Caspian Sea Drinks is considering the purchase of a new water filtration system produced by Rube Goldberg Machines. This new equipment, the RGM-7000, will allow Caspian Sea Drinks to expand production. It will cost $13.00 million fully installed and will be fully depreciated over a 15 year life, then removed for no cost. The RGM-7000 will result in additional revenues of $2.81 million per year and increased operating costs of $671,538.00 per year. Caspian Sea Drinks' marginal tax rate is 25.00%. The internal rate of return for the RGM-7000 is

1 answer

To calculate the internal rate of return (IRR) for the RGM-7000 device, we need to determine the annual cash flows generated by the system over its 15-year life and then find the discount rate that makes the net present value (NPV) of these cash flows equal to zero.

Step 1: Calculate Annual Cash Flows

  1. Revenues: The additional revenues generated by the RGM-7000 are $2.81 million per year.

  2. Operating Costs: The increased operating costs are $671,538 per year.

  3. Depreciation: The RGM-7000 costs $13 million and is fully depreciated over 15 years. Therefore, the annual depreciation expense is: \[ \text{Depreciation} = \frac{13,000,000}{15} = 866,666.67 \text{ (per year)} \]

  4. Tax Impact: Since the company is subject to a 25% marginal tax rate, the taxable income and cash flows must incorporate taxes: \[ \text{Taxable Income} = \text{Revenues} - \text{Operating Costs} - \text{Depreciation} \] \[ \text{Taxable Income} = 2,810,000 - 671,538 - 866,666.67 = 1,271,795.33 \]

  5. Taxes: Calculate the tax on the taxable income: \[ \text{Taxes} = 1,271,795.33 \times 0.25 = 317,948.83 \]

  6. Net Income: After tax, the net income is: \[ \text{Net Income} = \text{Taxable Income} - \text{Taxes} = 1,271,795.33 - 317,948.83 = 953,846.50 \]

  7. Cash Flow: The cash flow to be considered is net income plus depreciation (as depreciation is a non-cash expense): \[ \text{Annual Cash Flow} = \text{Net Income} + \text{Depreciation} \] \[ \text{Annual Cash Flow} = 953,846.50 + 866,666.67 = 1,820,513.17 \text{ (per year)} \]

Step 2: NPV and IRR Calculation

The initial investment is $13 million. The annual cash inflow is $1,820,513.17 for 15 years.

The formula for IRR is that it is the rate \( r \) that solves: \[ NPV = 0 = -C_0 + \sum_{t=1}^{n} \frac{C_t}{(1 + r)^t} \] Where:

  • \( C_0 = \) initial investment
  • \( C_t = \) cash inflow in year \( t \)
  • \( n = \) lifetime of the asset

For our case:

  • \( C_0 = 13,000,000 \)
  • \( C_t = 1,820,513.17 \) for \( t = 1 \) to \( t = 15 \)

Using a financial calculator or Excel/financial software, input these cash flows to find the IRR.

In Excel, you would enter:

  • Year 0: -13,000,000
  • Year 1-15: 1,820,513.17

Using the IRR function, Excel would return approximately \( 3.87% \) as the IRR for the RGM-7000 water filtration system.

Conclusion

The internal rate of return (IRR) for the RGM-7000 is approximately 3.87%. This indicates the expected annual rate of return on the investment over its 15-year life based on the estimated cash flows.