Interactive Prospect Targeting Holdings plc

 

Restatement of financial information for the year ended 31 December 2005 under International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”)

 

 

Introduction

 

Interactive Prospect Targeting Holdings plc has adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) with effect from 1 January 2006. The first full-year reporting period will be for the year ending 31 December 2006. The first results to be prepared by the Group under IFRS will be the announcement of interim results for the six-month period ended 30 June 2006.

 

The financial results of the Group previously published for the year ended 31 December 2005 and for the six months ended 30 June 2005 were prepared under United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (UK GAAP). These results have been restated in accordance with IFRS. The restated information will be included as non-statutory comparative information in the interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2006.

 

The purpose of this document is to:

 

§          provide an overview of the impact of IFRS;

§          summarise the basis of preparation of financial information restated under IFRS;

§          describe the principal differences between UK GAAP and IFRS that impact the Group;

§          detail the significant accounting policies of the Group under IFRS; and

§          provide a reconciliation of financial information restated for IFRS to that previously reported under UK GAAP.

 

 

Overview of impact of IFRS

 

Whilst the introduction of IFRS has no impact on the underlying cash flows of the business, the areas of accounting that will have the most significant impact on the Group’s financial statements are as follows:

 

§          The treatment of goodwill

§          The recognition of other intangibles on acquisition, and their subsequent amortisation

§          Employee share based payment arrangements

§          Other employee benefits – compensated absences

§          Income tax deduction for share options exercised

§          Reclassification of software from property, plant and equipment to intangible assets

§          Revaluation of assets held for sale to market value at balance sheet date

§          Deferred tax

 

The following table summarises the impact of the adoption of IFRS on the Group’s profit after tax for the 6 months ended 30 June 2005 and year ended 31 December 2005.

 

 

Reconciliation of profit for the period

 

6 months

ended

30 June 2005

Year

ended

31 December 2005

6 months

ended

30 June 2005

Year

ended

31 December 2005

 

 

£’000

£’000

Basic EPS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit after tax under UK GAAP

 

926

2,312

3.0p

7.2p

 

 

 

 

 

 

IFRS adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill amortisation

 

2

118

-

0.4p

Other intangibles amortisation

 

-

(36)

-

(0.1p)

Share based payments

 

(15)

(37)

-

(0.1p)

    Employee benefits: compensated absences

 

             23

              (21)

                -

           (0.1p)

    Profit on disposal of available for sale investments

 

(152)

(218)

(0.5p)

(0.7p)

Reclassification of income tax deduction to equity

 

-

(525)

-

(1.7p)

Deferred taxation

 

149

246

0.5p

0.8p

 

 

7

(473)

-

(1.5p)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Profit after tax under IFRS

 

933

1,839

3.0p

5.7p

 

See comments on pages 3 to 4 for explanation of the transition adjustments to IFRS.

 

 

 

Basis of preparation

 

General

 

For the year ended 31 December 2006, the Group will prepare consolidated financial statements under IFRS as adopted by the European Commission. These will be those International Accounting Standards, International Financial Reporting Standards and related interpretations (SIC-IFRIC interpretations), subsequent amendments to those standards and related interpretations, future standards and related interpretations issued or adopted by the IASB that have been endorsed by the European Commission. This process is ongoing and the Commission has yet to endorse certain standards issued by the IASB.

 

The preliminary restated financial information has been prepared by management using its best knowledge of the expected standards and interpretations of the IASB, facts and circumstances, and accounting policies that will be applied when the Group prepares its first complete set of IFRS financial statements as at 31 December 2006. Therefore, until such time, the possibility cannot be excluded that the accompanying preliminary restated financial information may require adjustment before constituting the final restated financial information. Moreover, under IFRS, only a complete set of financial statements comprising a balance sheet, income statement, statement of changes in equity, cash flow statement, together with comparative financial information and explanatory notes, can provide a fair presentation of the Group’s financial position, results of operations and cash flow.

