Question

HL Construction Co. plans to replace one of its manufacturing equipment for a newer more technology-advance one. The new equipment has a purchase price of $8,000 and will be depreciated as a 7-year class for MACRS. Installation costs for the new equipment are $200. It is estimated that this equipment can be sold in 5 years (end of project) for $5,000. This new equipment is more efficient than the existing one and thus savings before taxes using the new equipment are $4,000 a year. Because of the advance technology of new equipment, there will be a reduction in inventory of $400 today and which will be reverted at the end of the project in year 5.

This existing equipment was purchased 1 year ago at a base price of $3,000. Installation costs at the time for this old equipment were $100. The existing equipment is considered also 7-year class for MACRS. The existing equipment can be sold today for $1,000 and for $0 in 5 years. The company's marginal tax rate is 30% and the cost of capital is 10%.

Answer the 7 questions below.

MACRS Fixed Annual Expense Percentages by Recovery Class
Year	3-Year	5-Year	7-Year	10-Year	15-Year
1	33.33%	20.00%	14.29%	10.00%	5.00%
2	44.45%	32.00%	24.49%	18.00%	9.50%
3	14.81%	19.20%	17.49%	14.40%	8.55%
4	7.41%	11.52%	12.49%	11.52%	7.70%
5		11.52%	8.93%	9.22%	6.93%
6		5.76%	8.93%	7.37%	6.23%
7			8.93%	6.55%	5.90%
8			4.45%	6.55%	5.90%
9				6.56%	5.91%
10				6.55%	5.90%
11				3.28%	5.91%
12					5.90%
13					5.91%
14					5.90%
15					5.91%
16					2.95%

For your answer, round to the nearest dollar, do not enter the $ sign, use commas to separate thousands, use a negative sign in front of first number is the cash flow is 10.30

negative (do not use parenthesis to indicate negative cash flows). For example, if your answer is $3,005.87 then enter 3,006; if your answer is -$1,200.25 then enter -1,200

1. What is today's remaining book value of existing equipment?

2. What is the project's initial cash flows (initial outlay: IO) at Year 0?

Answer 1

Book value of existing equipment today = (Purchase price + Installation cost) – Depreciation for one year

= (3000+100)*(100-14.29)%

= $2,657.01

i.e. $2,657

Sale price = $1000

Loss on Sale = $1,657

Tax savings on loss = 1657*30% = $497.1

After tax cash flow from sale = 1000+497.1 = $1,497.1

2. Initial cash flow = proceeds from sale + Decrease in working capital – purchase cost of new equipment – installation cost

= 1497.1+400-8000-200

= -$6302.9

i.e. -$6303 since outflow