COURSE INFORMATION Course Title: TAXES AND BUSINESS STRATEGY

Code	Course Type	Regular Semester	Theory	Practice	Lab	Credits	ECTS
BAF 201	C	3	3	0	0	4	5

Academic staff member responsible for the design of the course syllabus (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature)	NA
Lecturer (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	Egis Zaimaj , 8:30 - 17:30 (12:30-13:30 break time)
Second Lecturer(s) (name, surname, academic title/scientific degree, email address and signature) and Office Hours:	NA
Teaching Assistant(s) and Office Hours:	NA
Language:	English
Compulsory/Elective:	Elective
Classroom and Meeting Time:	11:30 - 13:15 (New Meeting Room E)
Course Description:	This course is designed to provide the tools to identify, understand, and evaluate tax planning opportunities. The topics will help to develop a conceptual framework for thinking about how tax rules affect business decisions. Real life applications are provided through experts from the market.
Course Objectives:	Provide the students with the required analytical skills needed in strategic decision making applicable at all organizational levels (strategic, tactical and operational). Equip the students with the theoretical and practical knowledge that allows them to make informed decisions with respect to taxes, strategy, return maximization etc. Help the student to develop critical thinking in relation to various business situations that affect the financial performance of the entities and consequently the return to shareholders.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week	Topics
1	Introduction to the: Course, Syllabus, Textbooks and Evaluation Method.
2	Strategy and Strategic Management
3	The Business Organization: Competences And Activities
4	Human Capital and Organizational Culture
5	Financial Analysis And Performance Indicators of Businesses
6	Products, Markets, Product Portfolio Theory
7	Analyzing the External Environment (SPENT Analysis & Michael Porter’s Generic Strategies)
8	Midterm Exam
9	Effective Tax Planning, Implicit & Explicit Taxes, Income Taxation of Business Entities
10	Tax Minimization vs. Tax Planning (Tax Planning Strategies)
11	Tax Favored Assets, Total Tax Rate and Tax Clienteles
12	Organizational Form, Tax Implications and Non-Tax Costs of Planning
13	Executive Compensation, Corporate Formation and Capital Structure Decisions
14	Review prior to Final Exam

Prerequisite(s):	na
Textbook:	Scholes, M., Wolfson, M., Erickson, M., Maydew, E., & Shevlin, T. (2015). Taxes and business strategy: A planning approach, Pearson Prentice-Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Campbell, D., Edgar, D., & Stonehouse, G. (2002). Business strategy: An introduction
Other References:	na
Laboratory Work:	no
Computer Usage:	yes
Others:	No

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

1	Demonstrate problem solving skills with respect to strategic tools, strategic analysis and effective tax planning.
2	Understand and interpret the role that taxes play in business decisions within the life-cycle of a firm
3	Evaluate the effect of taxes on investments’ outcomes (e.g., stocks, bonds, annuities).
4	Explain the purpose of explicit strategic plans, the whole strategic process and main theories related to it.
5	Explain tax effects on organizational form, corporate formation and capital structure.

COURSE CONTRIBUTION TO... PROGRAM COMPETENCIES (Blank : no contribution, 1: least contribution ... 5: highest contribution)

No	Program Competencies	Cont.
Bachelor in Banking and Finance (3 years) Program
1	The students are gained the ability to look at the problems of daily life from a broader perspective. They gain the needed skills not only to understand economic problems in banking and finance but also to construct a model and defend in meaningful way.	5
2	They have knowledge about the finance and banking.	4
3	They have knowledge about the money and banking.	3
4	They have knowledge about the international finance and banking.	4
5	They have ability to use mathematical and statistical methods in banking and finance.	4
6	They know how to use computer programs in both daily office usage and statistical data evaluations in banking and finance department.	3
7	They have necessary banking and finance skills that needed in private and public sector.	3
8	They are intended to be specialist in one of departmental fields that they choose from the list of general economics, finance economics, public finance, corporate finance, finance management, international finance markets and institutions, banking and central banking, international finance and banking, money and banking, international trade and banking.	4
9	They have ability to utilize fundamental economic theories and tools to solve economic problems in banking and finance.	3
10	They are aware of the fact that banking and finance is a social science and they respect the social perspectives and social values of the society’s ethics.	4

COURSE EVALUATION METHOD

Method	Quantity	Percentage
Project	1	30
Quiz	1	10
Final Exam	1	40
Attendance		10
Other	1	10
	Total Percent:	100%

ECTS (ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD)

Activities	Quantity	Duration(Hours)	Total Workload(Hours)
Course Duration (Including the exam week: 16x Total course hours)	16	3	48
Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice)	16	3	48
Mid-terms			0
Assignments			0
Final examination	1	17	17
Other	1	12	12
Total Work Load:			125
Total Work Load/25(h):			5
ECTS Credit of the Course:			5