James died on 22 January 2015. He had made the following gifts during his lifetime:

(1) On 9 October 2007, a cash gift of ￡35,000 to a trust. No lifetime inheritance tax was payable in respect of this gift.

(2) On 14 May 2013, a cash gift of ￡420,000 to his daughter.

(3) On 2 August 2013, a gift of a property valued at ￡260,000 to a trust. No lifetime inheritance tax was payable in respect of this gift because it was covered by the nil rate band. By the time of James’ death on 22 January 2015, the property had increased in value to ￡310,000.

On 22 January 2015, James’ estate was valued at ￡870,000. Under the terms of his will, James left his entire estate to his children.

The nil rate band of James’ wife was fully utilised when she died ten years ago.

The nil rate band for the tax year 2007–08 is ￡300,000, and for the tax year 2013–14 it is ￡325,000.

Required:

(a) Calculate the inheritance tax which will be payable as a result of James’ death, and state who will be responsible for paying the tax. (6 marks)

(b) Explain why it might have been beneficial for inheritance tax purposes if James had left a portion of his estate to his grandchildren rather than to his children. (2 marks)

(c) Explain why it might be advantageous for inheritance tax purposes for a person to make lifetime gifts even when such gifts are made within seven years of death.

Notes:

1. Your answer should include a calculation of James’ inheritance tax saving from making the gift of property to the trust on 2 August 2013 rather than retaining the property until his death.

2. You are not expected to consider lifetime exemptions in this part of the question. (2 marks)

Jewel Co is setting up an online business importing and selling jewellery headphones. The cost of each set of headphones varies depending on the number purchased, although they can only be purchased in batches of 1,000 units. It also has to pay import taxes which vary according to the quantity purchased.

Jewel Co has already carried out some market research and identified that sales quantities are expected to vary depending on the price charged. Consequently, the following data has been established for the first month:

Required:

(a) Calculate how many batches Jewel Co should import and sell. (6 marks)

(b) Explain why Jewel Co could not use the algebraic method to establish the optimum price for its product.

(4 marks)

Swim Co offers training courses to athletes and has prepared the following breakeven chart:

Required:

(a) State the breakeven sales revenue for Swim Co and estimate, to the nearest $10,000, the company’s profit if 500 athletes attend a training course. (2 marks)

(b) Using the chart above, explain the cost and revenue structure of the company. (8 marks)

(d) There is considerable evidence to suggest that as a result of implementation problems less than 50% of all

acquisitions achieve their objectives and actually end up reducing shareholder value.

Required:

Provide Ken with a brief report on the most likely sources of integration problems and describe the key

performance indicators he should use to measure progress towards acquisition objectives. (15 marks)

(b) Examine how adopting a Six Sigma approach would help address the quality problems at UPC.

(10 marks)

(b) Both divisions have recognised the need for a strategic alliance to help them achieve a successful entry into

European markets.

Critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the divisions using strategic alliances to develop their

respective businesses in Europe. (15 marks)

2 Ramon Silva is a Spanish property developer, who has made a considerable fortune from the increasing numbers of

Europeans looking to buy new homes and apartments in the coastal regions of Mediterranean Spain. His frequent

contact with property buyers has made him aware of their need for low cost hotel accommodation during the lengthy

period between finding a property to buy and when they actually move into their new home. These would-be property

owners are looking for inexpensive hotels in the same locations as tourists looking for cheap holiday accommodation.

Closer investigation of the market for inexpensive or budget hotel accommodation has convinced Ramon of the

opportunity to offer something really different to his potential customers. He has the advantage of having no

preconceived idea of what his chain of hotels might look like. The overall picture for the budget hotel industry is not

encouraging with the industry suffering from low growth and consequent overcapacity. There are two distinct market

segments in the budget hotel industry; firstly, no-star and one-star hotels, whose average price per room is between

30 and 45 euros. Customers are simply attracted by the low price. The second segment is the service provided by

two-star hotels with an average price of 100 euros a night. These more expensive hotels attract customers by offering

a better sleeping environment than the no-star and one-star hotels. Customers therefore have to choose between low

prices and getting a poor night’s sleep owing to noise and inferior beds or paying more for an untroubled night’s sleep.

Ramon quickly deduced that a hotel chain that can offer a better price/quality combination could be a winner.

The two-star hotels typically offer a full range of services including restaurants, bars and lounges, all of which are

costly to operate. The low price budget hotels offer simple overnight accommodation with cheaply furnished rooms

and staffed by part-time receptionists. Ramon is convinced that considerable cost savings are available through better

room design, construction and furniture and a more effective use of hotel staff. He feels that through offering hotel

franchises under the ‘La Familia Amable’ (‘The Friendly Family’) group name, he could recruit husband and wife teams

to own and operate them. The couples, with suitable training, could offer most of the services provided in a two-star

hotel, and create a friendly, family atmosphere – hence the company name. He is sure he can offer the customer twostar

hotel value at budget prices. He is confident that the value-for-money option he offers would need little marketing

promotion to launch it and achieve rapid growth.

Required:

(a) Provide Ramon with a brief report, using strategic models where appropriate, showing where his proposed

hotel service can add value to the customer’s experience. (12 marks)

Churchill Ice Cream has to date made two unsuccessful attempts to become an international company.

(d) What reasons would you suggest to explain this failure of Churchill Ice Cream to become an international

company? (5 marks)

(b) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using franchising to develop La Familia Amable budget hotel

chain? (8 marks)

3 Mark Howe, Managing Director of Auto Direct, is a victim of his own success. Mark has created an innovative way

of selling cars to the public which takes advantage of the greater freedom given to independent car distributors to

market cars more aggressively within the European Union. This reduces the traditional control and interference of the

automobile manufacturers, some of whom own their distributors. He has opened a number of showrooms in the

London region and by 2004 Auto Direct had 20 outlets in and around London. The concept is deceptively simple;

Mark buys cars from wherever he can source them most cheaply and has access to all of the leading volume car

models. He then concentrates on selling the cars to the public, leaving servicing and repair work to other specialist

garages. He offers a classic high volume/low margin business model.

Mark now wants to develop this business model onto a national and eventually an international basis. His immediate

plans are to grow the number of outlets by 50% each year for the next three years. Such growth will place

considerable strain on the existing organisation and staff. Each showroom has its own management team, sales

personnel and administration. Currently the 20 showrooms are grouped into a Northern and Southern Sales Division

with a small head office team for each division. Auto Direct now employs 250 people.

Mark now needs to communicate the next three-year phase of the company’s ambitious growth plans to staff and is

anxious to get an understanding of staff attitudes towards the company and its growth plans. He is aware that you

are a consultant used to advising firms on the changes associated with rapid growth and the way to generate positive

staff attitudes to change.

Required:

(a) Using appropriate strategies for managing change provide Mark with a brief report on how he can best create

a positive staff response to the proposed growth plans. (12 marks)