of its value in use based on its forecast future cash flows was estimated at GH¢500,000. Since this review was undertaken, there has been a dramatic increase in interest rates that has significantly increased the cost of capital used by AT Group Ltd to discount the future cash flows of the plant. (6 marks)

iii) AT Group Ltd is engaged in a research and development project to produce a new product. In the year to 30th June 2015, the company spent GH¢120,000 on research that concluded that there were sufficient grounds to carry the project on to its development stage and a further GH¢75,000 had been spent on development. At that date management having decided that they were not sufficiently confident in the ultimate profitability of the project wrote off all the expenditure to date to the income statement. In the current year further direct development costs have been incurred of GH¢80,000 and the development work is now complete with only an estimated GH¢10,000 of costs to be incurred in the future. Production is expected to commence within the next few months. Unfortunately the total trading profit from sales of the new product is not expected to be as good as market research data originally forecast and is estimated at only GH¢150,000. As the future benefits are greater than the remaining future costs, the project will be completed, but due to the overall deficit expected, the directors have again decided to write off all the development expenditure. (5 marks)

Required: Advise, with numerical illustrations where possible, how the information in (i) to (iii) above would affect the preparation of AT Group Ltd.’s consolidated financial statements to 30th June 2015.