In: Finance
You work for a small pottery company that is considering selling products on the Internet. After careful analysis, you estimate that the firm would need to spend $80,000 developing a Web site and integrating it with the firm’s inventory system. For tax purposes, this investment can be depreciated using straight-line depreciation over 4 years (the salvage value is zero). The Web site will generate an additional $100,000 in sales. The costs of good sold will equal $60,000. To support these sales, inventory will have to increase by $8,000 in the first year. Inventory will remain at this level until the end of the project in 4 years, at which time it will drop back to its original level. The tax rate is 40% and the cost of capital is 10%. Should the firm proceed with this project?
| 
 Calculation of NPV at discount rate of 10%  | 
||||||
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 
 Initial cost  | 
-$80,000.00 | |||||
| 
 Investment in inventory  | 
||||||
| 
 Additional Sales  | 
$100,000.00 | $100,000.00 | $100,000.00 | $100,000.00 | ||
| 
 Less :cost of goods sold  | 
-$60,000.00 | -$60,000.00 | -$60,000.00 | -$60,000.00 | ||
| 
 Less : Depreciation  | 
-$20,000.00 | -$20,000.00 | -$20,000.00 | -$20,000.00 | ||
| (80000/4) | ||||||
| 
 Profit before tax  | 
$20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | ||
| 
 Less : Tax @ 40%  | 
-$8,000.00 | -$8,000.00 | -$8,000.00 | -$8,000.00 | ||
| 
 Profit after tax  | 
$12,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $12,000.00 | $12,000.00 | ||
| 
 Add : depreciation  | 
$20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | $20,000.00 | ||
| 
 (as it is non-cash item)  | 
||||||
| 
 Less : investment in inventory in 1st year  | 
-8000 | |||||
| 
 Add : Inventory value recovered  | 
- | - | - | $8,000.00 | ||
| 
 __________________________________________  | 
||||||
| 
 Free cash flow  | 
-$80,000.00 | $24,000.00 | $32,000.00 | $32,000.00 | $40,000.00 | |
| * | ||||||
| 
 Present value factor @ 10%  | 
1 | 0.9090909091 | 0.826446281 | 0.7513148009 | 0.6830134554 | |
| 
 Present value of free cash flow  | 
-$80,000.00 | $21,818.18 | $26,446.28 | $24,042.07 | $27,320.54 | |
| 
 Net present value  | 
$19,627.07 | |||||
| 
 (sum of present value of all free cash flows)  | 
||||||
| 
 So, NPV of project is $19,627.07. So project should be accepted.  | 
||||||
| 
 Note : Depreciation shall be added as it is relevant only for tax calculation.  | 
||||||
| 
 (2) P.V.F. formula = 1/(1+i)^n  | 
||||||
| 
 for 1st year = 1/(1+0.10)^1 =  | 
0.9090909091 | |||||
| 
 for 2nd year = 1/(1+0.10)^2=  | 
0.826446281 | |||||
| 
 and so on.  | 
||||||