3 Palm plc recently acquired 100% of the ordinary share capital of Nikau Ltd from Facet Lt

Question

3 Palm plc recently acquired 100% of the ordinary share capital of Nikau Ltd from Facet Ltd. Palm plc intends to use

Nikau Ltd to develop a new product range, under the name ‘Project Sabal’. Nikau Ltd owns shares in a non-UK

resident company, Date Inc.

The following information has been extracted from client files and from a meeting with the Finance Director of Palm

plc.

Palm plc:

– Has more than 40 wholly owned subsidiaries such that all group companies pay corporation tax at 30%.

– All group companies prepare accounts to 31 March.

– Acquired Nikau Ltd on 1 November 2007 from Facet Ltd, an unrelated company.

Nikau Ltd:

– UK resident company that manufactures domestic electronic appliances for sale in the European Union (EU).

– Large enterprise for the purposes of the enhanced relief available for research and development expenditure.

– Trading losses brought forward as at 1 April 2007 of ￡195,700.

– Budgeted taxable trading profit of ￡360,000 for the year ending 31 March 2008 before taking account of ‘Project

Sabal’.

– Dividend income of ￡38,200 will be received in the year ending 31 March 2008 in respect of the shares in Date

Inc.

‘Project Sabal’:

– Development of a range of electronic appliances, for sale in North America.

– Project Sabal will represent a significant advance in the technology of domestic appliances.

– Nikau Ltd will spend ￡70,000 on staffing costs and consumables researching and developing the necessary

technology between now and 31 March 2008. Further costs will be incurred in the following year.

– Sales to North America will commence in 2009 and are expected to generate significant profits from that year.

Shares in Date Inc:

– Nikau Ltd owns 35% of the ordinary share capital of Date Inc.

– The shares were purchased from Facet Ltd on 1 June 2003 for their market value of ￡338,000.

– The sale was a no gain, no loss transfer for the purposes of corporation tax.

– Facet Ltd purchased the shares in Date Inc on 1 March 1994 for ￡137,000.

Date Inc:

– A controlled foreign company resident in the country of Palladia.

– Annual chargeable profits arising out of property investment activities are approximately ￡120,000, of which

approximately ￡115,000 is distributed to its shareholders each year.

The tax system in Palladia:

– No taxes on income or capital profits.

– 4% withholding tax on dividends paid to shareholders resident outside Palladia.

Required:

(a) Prepare detailed explanatory notes, including relevant supporting calculations, on the effect of the following

issues on the amount of corporation tax payable by Nikau Ltd for the year ending 31 March 2008.

(i) The costs of developing ‘Project Sabal’ and the significant commercial changes to the company’s

activities arising out of its implementation. (8 marks)

Answer 1

正确答案：
(a) Nikau Ltd – Effect on corporation tax payable for the year ending 31 March 2008
(i) Project Sabal
Research and development expenditure
The expenditure incurred in respect of research and development will give rise to an enhanced deduction for the
purposes of computing the taxable trading profits of Nikau Ltd. The enhanced deduction is 125% of the qualifying
expenditure as Nikau Ltd is a large enterprise for this purpose.
The expenditure will reduce the profits chargeable to corporation tax of Nikau Ltd by ￡87,500 (￡70,000 x 1·25) and
its corporation tax liability by ￡26,250 (￡87,500 x 30%).
The budgeted expenditure will qualify for the enhanced deduction because it appears to satisfy the following conditions.
– It is likely to qualify as research and development expenditure within generally accepted accounting principles as
it will result in new technical knowledge and the production of a substantially improved device for use in the
industry.
– It exceeds ￡10,000 in Nikau Ltd’s accounting period.
– It relates to staff costs, consumable items or other qualifying expenditure as opposed to capital items.
– It will result in further trading activities for Nikau Ltd.
Use of brought forward trading losses
The development of products for the North American market is likely to represent a major change in the nature and
conduct of the trade of Nikau Ltd. This is because the company is developing new products and intends to sell them in
a new market. It is a major change as sales to North America are expected to generate significant additional profits.
Because this change will occur within three years of the change in the ownership of Nikau Ltd on 1 November 2007,
any trading losses arising prior to that date cannot be carried forward beyond that date.
Accordingly, the trading losses brought forward may only be offset against ￡158,958 ((￡360,000 – ￡87,500) x 7/12)
of the company’s trading profits for the year. The remainder of the trading losses ￡36,742 (￡195,700 – ￡158,958) will
be lost resulting in lost tax relief of ￡11,023 (￡36,742 x 30%).
Tutorial note
The profits for the year ending 31 March 2008 will be apportioned to the periods pre and post 1 November 2007 on
either a time basis or some other basis that is just and reasonable.