 

 

First time adoption exemptions

 

The requirements for the first time adoption of IFRS are set out in IFRS 1 First Time Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards. Generally, IFRS 1 requires that accounting policies be adopted that are compliant with IFRS and that these policies be applied retrospectively to all periods presented. However, under IFRS 1, a number of exemptions are permitted to be taken in preparing the balance sheet as at the date of transition to IFRS on 1 January 2005. The exemptions which the Group has taken advantage of are explained below:

 

o         The Group has elected not to apply IFRS 3 Business Combinations to business combinations that took place before 1 January 2005.

o         The Group has elected not to apply the provisions of IFRS 2 Share-based Payment to options and awards that were granted on or before 7 November 2002 or which had vested by 1 January 2005.

o         The Group has elected to designate shares held in companies that are not part of the Group as available for sale under IAS39 Financial Instruments: recognition and measurement.

 

 

 


 

Principal differences between UK GAAP and IFRS that impact the Group

 

The appendix to this report reconciles the results and net assets of the Group as reported under UK GAAP to the information restated under IFRS. The principal differences between UK GAAP and IFRS as shown in the appendix are described below.

 

Share-based payment

 

Under UK GAAP, the charges for the Group’s share option schemes are based on the difference between the market price of the share on the date of the grant and the exercise price to be paid. As all option prices equated to the market price at the date of the grant, no charge was required in the income statement.

 

IFRS 2 Share-based payment requires the fair value of the awards to be calculated. This fair value is assessed at the date of the grant and is recognised over the vesting period.

 

As a result, a charge of £15,000 for share-based payments has been recognised within administrative expenses for the six months ended 30 June 2005. Similarly, the charge recognised for the year ended 31 December 2005 was £37,000.

 

Goodwill

 

Goodwill arising on business combinations

 

Under UK GAAP, the difference between the consideration paid for an acquisition and the fair value of the net assets acquired was recognised as goodwill. IFRS 3 requires that the intangible assets of an acquired business are recognised separately from goodwill and are then amortised over their useful lives.

 

Under the IFRS 1 transition rules, the Group has elected not to identify any acquired intangible assets for acquisitions made before 1 January 2005.

 

The Postal Preference Service Limited (PPS) was acquired by the Group in August 2005 giving rise to goodwill on acquisition of £2,928,000 under UK GAAP. In applying IFRS 3 the Group has reclassified intangible assets arising on acquisition of £766,000 out of goodwill, representing the values placed on the PPS trade name and customer relationships. Amortisation charged on these intangible assets of £37,000 was recognised from the date of acquisition to 31 December 2005.

 

Goodwill amortisation

 

Under UK GAAP, goodwill arising from business combinations was amortised over its estimated useful economic life.

 

IFRS 3 Business combinations prohibits the amortisation of goodwill, instead requiring the goodwill to be tested for impairment.

 

As a result, amortisation of goodwill resulting from the acquisition of Newsletters Online Limited of £2,000 for the six months ended 30 June 2005 and £5,000 for the year ended 31 December 2005 has been released to the income statement.

 

Similarly the amortisation of goodwill resulting from the acquisition of The Postal Preference Service Limited is decreased by £114,000 for the period from date of acquisition to 31 December 2005.

 

Employee benefits: compensated absences

 

Under UK GAAP, the Group made no accrual for compensated absences. Under IAS 19 Employee benefits, the expected costs of short-term accumulating compensated absences are accrued as earned by employees.

 

At the transition date of 1 January 2005, the balance sheet has been adjusted to reflect liabilities not recognised under UK GAAP in respect of these compensated absences of £52,000. In the six months to 30 June 2005, due to a reversal of previously accrued costs, a credit of £23,000 was recorded within expenses. However, in the year ended 31 December 2005, an increase in the accrued costs results in an additional cost of £21,000 since 1 January 2005.

 

Software licences

 

Under UK GAAP, Software licences were capitalised as property, plant and equipment as part of computer equipment and depreciated over their useful economic life. Under IFRS, IAS38 requires that software licences, which are not an integral part of the related hardware, are capitalized as an intangible asset and amortised over their useful economic life.

