Abstract
After beginning by acknowledging that complexity is a major problematic feature of modern tax legislation, this essay proposes that the issue of reducing complexity and increasing simplicity be the main benchmark against which three discussion areas - The Tax Law Rewrite Project, The Tax Structure Review Programme and Parliamentary Reform - be critically examined in order to assess the extent to which they have improved, or could potentially improve, the making of tax law.

Outline:
Abstract
The Tax Law Rewrite Project
Tax Structure Review Programme
Parliamentary Reform
Conclusion

From the Paper
The suggestion that tax law should be 'simple and certain' is by no means a recent one; indeed it was one of Adam Smith's well known canons of taxation in his Enquiry into the Wealth of Nations of 1776 that this should be so . In spite of this, increasing complexity over the years appears to have been the norm for tax legislation. But what is it that makes it 'complex'? Adam Broke identifies it as manifesting itself as four individual factors: diversity (that the range of taxes is so broad that no one can claim to have an in depth competence with them all); volume (with the physical number of pages that make up the annual finance act growing significantly each year); drafting (with legislation being expressed in a way that is - at best - "unhelpful to the reader"); and finally, language (with the legislation being full of words that are not a part of modern ordinary vocabulary).

Tags:legislation, finance, taxes, reform

Abstract
This paper examines how it is due to the western method of accounting system that Japan has been able to progress so rapidly economically. It looks at how Japan had different accounting systems within the country in the pre-modern times and how these greatly hampered business, making it difficult to trade. It shows how with the western system of accounting, there was standardization which enabled Japan not only to trade internally but also with the rest of the world which has aided Japan to progress and grow rapidly.

Outline
External Influences
The Eagerness of People
From Proprietorship to Companies
Old Japanese Accounting Methods
Profit Measurement
Distinction Between Capital and Revenue Expenditures
Depreciation
Subsidiary Books

From the Paper
"Previously in Japan, there were small states and people had their own businesses. There was no concept of shareholders and a need to account for profits as the owners themselves took care of accounting for the revenues and profit. But with the western influence coming in, the businesses grew and partnerships and companies began to be formed. There were shareholders and thus there was a need to give justification to the shareholders. However, the accounting methods of Japan and that of the west were different initially which was creating a lot of problems and business dealings were being hampered. In order to avoid this, the Japanese steadily modified their accounting principles and methods and ways to match that of the West so that trade may become easier and easily accountable and fraud may be avoided."

Tags:subsidiary, books, profit, revenue

Abstract
This paper discusses how the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) should adopt an inflation accounting methodology for the United Kingdom that conforms to the general global trend to the use of inflation accounting as a more accurate means of preparing financial statements. It looks at how the use of historical cost leads to distortions in valuation of assets over time with the distortion magnifying in periods of high inflation or assets that are held over long periods of time. It also examines how the adoption of a specific inflation accounting methodology would function to standardize accounting practices in the preparation of financial statements and allow more effective comparability of the financial statements of firms in the United Kingdom with those of other nations.

From the Paper
"Inflation accounting is theoretically grounded on the need to maintain capital on an entity or proprietary basis and the need to properly value assets (Robson, The discourse, 197). From this perspective inflation accounting is involved with the need to accurately represent value. The primary difficulty with developing and implementing an inflation accounting method, however, lies with the concept of value, with varying interpretations of value in the perspective of shareholders, the perspective of corporate governance, and to some degree, from the perspective of fundamental economic theory. In addition, the uses of information regarding value can vary, with the information used as part of the decision-making process for each asset."

Tags:capital, assets, financial, statements

Abstract
This paper endeavors to establish whether six influential judicial decisions have extended orthodox equitable principles as an effort of achieving practical justice. The maxims of equity are closely adhered to as its principles are reflected and upheld via a strong body of case law. It looks at how, despite equity's tendencies of protecting their maxims as a means of providing a flexible alternative to the common law, some modern judicial activists as well as academics have sought to expand, and at times overlook the nexus of equitable principles in order to achieve practical justice.

Outline
Introduction
The Impact of Six Influential Judicial Decisions

From the Paper
"Equally, the growing significance the utilitarian application of trusts for commercial purposes have implied a more modernized approach of trusts law. Consequently, this essay will also examine whether equity has departed from its traditionally devised means of providing trusts over land and over the family home to become a method of aiding and protecting many commercial dealings. Indeed, it may be argued that orthodox principles of equity are aptly suited to the historical applications of trusts in the context of family settlements, however lack real significance in the modern world of commerce and forms of increasingly complex trusts."

Tags:fiduciary, law, principles, probate, quistclose, trusts

Abstract
This paper explains that some firms, especially in third world economies, will attempt to increase their profits by improving their worker productivity by paying a wage that is above the wage paid by other competing firms because, at the market level wage, workers may not get the necessary nutrients they require in order to carry out the working day's hard labor and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The author points out that the ability of a firm to increase profits by setting these wages may not necessarily apply in other more industrialized labor markets where there is not a strong correlation between worker productivity and their nutritional intake. The paper relates that the efficiency wage model indicates that the behavior of a firm seeking to increase its profits is no longer limited to just decisions on how many workers to hire.

From the Paper
"It has been mentioned once before in this essay that efficiency wages may not necessarily hold true in today's modern, industrialized economies. However, there is empirical evidence that efficiency can hold true in an industrialized setting and not just in a subsistence one. If this is the case, then the economic rationale behind firm's setting wages above the market clearing wage, is a sound rationale. There is evidence that shirking-related employee problems are reduced when companies pay higher salaries. A study of large manufacturing companies in the United States shows that fewer workers are dismissed for disciplinary reasons when a firm pays a high rate of wage. In particular, a 10 percent increase in the wage reduced the rate at which workers were dismissed for disciplinary reasons . Hence, the economic rationale behind firms setting an efficiency wage is very plausible indeed, as back by empirical research such as this."

