Dadinkowa Nigeria Limited has been in business since 2009 as a manufacturer of sugar cubes. The company sources its sugar cane from the Northern part of the country. However, due to activities of some miscreants which prevented some of the local farmers to go about their farming activities, the company has been facing a lot of issues in getting the needed raw materials for its operations since 2016. The company has issues with tax authorities on the treatment of some items (such as allowing/disallowing donation and dividend received at will) in the financial statements submitted and annual returns filed. The high overhead cost, particularly energy cost, make the operating environment not encouraging. In order to address this unpleasant business situation, the board of directors of the company, at its special meeting held recently, decided to “close business operations” temporarily or in the long-run, relocate to a neighbouring country, if the situation does not improve in the coming financial year. As the company’s tax consultant, you were informed of the decision of the Board by the General Manager when you visited the company to obtain documents that you intend to use to conduct tax audit and file statutory tax returns in respect of the just concluded year. He was of the opinion that your professional advice will be highly needed as he did not want the organisation to go on temporary closure next year or relocate to another country. In the course of your discussion, you suggested ways by which issues raised by the Board could be addressed. The General Manager was pleased with your informal submissions and decided to inform the Managing Director. A meeting has been scheduled between the Managing Director and your firm next week. The profit or loss account in respect of the operations of the company for the year ended December 31, 2021 is as follows: 38 DADINKOWA NIGERIA LIMITED Statement of profit or loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 N’000 N’000 Turnover 382,500 Opening inventory 23,200 Purchases 117,400 Carriage inwards 5,900 Closing inventory (31,100) Less: Cost of goods sold 115,400 Gross profit 267,100 Miscellaneous income 11,060 278,160 Deduct: Expenses Salaries and wages 89,500 Rent and rates 12,300 Electricity and lighting 26,650 Transport and travelling 10,820 Stamp duties for increase in share capital 1,500 Auditor’s remuneration 2,000 Legal and professional fees 5,000 Repairs and maintenance 2,100 Allowance for doubtful debts 28,000 Depreciation 35,600 Interest on loan 6,000 General and administrative expenses 48,470 Donations and subscriptions 15,000 Loss on disposal of foreign equity shares 1,750 284,690 Loss for the year (6,530) 39 Extract from the company’s statement of financial position as at December 31, 2021 revealed: N’000 Non-current assets 600,400 Current assets 312,200 Total assets 912,600 Share capital 600,000 Reserves 87,600 Long-term borrowing 50,000 Liabilities due within 1 year 175,000 912,600 The following additional information was made available: N’000 (i) Miscellaneous income was made up of: Excess on revaluation of investment 770 Dividend received (net) 3,460 Other income 6,830 11,060 (ii) Legal and professional fees included: N’000 Debt collection expenses 1,200 Tax consultant’s professional fee 600 Renewal of short lease 1,900 Retainer fee 1,300 5,000 (iii) Repairs and maintenance included: N’000 Improvement to industrial building 700 Repairs of industrial plant 300 Renewals of tools and implements 200 Construction of company’s building gate 900 2,100 (iv) Allowance for doubtful debts consisted of: N’000 General provision 17,400 Specific provision 12,900 Bad debt written off 10,200 Bad debt recovered (12,500) 28,000 40 (v) Interest on loan was paid on a facility obtained from a licensed Nigerian deposit money bank at commercial interest rate. (vi) General and administrative expenses were made up of: N’000 Vehicle running expenses 10,700 Insurance premium 12,200 Fine for driving offences 470 Other administrate expenses 25,100 48,470 (vii) Donations and subscriptions Included in donations was N12,000,000 paid to a fund created by the Federal Government for victims of communal crisis that took place where the company is situated. (viii) The tax written down values of the qualifying capital expenditure (QCE) items as at December 31, 2020 were: QCE Year of Acquisition Number of items Amount N ’000 Industrial building 2016 1 84,000 Manufacturing industrial plants 2018 2 28,000 Motor vehicles 2019 2 14,000 Furniture and fittings 2019 10 2,700 (ix) Additions to QCEs during the year ended December 31, 2021 were: QCE Number of items Amount N’000 Motor vehicles 1 4,500 Furniture and fittings 3 1,200 (x) Unrelieved capital allowances brought forward were N15,200,000. (xi) Unabsorbed losses from previous years were: Tax year Amount N ’000 2017 8,290 2018 4,380 2019 9,800 2020 13,600 41
Determination of the company’s tax liabilities for the relevant tax year.
Comment, in line with the provisions of Companies Income Tax Act Cap C21 LFN 2004 (as amended) on: i. The treatment of donations made by the company during the year under review (5 Marks) ii. Exemption of dividends from taxation (5 Marks)
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Assessable profit, total profit and the company tax computation › Format of the computationTaxation of investment income › DividendsSuggested answer
OK & Co (Chartered Accountants) Igbogbo Road, Lagos Date: …… The Managing Director Dadinkowa Nigeria Limited Lagos. Dear Sir, RE: COMPUTATION OF TAX LIABILITIES AND OTHER MATTERS THEREOF I refer to our discussion of April 12, 2022 on your request for computation of the company’s tax liabilities for 2022 assessment year and advice on treatment of donations made during the year and dividends exempted from tax. I hereby present a report for your review before same is processed for filing with the tax authorities.
