The paper was done, and most of the students got back to me on what they had done for this paper.
Even if the tips on the spot on for the paper and the area that was examined is an expected area, there is always an issue for ACCA P6 Malaysian Advance tax paper.
At the exam point, it is easy for the student to mess up the area being asked and focus on the wrong issues.
In this case, Q1 was about RA, this was a shock for those that did not prepare for RA type questions, but the examiner had focused on a narrow aspect of the incentive - time extension rules.
Most of the people missed this.
The other parts of the question focused on the deductibility of expenditure and GST issues.
Next Q2 was about the Listed investment holding company.
I had some students get back to me, saying that they had treated it as basic investment holding company.
The examiner feedback on this - too bad, 12 marks burnt out of 25 marks
It will likely be that most students either did this correct or failed it miserably.
Q3 was about permanent establishment and discussion of branch vs. subsidiary treatment for foreign investment.
This is either prepared for or not!
Q4 was about individual tax, IBA and time bar about additional assessments, this was the favorite question for all students with many attempting it.
Q5 Full out RPGT questions based on leasing of property and treatment of payments
Overall the paper was considered by many has been difficult and also hard to achieve.
Most of the sitters for the paper that I had talked to claim that they had the tips but felt the paper was hard.
This comes to a question whether the paper is hard or easier than other optional papers?
My take on the paper, it is about the same level of difficult since the level of knowledge required for the paper is wide and there is limited scope for the student to use principle based answers that are available in P1,2,3,4,5 and 7.
This is a rule based paper, and the examiner is focused on testing the niche rules, which implies memory based recall.
There is limited advisory within the paper, even Q2 was explaining the difference in both and not advice the company based on their situation what is preferred an approach to set-up.
If advise, there would have been more background information about the objective of investment and also the consideration of other factors regarding liquidity and repatriation, even tax regime of the originating country.
This would have allowed a student to discuss which approach would have been suitable rather than just recall rules about how to treat each item and state them - either you can recall or not.
If we count the questions provided and basis of marks
Q 5 - Explain 13 marks; Compute 7 marks
Q4 - Calculate with explaining 8 marks; Explain 7 marks; Determine 3 marks
Q3 - Explain 20 marks
Q2 - Explain 13 marks; Compute 12 marks
Q1 - Compute 7 marks; Explain qualifying rules and treatment 28 marks
All explain questions require a recall of ideas that was studied and packaged into an answer.
So if you do not like memorization and recall to specific - avoid this paper; it can be a killer since there are many students out there that believe wrongly that this is an easy paper.
My reading from teaching and preparing students for ACCA P6(M) is done for those that have a knack for memory and those that are not into the complex computation.
The complex computational paper is P4, the complex accounting paper is P7 and the complex management paper is P5
Hope that helps.
Those preparing for ACCA P6(M) September 2017 can visit www.jprotraining.com for information on the revision and if you are sick and tired in doing this paper - try another paper - it only takes 3 months to complete any paper with JPro - the specialist in 3 months ACCA courses
Even if the tips on the spot on for the paper and the area that was examined is an expected area, there is always an issue for ACCA P6 Malaysian Advance tax paper.
At the exam point, it is easy for the student to mess up the area being asked and focus on the wrong issues.
In this case, Q1 was about RA, this was a shock for those that did not prepare for RA type questions, but the examiner had focused on a narrow aspect of the incentive - time extension rules.
Most of the people missed this.
The other parts of the question focused on the deductibility of expenditure and GST issues.
Next Q2 was about the Listed investment holding company.
I had some students get back to me, saying that they had treated it as basic investment holding company.
The examiner feedback on this - too bad, 12 marks burnt out of 25 marks
It will likely be that most students either did this correct or failed it miserably.
Q3 was about permanent establishment and discussion of branch vs. subsidiary treatment for foreign investment.
This is either prepared for or not!
Q4 was about individual tax, IBA and time bar about additional assessments, this was the favorite question for all students with many attempting it.
Q5 Full out RPGT questions based on leasing of property and treatment of payments
Overall the paper was considered by many has been difficult and also hard to achieve.
Most of the sitters for the paper that I had talked to claim that they had the tips but felt the paper was hard.
This comes to a question whether the paper is hard or easier than other optional papers?
My take on the paper, it is about the same level of difficult since the level of knowledge required for the paper is wide and there is limited scope for the student to use principle based answers that are available in P1,2,3,4,5 and 7.
This is a rule based paper, and the examiner is focused on testing the niche rules, which implies memory based recall.
There is limited advisory within the paper, even Q2 was explaining the difference in both and not advice the company based on their situation what is preferred an approach to set-up.
If advise, there would have been more background information about the objective of investment and also the consideration of other factors regarding liquidity and repatriation, even tax regime of the originating country.
This would have allowed a student to discuss which approach would have been suitable rather than just recall rules about how to treat each item and state them - either you can recall or not.
If we count the questions provided and basis of marks
Q 5 - Explain 13 marks; Compute 7 marks
Q4 - Calculate with explaining 8 marks; Explain 7 marks; Determine 3 marks
Q3 - Explain 20 marks
Q2 - Explain 13 marks; Compute 12 marks
Q1 - Compute 7 marks; Explain qualifying rules and treatment 28 marks
All explain questions require a recall of ideas that was studied and packaged into an answer.
So if you do not like memorization and recall to specific - avoid this paper; it can be a killer since there are many students out there that believe wrongly that this is an easy paper.
My reading from teaching and preparing students for ACCA P6(M) is done for those that have a knack for memory and those that are not into the complex computation.
The complex computational paper is P4, the complex accounting paper is P7 and the complex management paper is P5
Hope that helps.
Those preparing for ACCA P6(M) September 2017 can visit www.jprotraining.com for information on the revision and if you are sick and tired in doing this paper - try another paper - it only takes 3 months to complete any paper with JPro - the specialist in 3 months ACCA courses