 

The impact of this change was to reclassify such software licenses which do not form the integral part of the hardware, such as the operating system, from property, plant and equipment to intangible assets. The related depreciation was reclassified to amortisation expense in the income statement. The amounts transferred were £72,000 as at 1 January 2005, £66,000 as at 30 June 2005 and  £307,000 as at 31 December 2005.The net impact on the income statement is £nil.

 

Assets held for sale

 

Under UK GAAP, assets held for sale were stated at cost. Under IFRS assets held for sale are measured at fair value, with fair value gains or losses recognised directly in equity, and recycled into the income statement on sale or impairment of the asset at which time the cumulative gain or loss previously recognised in equity is recognised in profit or loss for the period.

 

The impact of this change is to revalue assets held for sale at 1 January 2005 at their market value of £673,000, where previously they had been stated at cost of £30,000. The difference of £643,000 was taken to revaluation reserve. A deferred tax liability of £193,000 was also recognized on the revaluation reserve at that date.

 

At 30 June 2005, after the disposal of some of these assets, the market value of remaining assets was £186,000 and the resulting revaluation reserve was £117,000. The net impact on the income statement is £nil.

 

Taxation

 

Income tax deduction for share options exercised

 

Under UK GAAP, the Group recognised an income tax deduction for the excess of market value of share options over their exercise price when share options were exercised.

 

IAS 12 Income Taxes requires deferred tax to be calculated based upon the number of share options outstanding at the balance sheet date by reference to the difference between the grant price and the market value of the shares at that date. Changes to the amount of deferred tax in excess of the charge reported in the income statement are recognised in equity not in income tax.

 

The impact of this change was to reclassify a tax deduction of £525,000 in the year ended 31 December 2005 from income tax to equity. The net impact on the income statement is £525,000.

 

Deferred tax

 

Deferred tax was recognised in respect of all timing differences, with a few exceptions that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date. Timing differences arise when the profit or loss is recognised in a different period in the tax computation from that in the financial statements.

 

Under IFRS the Group is required to adopt a balance sheet approach under which temporary differences are identified for each asset and liability rather than accounting for the effects of timing and permanent differences between taxable and accounting profit.

 

The impact of this is to recognise deferred tax on the estimated future tax deduction arising in relation to the exercise of UK employee share options and adjustments to qualifying goodwill, holiday pay liabilities and intangible assets and the related amortisation, following the different accounting treatment of these items under IFRS.

 

At 31 December 2005 a deferred tax asset of £341,000 was reported in the UK GAAP balance sheet. The IFRS balance sheet at that date includes a deferred tax asset of £1,139,000 (the increase mainly arising as a result of the deferred tax asset on share options) and a deferred tax liability of £219,000 (arising as a result of the recognition of intangible assets on the PPS acquisition in accordance with IFRS 3). Deferred tax adjustments arising on the transition to IFRS have been offset only to the extent that this offset is permitted under IAS 12.

 

There is also a presentational change that includes classifying deferred tax liabilities and assets as non-current and reporting them separately on the face of the balance sheet.

 

Cash flows

 

There are no material differences between the cash flow statement prepared under UK GAAP and that prepared under IFRS for each of the periods presented, other than presentational changes.

 

Significant accounting policies     

 

 

Basis of accounting

 

The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards for the first time, with a transition date of 1 January 2005. The financial statements have also been prepared in accordance with IFRS adopted for use in the European Union and therefore comply with Article 4 of the EU IAS Regulation.

 

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis.  The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

 

Basis of consolidation

 

The Group’s consolidated financial statements incorporate the financial statements of Interactive Prospect Targeting Holdings plc (‘the Company’) and entities controlled by the Company (its ‘subsidiaries’).  Control is achieved where the Company has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an investee entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

 

The results of subsidiaries acquired or disposed of during the year are included in the consolidated income statement from the effective date of acquisition or up to the effective date of disposal, as appropriate.

 

Where necessary, adjustments are made to the financial statements of subsidiaries to bring the accounting policies used into line with those used by the Group.

