Amendments to IAS 12 Deferred Tax related to Assets and Liabilities arising from a Single Transaction (issued 7 May 2021)

The amendments specify how companies should account for deferred tax on transactions such as leases and decommissioning obligations.

In specified circumstances, companies are exempt from recognising deferred tax when they recognise assets or liabilities for the first time. Previously, there had been some uncertainty about whether the exemption applied to transactions such as leases and decommissioning obligations—transactions for which companies recognise both an asset and a liability.

The amendments clarify that the exemption does not apply and that companies are required to recognise deferred tax on such transactions. The aim of the amendments is to reduce diversity in the reporting of deferred tax on leases and decommissioning obligations.

The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023, with early application permitted and is not yet endorsed for use under the Companies Act 2006.

BASIS OF CONSOLIDATION

The consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of the Group and its subsidiaries.

The results of subsidiaries acquired during the year are included from the date of acquisition, being the date on which the Group obtains control. They are deconsolidated on the date that control ceases.

The consideration transferred for the acquisition of a subsidiary is the fair value of the assets transferred, the liabilities incurred and the equity interests issued by the Group. This fair value includes any contingent consideration. Acquisition-related costs are expensed as incurred.

When the Group ceases to have control or significant influence, any retained interest in the entity is re measured to its fair value, with the change in carrying amount recognised in profit or loss. The fair value is the initial carrying amount for the purposes of subsequently accounting for the retained interest as an associate, joint venture or financial asset. In addition, any amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income in respect of that entity are accounted for as if the Group had directly disposed of the related assets or liabilities. This may mean the amounts previously recognised in other comprehensive income are reclassified to profit or loss.

Control is achieved when the Group:

- has the power over the investee;

- is exposed or his rights, to variable returns from its involvement with the investee; and

- has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

FUNCTIONAL CURRENCY

Items included in the financial statements of each of the Group’s entities are measured using the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates (‘the functional currency’). The consolidated financial statements are presented in Pounds Sterling (£), which is the Company’s functional and the Group’s presentation currency.

DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PENSION PLAN

The Group operates a defined contribution plan for its employees. A defined contribution plan is a pension plan under which the Group pays fixed contributions into a separate entity. Once the contributions have been paid the Group has no further payments obligations.

The contributions are recognised as an expense in the profit or loss when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals as a liability in the Statement of Financial Position. The assets of the plan are held separately from the Group in independently administered funds

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

The Company recognises financial instruments when it becomes a party to the contractual arrangements of the instrument. Financial instruments are de-recognised when they are discharged or when the contractual term expire. The Company’s accounting policies in respect of financial instruments transactions are explained below: Financial assets and financial liabilities are initially measured at fair value.

Financial assets:

All recognised financial assets are subsequently measured in their entirety at either fair value or amortised cost, depending on the classification of the financial assets.

Fair value through profit or loss

All of the Company’s financial assets other than those which meet the criteria to be measured at amortised cost are subsequently measured at fair value at the end of each reporting period, with any fair value gains or losses being recognised in profit or loss to the extent they are not part of a designated hedging relationship. The net gain or loss recognised in profit or loss includes any dividend or interest earned on the financial asset.

Debt instruments at amortised cost

Debt instruments are subsequently measured at amortised cost where they are financial assets held within a business model whose objective is to hold financial assets in order to collect contractual cash flows and selling the financial assets, and the contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the principal amount outstanding. Amortised cost is calculated using the effective interest method and represents the amount measured at initial recognition less repayments of principal plus the cumulative amortisation using the effective interest method of any difference between the initial amount and the maturity amount, adjusted for any loss allowance.

Trade payables

Trade payables are initially measured at fair value and are subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Equity instruments

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Shares issued are held at their fair value.

Share capital

Ordinary share capital is classified as equity. Interim ordinary dividends are recognised when paid and final ordinary dividends are recognised as a liability in the year in which they are approved.

Impairment of financial assets

The Company recognises a loss allowance for expected credit losses (ECL) on investments in debt instruments that are measured at amortised cost or FVTOCI, lease receivables, amounts due from customers under construction contracts, as well as on loan commitments and financial guarantee contracts. No impairment loss is recognised for investments in equity instruments. The amount of expected credit losses is updated at each reporting date to reflect changes in credit risk since initial recognition of the respective financial instrument.

The Company recognises lifetime ECL on all financial instruments where there has been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition. The assessment of whether lifetime ECL should be recognised is based on significant increase in the likelihood or risk of a default occurring since initial recognition instead of on evidence of a financial asset being credit-impaired at the reporting date or an actual default occurring.

Lifetime ECL represents the expected credit losses that will result from all possible default events over the expected life of a financial instrument. In contract, 12 month ECL represents the portion of lifetime ECL that is expected to result from default events on a financial instrument that are possible within 12 months after the reporting date.

In assessing whether the credit risk on a financial instrument has increased, the following shall be taken into account:

- Actual or expected significant deterioration in the financial instrument’s external or internal credit rating; or

- Significant deterioration in external market conditions; or

- Existing or forecast adverse changes in business, financial or economic conditions that will impact the debtor’s ability to meet debt obligations; or

- Actual or expected deterioration in the operating results of the debtor; or

- Actual or expected significant adverse changes in the regulatory or technological environment of the debtor that will impact the debtor’s ability to meet debt obligations.

For certain categories of financial asset, such as trade receivables, assets that are assessed not to be impaired individually are subsequently assessed for impairment on a collective basis. Objective evidence of impairment for a portfolio of receivables could include the Company's past experience of collecting payments, an increase in the number of delayed payments in the portfolio past the average credit period of 30 days, as well as observable changes in the national or local economic conditions that correlate with default on receivables.

Financial liabilities:

Fair value through profit or loss

Financial liabilities are classified as at fair value through profit or loss, when the financial liability is held for trading, or is designated as at fair value through profit or loss. This designation may be made if such designation estimates or significantly reduces a measurement or recognition inconsistency that would otherwise arise, or the financial liability forms part of a group of financial instruments which is managed and its performance is evaluated on a fair value basis, or the financial liability forms part of a contract containing one or more embedded derivatives, and IFRS 9 permits the entire combined contract to be designated as at fair value through profit or loss. Any gains or losses arising on changes in fair value are recognised in profit or loss to the extent that they are not part of a designated hedging relationship.

At amortised cost

Financial liabilities which are neither contingent consideration of an acquirer in a business combination, held for trading, nor designated as at fair value through profit or loss are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. This is a method of calculating the amortised cost of a financial liability and of allocating interest expense over the relevant period. The effective interest rate is the rate that exactly discounts estimated future cash payments through the expected life of the financial liability, or where appropriate a shorter period, to the amortised cost of a financial liability.

Derecognition of financial liabilities

The company derecognises financial liabilities when, and only when, the company's obligations are discharged, cancelled or they expire.

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