Module ECOS2301: Business Planning: Tax

Department: Business School (Economics and Finance) [Queen's Campus, Stockton]

ECOS2301: Business Planning: Tax

Prerequisites

• Tax Compliance ECOS2281

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To enable students to apply technical knowledge and professional skills to identify and resolve tax issues that arise in the context of preparing tax computations and to advise on tax-efficient strategies for businesses and individuals.

Content

• Ethics and law
• Taxation of corporate entities
• Taxation of unincorporated businesses including partnerships
• Personal taxation

Learning Outcomes

• On completion of this module students should:
• Have acquired the necessary technical knowledge and professional judgement to identify, explain and evaluate alternative tax treatments
• Have an awareness of the ethical and legal implications of taxation
• Have knowledge of the taxation of corporate entities, unincorporated businesses including partnerships, and individuals
• Have an understanding of the interaction of taxes in given scenarios

• On completion of this module students should:
• Be able to determine the appropriate solutions to taxation issues, giving due consideration to the needs of clients and the interaction between taxes.
• Be able to consider the commercial context and impact of recommendations in making such judgements, as well as ethical and legal issues.
• Be able to analyse, evaluate and calculate the tax consequences of actions for individuals and companies and evaluate the interaction of taxes in given scenarios. This will involve advising and assisting clients in adhering to tax regulations.
• Be able to advise on alternative tax treatments to defer or minimise tax liabilities.
• Be able to identify and discriminate between tax evasion and tax avoidance.

• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Communication and reporting skills
• Consultation and advisory skills

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Learning will be based on knowledge transfer from lectures, seminars and personal study; investigation of cases and real world organisations which will underpin the seminars will encourage students to develop awareness of cultural differences and apply these to the development of their skills in managing themselves and others in such contexts.
• Seminar activities and discussions will provide the technical awareness of topics in a comprehensive form.
• The formative examination will provide feedback to students regarding their understanding of the main concepts and technical treatments.
• The summative examination will test students’ understanding of the main concepts and technical treatments through problem solving and reflection on learning.
• The summative assignment will assess students’ ability to apply their knowledge and understanding of taxation in specific scenarios, requiring them to make professional judgements and provide professional advice. It will also assess their consultancy skills in relation to a specific tax matter from professional and ethical perspectives. Finally, it will assess their understanding of the consequences of advising and assisting clients on such issues.
• Candidates must achieve a mark of 55% or above in the summative examination component, in addition to passing the overall module.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

2 hours 30 mins mock exam

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University