 

All intra-Group transactions, balances, income and expenses are eliminated on consolidation. 

 

Business combinations

 

The acquisition of subsidiaries is accounted for using the purchase method.  The cost of the acquisition is measured at the aggregate of the fair values, at the date of exchange, of assets given, liabilities incurred or assumed, and equity instruments issued by the Group in exchange for control of the acquiree, plus any costs directly attributable to the business combination. The acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities that meet the conditions for recognition under IFRS 3 are recognised at their fair value at the acquisition date, except for non-current assets that are classified as held for resale in accordance with IFRS 5 Non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations, which are recognised and measured at fair value less costs to sell.

 

Goodwill arising on acquisition is recognised as an asset and initially measured at cost, being the excess of the cost of the business combination over the Group’s interest in the net fair value of the identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities recognised.  If, after reassessment, the Group’s interest in the net fair value of the acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities exceed the cost of the business combination, the excess is recognised immediately in profit or loss.

 

Non-current assets held for sale

 

Non-current assets classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of carrying amount and fair value less costs to sell.

 

Goodwill

 

Goodwill arising on consolidation represents the excess of the cost of acquisition over the Group’s interest in the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities of a subsidiary, associate or jointly controlled entity at the date of acquisition.  Goodwill is initially recognised as an asset at cost and is subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses.  Goodwill, which is recognised as an asset, is reviewed for impairment at least annually.  Any impairment is recognised immediately in profit or loss and is not subsequently reversed.

 

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill is allocated to each of the Group’s cash-generating units expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination.  Cash-generating units to which goodwill has been allocated are tested for impairment annually, or more frequently when there is an indication that the unit may be impaired.  If the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit is less than the carrying amount of the unit, the impairment loss is allocated first to reduce the carrying amount of any goodwill allocated to the unit and then to the other assets of the unit pro-rata on the basis of the carrying amount of each asset in the unit.  An impairment loss recognised for goodwill is not reversed in a subsequent period.

 

On disposal of a subsidiary, associate or jointly controlled entity, the attributable amount of goodwill is included in the determination of the profit or loss on disposal.

 

Goodwill arising on acquisitions before the date of transition to IFRS has been retained at the previous UK GAAP amounts subject to being tested for impairment at that date. 

 

Other intangible assets

Other intangible assets are held at cost less accumulated amortisation and any recognised impairment loss.

 

Amortisation is charged so as to write off the cost of assets, less their estimated residual value, on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives as follows:

 

Data acquisition costs                                       3 years

Licences                                                                               1-5 years

Capitalised computer software                        2 years

 

Property, plant and equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost, net of depreciation and any recognised impairment loss.

 

Depreciation is charged so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets, over the estimated useful lives, using the straight-line method, on the following bases:

 

Computer equipment                                         33% on cost

Fixtures and fittings                                             20% on cost

 

Assets held under finance leases are depreciated over their expected useful lives on the same basis as owned assets or, where shorter, over the term of the relevant lease.

 

Internally-generated intangible assets – research and development expenditure

 

Expenditure on research activities is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. 

 

An internally-generated intangible asset arising from the Group’s website developments is recognised only if all of the following conditions are met:

 

·          an asset is created that can be identified (such as software and new processes);

·          it is probable that the asset created will generate future economic benefits; and

·          the development costs of the asset can be measured reliably.

 

Internally-generated intangible assets are amortised on a straight-line basis over their useful lives.  Where no internally-generated intangible asset can be recognised, development expenditure is recognised as an expense in the period in which it is incurred. 

 

Leases

 

Leases are classified as finance leases whenever the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessee.   All other leases are classified as operating leases.

 

Assets held under finance leases are recognised as assets of the Group at their fair value or, if lower, at the present value of the minimum lease payments, each determined at the inception of the lease.  The corresponding liability to the lessor is included in the balance sheet as a finance lease obligation.  Lease payments are apportioned between finance charges and reduction of the lease obligation so as to achieve a constant rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability.  Finance charges are charged directly against income. 

