Income Taxes — The Company files a tax return in Luxembourg. Income tax expense in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations has been calculated on a separate company basis for its subsidiary that files a tax return in its foreign jurisdiction. The Company has an agreement with the Luxembourg tax jurisdiction whereby the Company is required to pay a minimum tax. Provision is made for foreign income taxes payable by the Company’s subsidiary in Hungary at the statutory rate of 4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 3% for the nine months ended September 30, 2003. New Hungarian legislation enacted in December 2003 increased the statutory rate to 4% from 3% effective January 1, 2004. In addition, royalty income from foreign sources of the Company’s subsidiary is subject to foreign tax withholding.
The Company acquired $405,000 of notes receivable from various affiliated companies through assignment by FWLLC on May 25, 2001. The notes were at interest rates ranging from 7.00% to 8.50%. In exchange for these notes, the Company assumed the obligation to finance $405,000 of FWLLC’s debt and the related carrying charges. The debt was at interest rates ranging from 6.75% to 9.00%.
On April 1, 2003, the Company transferred $205,000 of its notes receivable and $205,000 of its notes payable back to FWLLC. The interest rate on the remaining notes receivable was also changed to 6.85% per annum on April 1, 2003. The balance of the note payable was at an interest rate of 6.75% per annum from April 1, 2003 until September 24, 2004. On September 24, 2004 as a result of the Foster Wheeler Ltd. equity for debt exchange discussed in Note 2, the interest rate on the obligations assumed by the Company changed to a weighted average rate of 7.71107% per annum. The debt matures on November 15, 2005 ($11,417), on September 24, 2011 ($141,437), and on May 1, 2016 ($47,146) .
On September 24, 2004 the Company acquired a $120,000 demand note receivable which bears interest at 10.45275% from an affiliated company through assignment by FWLLC. In exchange for this note, the Company assumed the obligation to finance $120,000 of FWLLC’s debt and the related carrying charges. The debt was at an interest rate of 10.359%.
FINANCIAL SERVICES S.a.r.l. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands of dollars)
(Unaudited)
Interest income on the notes receivable recognized for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 amounted to $10,275 and $14,819 respectively. Interest receivable on those notes amounted to $12,520 and $2,491 as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. Reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheet, due to the uncertainty of collection based on the going concern issue addressed in Note 2, the Company reduced intercompany interest receivable from U.S. affiliates and charged accumulated deficit. A charge/(credit) to accumulated deficit was recorded in the amounts of $0 and $(260) for the periods ended September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively, to reflect the excess of interest receivable over interest payable to affiliates. See below for a discussion of the Company’s credit risk.
Interest expense on the notes payable recognized for the periods ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 amounted to $21,707 and $14,840, respectively. Interest payable to FWLLC as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 was $15,341 and $3,447, respectively.
The Company is required to fund its obligations to FWLLC only to the extent it collects amounts due on its notes receivable from affiliates. See Note 2 for contingencies associated with the affiliates’ ability to repay the debt. To the extent that any amounts of the notes receivable become uncollectible, FWLLC agrees to assume the obligation of the Company pursuant to the Note Transfer and Debt Assumption Agreement dated May 25, 2001. In addition, the Company agrees to the extent the obligation for the notes payable is reduced for whatever reason, the Company’s rights to those notes receivable will correspondingly be transferred to FWLLC. As a result, the Company has no credit risk relating to the notes receivable.
The Company made an investment in Foster Wheeler Licensing Services G.P. of $190,000 on December 22, 2000 in exchange for a $190,000 note payable. Foster Wheeler Licensing Services G.P. held $190,000 Licensed Property (“LP”) that includes Intellectual Property, Confidential Information, Licensing Rights, and Marketing Intangibles of Foster Wheeler Ltd. On May 18, 2001, Foster Wheeler Licensing Services G.P. was dissolved and the Company acquired the LP in exchange for its ownership interest, although for tax purposes, the LP was considered as sold to the Company effective December 22, 2000. The LP transaction has been recorded as a transfer between entities under common control. Accordingly, the LP transferred has been recorded at the affiliate’s recorded amount of $0, effective December 22, 2000. The note payable bears interest at an annual rate of 9.0%. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, and 2003, interest expense was $0, and $12,825, respectively. Unpaid interest at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 was $0, and $1,505, respectively.
The Company enters into licensing agreements as a Licensor of LP to certain foreign affiliates of Foster Wheeler Ltd. The affiliates pay a royalty to the Company based on an agreed upon range of between 1.0% and 4.0% of the affiliates’ current year net revenues (operating revenues less intercompany revenues). These agreements are for one-year periods with the right of extension and revision. Royalty income is calculated and billed on a quarterly basis. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 royalty income was $16,986 and $16,915, respectively.
Accounts receivable from affiliates at September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 includes unpaid royalty fees of $4,015 and $389, respectively.
On January 1, 2001, the Company entered into a Cost Sharing Agreement with certain Foster Wheeler affiliates to share their collective knowledge and to jointly develop Intangible Property. The costs of developing this property allocable to the Company shall be fifty percent of the pretax net expenses of the affiliates for the year. The agreement is effective for five years and shall automatically renew for additional two-year terms unless the Company or affiliates give thirty days notice prior to the end of the term or any renewal term. The amount of costs incurred under this agreement for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 was $316 and $218, respectively. As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, $316 and $532, respectively, were payable to affiliates pursuant to this agreement.
Foster Wheeler, Inc., an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Foster Wheeler Ltd., acts as a banking agent to the Company, managing cash and financing requirements as needed by the Company, and charges interest on advances made to the Company, if any.
All of the related party transactions discussed above are eliminated in the Foster Wheeler Ltd. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 24, 2004 and December 26, 2003 and the related Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income/(Loss) and Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 24, 2004 and September 26, 2003.
The Management of Foster Wheeler Ltd. has considered whether there are any costs borne by affiliates of the Company that should be allocated to the Company and has determined that these costs, if any, are immaterial.
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FINANCIAL SERVICES S.a.r.l. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(in thousands of dollars)
(Unaudited)
The difference between the statutory and effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 is predominately due to differences in foreign tax rates, foreign withholding taxes and nondeductible losses. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 was 9.0% and 14.5%, respectively. The variance in the effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 compared with the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was due to an increase in pretax income in 2004 compared to 2003 while foreign withholding taxes declined over the same periods.
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