(a) Determination of tax liabilities Financial records of the company for the year ended December 31, 2021 revealed an operating loss of N6,530,000. For tax purposes and in line with the provisions of Companies Income Tax Act 2004 (as amended), the profit or loss made by a corporate entity has to be adjusted. When this was done, the company made an adjusted profit of N54,145,000. The company was able to relieve all the unabsorbed losses for the 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 tax years, which amounted to N36,070,000. However, only N18,075,000 out of N71,568,980 capital allowances available for relief was utilised, while the unutilised portion of N53,493,980 is deferred to next year for possible utilisation from profit. Following from above, the company has zero total profit for the period under review. Section 13 of Finance Act 2020 stipulates that any company that falls into this category (zero or insufficient profit) has to pay a minimum tax. Thus, the company is liable to pay a minimum tax of N1,946,650. There is also tertiary education tax that is compulsory for companies operating in Nigeria to pay. The new rate is 2.5% of adjusted profit, which is N1,489,000. The total tax liabilities for the 2022 tax year is N3,435,650. We suggest that every effort be put in place for filing of annual tax returns with the Federal Inland Revenue Service within the statutory time limit provided under the Act. 52
(bi) The treatment of donations made by the company during the year under review The CITA 2004 (as amended) recognises the importance of donations made by corporate entity. However, for such donations to be allowed as expenses in the determination of total profit and subsequently tax liabilities payable in any year of assessment, it has to fulfill some conditions. These conditions are:
• It must be made to any of the funds, bodies, institutions in Nigeria contained in the Fifth Schedule to CITA;
• It must be made out of profit;
• It must not be of capital nature, except donations to a university or other tertiary or research institutions;
• It must not exceed 10% of the company’s total profits for an assessment year before any deduction for donation. In the case of donations to tertiary or research institution, up to 15% of total profit or 25% of tax payable in the year, whichever is higher;
• Donations made by companies in cash or kind to any fund set up by the Federal Government or to any similar fund or purpose in consultation with any Ministry, department or agency of the Federal Government, in respect of any pandemic, natural disaster or other exigency shall be allowed as deduction provided that requisite documentation documenting the donations and the cost thereof are provided to the relevant tax authority; and
• The amounts allowable for deduction in respect of the above, in any year of assessment shall be limited to 10% of assessable profits after deduction of allowable donations made by the company. Based on the foregoing, it is evident that the N12 million donations made by the company to a fund established by the Federal Government for victims of crisis was to a recognised fund. However, the amount of the donation was in excess of 10% of the company’s total profits for an assessment year before any deduction for donations. It is on the basis of the above that the tax authority will not regard the whole of N12 million donations made by the company as an allowable expense in the determination of tax liabilities for 2022 tax year. The Revenue Service will only allow the amount of donations, which is restricted to 10% of assessable profits after such deduction. This is equal to N5,415,000. (bii) Dividends exempted from taxation. The CITA 2004 (as amended) clearly provides for treatment of dividend income. There is no inconsistency in its treatment. The following are dividends exempted from taxation:
• Dividends received by way of a bonus issue of shares; 53
• Dividends received from a pioneer company;
• Dividends received from a company subjected to tax under the PIA 2021;
• Dividends received from a foreign investment, provided such dividend is received through a domiciliary account;
• Dividends received net of withholding tax by a Nigerian company from another Nigerian company;
• Dividends received from small companies in the manufacturing sector in the first five years;
• Dividends received from investment in wholly export-oriented business;
• Dividends received from a unit trust scheme;
• Dividends received by a company from another one, provided that the equity participation on which the dividend is paid:
