Friday, January 16, 2009

When will results be comparable?????

A leading bluest of blue chip company announced its III quarter results a couple of days back and there were few obvious points there :
1) Treatment of foreign currency transactions was not disclosed (in newspapers)
2) The company had stated that it had a MAT liability this year and in accordance with the guidance note had taken the same to "MAT credit entitlement" and also a reversal of some crores of excess provision pertaing to earlier years against the tax expense.

Point 1:
Non disclosure of foreign currency transactions is either on account of
a) Strict adherence with AS 11 and AS 30
b) Deliberately omitted

Companies having huge exposures in foreign currency are not bound to comply with AS 11 and AS 30 at face value (Reliance, Bharti are examples), with the rupee weakening, as it would dent their profits. Now whats the logic of restating a loan which is repayable after 5 years( at an exchange rate which god only knows) at the rate prevailing on balance sheet date. Companies are finding ways and means to reduce the losses on account of those restatements. (These monies were raised when 1 USD was say Rs.38-40). So being the situation in the coporate world, why was it not disclosed?

Point 2:
Assuming the company had a tax loss, the entire MAT paid/payable is credit. The entire tax expense represents Deferred tax liability and FBT. How can a company net of excess provisions of normal tax pertaining to previous years against deferred tax liability? The reversal itself needs to be questioned. With the taxman disallowing every exchange loss and taxing every exchange gain, it would be prudent to retain the excess provision in books rather than reverse it.

Another listed company had said in its quarterly/YTD results that it would ascertain deferred tax liability/ asset on as of March and no charge/ income had been recognised on account of deferred tax. Then why have AS 25 and illustrations to them? Would a disclosure to the extent that law has not been complied with, tantamount to compliance ? (AS notified by NACAS is law now)

If results are reported on such grounds, what will the analysts and investors do? Will results of 2 companies in the same in industry be comparable? With IFRS getting introduced in another couple of years, the situation is only bound to worsen.

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