 

Rentals payable under operating leases are charged to income on a straight-line basis over the term of the relevant lease. Benefits received and receivable as an incentive to enter into an operating lease are also spread on a straight line basis over the lease term.

 

Pension costs

 

The Group does not operate any pension plans, but does administer a stakeholder pension scheme on behalf of any employees wishing to participate.

 

Revenue recognition

 

Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration received or receivable and represents amounts receivable for goods and services provided in the normal course of business, net of discounts, VAT and other sales related taxes.

 

Sales of goods are recognised when goods are delivered and title has passed. Sales of services are recognised with reference to the stage of completion.

 

Foreign currencies

 

The individual financial statements of each Group company are presented in the currency of the primary economic environment in which it operates (its functional currency).  For the purpose of the consolidated financial statements, the results and financial position of each Group company are expressed in pounds sterling, which is the functional currency of the Company, and the presentation currency for the consolidated financial statements.

 

In preparing the financial statement of the individual companies, transactions in currencies other than the entity’s functional currency (foreign currencies) are recorded at the rates of exchange prevailing on the dates of the transactions.  At each balance sheet date, monetary assets and liabilities that are denominated in foreign currencies are retranslated at the rates prevailing on the balance sheet date.  Non-monetary items carried at fair value that are denominated in foreign currencies are translated at the rates prevailing at the date when the fair value was determined.  Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in a foreign currency are not retranslated.

 

Exchange differences arising on the settlement of monetary items, and on the retranslation of monetary items, are included in profit or loss for the period.  Exchange differences arising on the retranslation of non-monetary items carried at fair value are included in profit or loss for the period except for differences arising on the retranslation of non-monetary items in respect of which gains and losses are recognised directly in equity.  For such non-monetary items, any exchange component of that gain or loss is also recognised directly in equity.

 

For the purpose of presenting consolidated financial statements, the assets and liabilities of the Group’s foreign operations are translated at exchange rates prevailing on the balance sheet date.  Income and expense items are translated at the average exchange rates for the period.  Exchange differences arising are classified as equity and transferred to the Group’s translation reserve.  Such translation differences are recognised as income or as expenses in the period in which the operation is disposed of.

 

Goodwill and fair value adjustments arising on the acquisition of a foreign entity are treated as assets and liabilities of the foreign entity and translated at the closing rate.

 

Operating profit

 

Operating profit is stated after charging restructuring costs but before investment income and finance costs.

 

Taxation

 

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

 

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year.  Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible.  The Group’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

 

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit, and is accounted for using the balance sheet liability method.  Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised.  Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the temporary difference arises from the initial recognition of goodwill or from the initial recognition (other than in a business combination) of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

 

Deferred tax liabilities are recognised for taxable temporary differences arising on investments in subsidiaries and associates, and interests in joint ventures, except where the Group is able to control the reversal of the temporary difference and it is probable that the temporary difference will not reverse in the foreseeable future.

 

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each balance sheet date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

 

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised.  Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it related to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity.

 

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is a legally enforceable right to set off current tax assets against current tax liabilities and whey they relate to income taxes levied by the same taxation authority and the Group intends to settle its current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis.

 

 

Impairment of tangible and intangible assets excluding goodwill

 

At each balance sheet date, the Group reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss.  If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss.  Where the asset does not generate cash flows that are independent from other assets, the Group estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.  An intangible asset with an indefinite useful life is tested for impairment annually and whenever there is an indication that the asset may be impaired.

 

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use.  In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

 

If the recoverable amount of an asset or cash-generating unit is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset or cash-generating unit is reduced to its recoverable amount and the impairment loss is recognised as an expense immediately.

 

When an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset or cash-generating unit is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset or cash-generating unit in prior years.  A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised as income immediately.

 

Financial instruments

 

Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognised on the Group’s balance sheet when the Group becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

 

Trade receivables

 

Trade receivables do not carry any interest and are measured at their nominal value as reduced by any appropriate allowances for irrecoverable amounts.

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash on hand and demand deposits, and other short-term highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to a known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

 

Financial liabilities and equity

&nb