- either wholly paid for in foreign currency or by assets brought to Nigeria; and - not less than 10% of the equity share capital of the company paying the dividend. We hope that this report adequately represents the mandate assigned to us. Should you need further clarification on this, we will be glad to address it. Kem Adek Principal Consultant Appendix 1: Computation of tax liabilities N’000 N’000 Loss as per accounts (6,530) Add back: Disallowable expenses Improvement to industrial building 700 Construction of company’s gate 900 General allowance for doubtful debts 17,400 Fine for driving offences 470 Donations 12,000 Stamp duties for increase in share capital 1,500 Depreciation 35,600 Loss on disposal of foreign equity shares 1,750 70,320 63,790 Less: Tax exempt income Dividend received (net) 3,460 Excess on revaluation of investment 770 4,230 59,560 Less: Allowable donations (10/110 x N59,560) 5,415 Adjusted profit/assessable profit 54,145 54 Less: Unabsorbed loss b/f: 2017 8,290 2018 4,380 2019 9,800 2020 13,600 36,070 18,075 Less: Capital allowances Unrelieved b/f 15,200 For the year (appendix II) 56,368.98 Total available for relief 71,568.98 Relieved (18,075) (18,075) Unrelieved c/f 53,493.98 Total profit Nil Companies income tax (w. 6) 1,946.65 Tertiary education tax @ 2.5% of N59,560) 1,489 Total tax liabilities payable 3,435.65 Appendix II: Capital allowances computation Industrial building Manufacturing Motor Furniture & Non- industrial plant vehicles fittings industrial building Capital allowances IA 15% AA 10% IA 50% AA 25% IA 50% AA 25% IA 25% AA 20% IA 15% AA 10% N N N N N 2022 Tax Year TWDV 84,000,000 28,000,000 14,000,000 2,700,000 Additions 700,000 - 4,500,000 1,200,000 900,000 IA (105,000) - (2,250,000) (300,000) (135,000) 2,790,000 AA (16,860,000) W1 (27,999,980) W2 (7,562,500) W3 (1,080,000) W4 (76,500) W5 53,578,980 56,368,980 TWDV c/f 67,735,000 20 8,687,500 2,520,000 688,500 55 Working notes (1) AA for 2022 tax year- Industrial building Old:N84,000,000 = N16,800,000 10 – 5 years New: N700,000 – N105,000 = 60,000 10 years 16,860,000 (2) AA for 2022 tax year- Manufacturing Industrial plant = N28,000,000 = N28,000,000 less N10 x2 4 – 3 years = N27,999,980 (3) AA for 2022 tax year- Motor vehicle Old: N14,000,000 = N7,000,000 4 – 2 years New: N4,500,000 – N2,250,000 = 562,500 4 years 7,562,500 (4) AA for 2022 tax year- Furniture & fittings Old: N2,700,000 = N900,000 5 – 2 years New: N1,200,000 –N300,000 = 180,000 5 years 1,080,000 (5) AA for 2022 tax year- Non-industrial building = N900,000 – N135,000 = N76,500 10 years (6) Minimum tax computation Section 13 of Finance Act 2020 provides that minimum tax = 0.5% of gross turnover of the company less franked investment income. It also states that the applicable minimum tax is reduced to 0.25% for tax returns provided and filed for any year of assessment falling due on any date between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. 0.5% of gross turnover of the company less franked investment income Minimum tax = 0.5% of (N382,500,000 + N6,830,000) = = 0.5% of (N389,330,000) = N1,946,650 56
Examiner’s Report The question tests the candidates’ understanding of the provisions of Companies Income Tax Act 2004 (as amended) regarding treatment of donations made, exemption of dividends from taxation and computations of companies income tax. Being a compulsory question, all the candidates attempted the question. Candidates demonstrated a fair understanding of the question and performance was average. The commonest pitfall was the inability of some candidates to state correctly the provisions of Companies Income Tax Act 2004 (as amended) in respect of exemption of dividends from taxation. Candidates are advised to familiarise themselves with issues concerning treatment of donations and exemption of dividends from taxation by reading extensively the Institute’s Study Text, other relevant textbooks, and the Companies Income Tax Act 2004 (as amended).
Marking Guide Marks (a) Determination of the company’s tax liabilities Discussion (Memo) ½ Appendix I: Loss as per accounts ½ Improvement to industrial building ½ Construction of company’s gate ½ General allowance for doubtful debts ½ Fine for driving offences ½ Donations ½ Stamp duties for increase in share capital ½ Depreciation ½ Loss on disposal of foreign equity shares ½ Dividend received (net) ½ Excess on revaluation of investment ½ Donations ½ Adjusted profit ½ Unabsorbed loss b/f (N36,070) ½ Capital allowances: Unrelieved b/f ½ For the year ½ Relieved ½ Unrelieved c/f ½ Total profit ½ Companies income tax ½ 57 Marks Tertiary education tax ½ Total tax liabilities payable ½ Appendix II: Capital allowances computation (2022 tax year) Additions (Industrial building) ½ Additions (Non-Industrial building) ½ IA (Industrial building) ½ IA (Non-Industrial building) ½ Additions (Motor vehicles) ½ Additions (Furniture and fittings) ½ IA (Motor vehicles) ½ IA (Furniture and fittings) ½ IA (Capital allowance) ½ AA (Industrial building) ½ AA (Manufacturing industrial plant) ½ AA (Motor vehicles) ½ AA (Furniture and fittings) ½ AA (Non-industrial building) ½ AA (Capital allowance) ½ Total (Capital allowance) ½ Minimum tax computation ½ 20
(bi) Treatment of donations 1 mark for each condition for donation to be allowed for tax purposes, subject to a maximum of 3 points 3 1 mark for each reason why the whole donation made by the Company was not allowed for tax purposes, subject to a maximum of 2 points 2 5 (bii) Exemption of dividends from donations 1 mark for each exemption of dividends for tax purposes, subject to a maximum of 5 points 5 Total 30 58