Tags:marginal, model, straight-line, productivity, industrialized

Abstract
This report analyzes ten different disaster relief project categories and identifies the major funding sources and agencies, the key elements within their respective project proposal formats and the major differing elements within the proposals, and thus the requirements for the different categories.
Table of Contents

Introduction

Identification of Major Funding Sources and Agencies

Key Elements of Project Proposals

Differences in Rquirements Contained in Project Proposals

Bibliography

From the Paper
"Multilateral Aid Sources are those organisations that are a combination of government co-operation and financing, such as the United Nations, or the European Union. These organisations will then in turn identify the priority cases for funding in accordance with their set criteria. Multilateral sources gain their money from a multitude of bilateral sources, and also fund projects directly, on occasions"

Tags:agencies, funding, ngo, project, sources, lDFID, loan, voluntary, income, grants, receivable, gifts, USAID, office, foreign, disasponsorship, credit, aid, bilateral, multi-lateral, proposals, application, emergency, health, psychological, support, education

Abstract
This paper provides a financial analysis of the automobile company, Porsche. The paper examines the company's profit and loss account, balance sheet and cash flow statement. The paper also compares Porsche's gross profit margin with its competitors and discusses its problems and opportunities. The paper concludes that in the last fiscal year Porsche has generated earnings above industry average. Several tables are included with the paper.

Tables of Contents:
Terms of Reference
Methods Used
Introduction
Findings
Ratio Analysis
Calculation and Discussion of the Financial Ratios
Comparison of the Ratios with the Industry Average
Problems and opportunities
Inventory and Asset Valuation Methods
Application of Accounting Concepts
Conclusion
Appendix

From the Paper
"North America still remains the largest sales region for the past fiscal year and the most profitable. Domestic market was one of the weakest. Economy in the Eurozone has slowed down given a rise in oil prices and weak internal market demand as well as high unemployment. That has affected the auto industry as a whole and some manufacturers are still recovering from the drop in demand. However, Porsche models have been well received and highly in demand. This can be seen in from increase gross revenues year over year."
"On the new opportunities side Porsche should definitely look into expanding into markets such as China. Given China's strong economic growth, Porsche can greatly benefit from penetrating this market."

Tags:revenue, cost, demand, profit, sales, product

Abstract
This paper examines reasons for the East Asian economic crisis during 1997 and 1998. The World Bank report of 1993 praises many of the practices that ultimately led to the crisis. Currencies, stock markets, 'crony capitalism' and financiers are examined. The paper argues that both economic and cultural reasons are ultimately to blame for the economic crisis.

From the Paper
"In recent decades international financial institutions, most notably the World Bank, have held up East Asia as a capitalist miracle, a role model for the rest of the world to follow. The Newly Industrializing Countries (NIC's) took off during the 1970's and included countries from around the world. But is was almost exclusively the NIC's of Asia who maintained their high growth rates through the 1980's and 1990's. While the South American NIC's were left behind in the debt crisis of the early 1980's, the Asian 'Tigers' continued to surge ahead. South Korea, for example, maintained a manufacturing growth rate of nearly 9% a year during the 1980's, while exports grew by 10% a year (Hadjor: 1992). Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore also enjoyed such success, and they were soon joined by other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Thailand. By 1987 the combined manufacturing exports of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore totaled about half of all third world exports compared with 6% for Mexico and Brazil combined (ibid). The World Bank firmly believed that the experience of the Asian tigers constituted a viable model for other Third World countries. In 1993, the Bank published its seminal work 'The East Asian Miracle' as a guide to how the Tigers had been so successful. But disaster hit the East Asian region in 1997/98 when the economies in that part of the world took a massive beating from what became the 'Asian Crisis'. Suddenly the World Bank report and hopes for the region looked decidedly inaccurate. Here we will summarize the various views taken by the World Bank on Asian economic development before the crisis hit, together with how the effects of the Asian Crisis threw into doubt the Banks judgment."

Tags:asian, crisis, capitalism, crisis, crony, globalisation, world, bank, asia

Abstract
This paper explores the major growth in "discount retailing" in the United Kingdom. A number of low-cost retailers established themselves in the UK and one of the most successful was the German retailer Aldi. This paper examines the recent trends within Aldi's UK operations and the company's strategy for increasing market share.

From the Paper
"There have been so many significant developments in retailing since the 1970's that collectively, they have been referred to as a 'revolution'. These changes include the shopping behavior of customers; the organization of the retail industry; the character of the shopping environment; the planning policies of local government; and most important of all, the introduction of new retail outlets. The major development covered here concerns the growth of 'discount retailing'. A number of discount retailers have established themselves in the UK since the early 1990's and one of the most successful has been the German retailer Aldi. This essay shall deal with recent trends within Aldi's UK operations and the company's strategy for increasing market share, together with the wider implications of Aldi's presence."

Tags:british, planning, retail, retailers, supermarkets, uk, german, shopping, behavior, customers, outlet, discount, retailing

Abstract
This paper investigates and explains why firms find it advantageous to merge, and also provides the consequences of merger activity. A definition and types of mergers are discussed along merger motives and there disadvantages. The author provides examples of different companies in different industries throughout the paper to support the arguments.

From the Paper:

"In order to discuss why firms find it beneficial to merge, as well as looking at the potential consequences, it must be understood what the term merger means along with the different types in existence. The term merger is loosely used to indicate any combination of two companies. However a more detailed definition would be that a merger allows the assets and liabilities of the selling company to be transferred to and absorbed by the buying corporation. Mergers are a significant part of corporate strategy."

Tags:aol, corporate, exxon, mergers, mobil, reorganization, restructuring