Question Tag: Regulatory Penalties

You are the Manager responsible for the audit of Rail Expert Plc, a listed entity whose principal activity is the operation of a regional railway network. The audit for the year ended 28 February 2021 is the first year your firm is auditing Rail Expert Plc. The draft financial statements received from your client indicated a total asset of GH¢58 million and a profit before tax of GH¢7.4 million. The detailed audit fieldwork has started, and the audit supervisor has brought the following matters to your attention in relation to the testing of key accounting estimates:

a) Cash-settled share-based payment scheme
On 1 March 2020, Rail Expert Plc granted 550,000 share appreciation rights to 55 executives and senior employees of the company, with each eligible member of staff receiving 10,000 of the rights. The fair value of the rights was estimated on 28 February 2020 by an external expert using an options pricing model at GH¢4.50 each. Rail Expert Plc prides itself on good employee relations, and the senior management team has estimated that all 55 staff will qualify for the rights when they vest three years after the granting of the rights on 1 March 2020. The company recognized an expense of GH¢825,000 with its associated liability in the draft accounts. (7 marks)

b) Regulatory penalties
Rail Expert Plc has been subject to a review by the national railways regulator following a complaint from a member of staff with safety concerns. The regulator identified breaches in safety regulations and issued a penalty notice on 30 September 2020. Rail Expert Plc has appealed against the initial penalty payable. Negotiations with the regulator are still ongoing, and the amount payable has not yet been finalized. Rail Expert Plc currently estimates that the total penalty payable as a result of the breach will be GH¢1.3 million, which it expects to repay in equal annual installments over the next ten years, with the first payment falling due on 1 March 2021. The company’s draft statement of profit or loss for the current year recognizes an expense of GH¢1.3 million, and the draft statement of financial position includes a liability for the same amount. (7 marks)

c) Property development
Rail Expert Plc owns an industrial property which it has historically used as a maintenance depot for its engines and carriages. The company has an accounting policy of revaluing its properties to fair value, and at the interim audit, it was noted that the depot was recorded at a carrying amount of GH¢2.5 million in the non-current asset register. During the first week of the audit fieldwork, the audit supervisor identified a year-end journal which has uplifted the depot to a fair value of GH¢4.9 million in this year’s statement of financial position as at 28 February 2021. Management has advised that this represents the estimated sales value of the building following Rail Expert Plc’s plan to develop the building as a residential property. The client has confirmed that the property is suitable for conversion into residential apartments at an estimated cost of GH¢1.2 million and has negotiated secured finance for the development with their bank. The development will be subject to the payment of fees to the local council’s building regulator of GH¢173,000. (6 marks)

Required:
Evaluate the client’s accounting treatments above and state THREE (3) audit procedures you will undertake when auditing each of the transactions.