Tongo LTD (Tongo) is a mining company operating in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The following relates to the operations of Tongo for the 2023 year of assessment:

Description GH¢
Revenue (Gross) 200,000,000
Cost of Operations 80,000,000
Margin/Profit 120,000,000

Additional Information:

  1. Tempane Mines LTD acquired 100% interest in Tongo for a consideration of GH¢310,000,000 at the end of 2023.
  2. The cost of assets acquired at their respective acquisition dates are as follows:
Year Cost of Assets (GH¢)
2020 100,000,000
2021 75,000,000
2023 50,000,000

Required:

i) Explain the tax implication of the 100% acquisition.

ii) Compute the gains from the above acquisition and determine how the gains should be treated.

    Tax Implication of 100% Acquisition

  1. Change in Ownership Without Realization of Assets and Liabilities

    • A 100% acquisition does not constitute an immediate realization of assets and liabilities for tax purposes.
    • The company will continue as a going concern without requiring a new valuation for capital allowance purposes.
  2. Capital Allowance Continuity

    • The written-down value (WDV) of the acquired assets remains the same and continues to be used for capital allowance computations.
    • The consideration paid by Tempane Mines LTD (GH¢310,000,000) does not impact the WDV for capital allowance computation.
  3. No Immediate Tax Liability on Purchase Price

    • The acquisition price is ignored for tax purposes; it does not generate an immediate taxable gain or loss for the acquiring company.
  4. Future Tax Treatment of Acquired Assets

    • Any gains realized when the assets are eventually disposed of will be subject to capital gains tax at the prevailing tax rate.
    • The acquired business will continue to be taxed as per the standard mineral and mining tax regulations in Ghana.

ii) Computation of Gains from the Acquisition

Computation of Gains GH¢
Consideration Received 310,000,000
Less: Written-Down Value (WDV)
– 2020 Assets (WDV) 20,000,000
– 2021 Assets (WDV) 30,000,000
– 2023 Assets (WDV) 40,000,000
Total WDV 90,000,000
Taxable Gain 220,000,000

Tax Treatment of the Gain

  • The GH¢220,000,000 gain from the acquisition is classified as taxable income under the mining tax regulations.
  • The taxable gain is added to the company’s chargeable income for the year.
  • The applicable corporate tax rate for mining companies in Ghana is 35%.

Computation of Tax Liability

Description GH¢
Chargeable Income Before Gain 120,000,000
Add: Taxable Gain from Acquisition 220,000,000
Total Chargeable Income 340,000,000
Tax at 35% 119,000,000