FROM THE PEN Mergers and acquisitions We’ve commented, almost ad nausean, about the global financial crisis. We’ve highlighted what we think went wrong, what the profession needs to do to combat the effects of the crisis, and we’ve alluded to the potential opportunities that exist within our new economic reality. We’ve said that governments, the…
BMW Z4 – 3l BMW has recently launched the latest generation Z4, which, in my opinion, has finally become a formidable sports car. The most significant change to this vehicle from its predecessors is the hard top convertible as opposed to the soft top. In the looks department, definitely a thumbs up! The new Z4…
Michael Olivier talks of De Grendel and its wines. Michael publishes in November, with Neil Pendock, The People’s Guide – navigate the winelands in a shopping trolley and is a well known wine writer and broadcaster. Visit him on his website www.michaelolivier.co.za. The beautiful manor house of De Grendel is one of Cape Town’s oldest…
The Commissioner recently issued his findings in respect of private banking insurance wrappers by means of an Advanced Tax Ruling (ATR) on an off-shore private banking insurance wrapper. What is a private banking insurance wrapper? The concept could best be described as the integration of offshore assets into an insurance policy. The owner can transfer…
Directors and trustees to reconsider governance structures over investments Investments are the largest balance on the balance sheet of most insurers, retirement funds and other financial services entities. The collapse of global financial markets and the associated credit crisis has resulted in significant downward revaluations of investment values. Although it is common for market corrections…
Before you think that you will miss out on the benefits that SARS will treat you to as a micro business, beware not to trick yourself into not registering for the new Turnover Tax. Turnover Tax (introduced in the Sixth Schedule to the Income Tax Act No 58 of 1962) is a new tax system…
Before the introduction of radio, most people received the news by way of newspapers. One of radio’s most early practices was to read the newspaper over the radio. This was because the people using the new medium did not yet understand how to use the new features of radio. Subsequently, producers of radio programmes learned…
As professional advisors to business clients, there is a tendency to focus upon the technical and legalistic aspects of merger and acquisition transactions. Accountants are required to analyse the financial position of the target and lawyers are required to analyse the legal position of the target. A great deal of time and effort is often…
2009While we wait patiently for our winter of financial discontent to be made glorious summer, searching eagerly for credible signs of green shoots and wondering which letter of the economic alphabet – V, W,U or, horror upon horrors, L – will most aptly describe the shape of the current recession, we know that Merger &…
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has issued proposals to amend IAS 32(AC 125) – Financial Instruments: Presentation. The purpose of the amendment is to clarify the classification of instruments that give the holders the right to acquire an entity’s own equity instruments at a fixed price (rights issue) when that price is stated in…