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Encyclopedia > Deferred tax
Public finance
This article is part of the series:
Finance and Taxation
Taxation
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Deferred tax is an accounting term, meaning future tax liability or asset, resulting from temporary differences between book (accounting) value of assets and liabilities, and their tax value. This arises due to differences between accounting for shareholders and tax accounting. Image File history File links Gnome-globe. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 2. ... Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income... This article is the current Taxation Collaboration of the Month. ... A capital gains tax (abbreviated: CGT) is a tax charged on capital gains, the profit realized on the sale of an asset that was purchased at a lower price. ... Stamp duty is a form of tax that is levied on documents. ... A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        Value added tax (VAT), or goods and services tax (GST), is... A flat tax, also called a proportional tax, is a system that taxes all entities in a class (typically either citizens or corporations) at the same rate (as a proportion on income), as opposed to a graduated, or progressive, scheme. ... The tax, tariff and trade laws of a political region, state or trade bloc determine which forms of consumption and production tend to be encouraged or discouraged. ... First discussed by the Physiocrats in France, tax incidence is the analysis of the effect of a particular tax on the distribution of economic welfare. ... A tax (also known as a dutyor Zakat in islamic economics) is a charge or other levy imposed on an individual or a legal entity by a state or a functional equivalent of a state (e. ... A flat tax, also called a proportional tax, is a system that taxes all entities in a class (typically either citizens or corporations) at the same rate (as a proportion of income), as opposed to a graduated, or progressive, scheme. ... A progressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax rate increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        A regressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax... Tax advantage refers to the economic bonus which applies to certain accounts or investments that are, by statute, tax-reduced, tax-deferred, or tax-free. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_British_Virgin_Islands. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Hong_Kong. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Indonesia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Netherlands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Peru. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Russia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Singapore. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tanzania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Comparison of tax rates around the world is a difficult and somewhat subjective enterprise. ... This table lists OECD countries by total tax revenue as percentage of GDP (as of 2005). ... Not to be confused with Political economy. ... It has been suggested that monetary theory be merged into this article or section. ... In macroeconomics, money supply (monetary aggregates, money stock) is the quantity of currency and money in bank accounts in the hands of the non-bank public available within the economy to purchase goods, services, and securities. ... Fiscal policy is the economic term that defines the set of principles and decisions of a government in setting the level of public expenditure and how that expenditure is funded. ... Government spending or government expenditure consists of government purchases, which can be financed by seigniorage (the creation of money for government funding, at a heavy price of high inflation and other possibly devastating consequences), taxes, or government borrowing. ... A budget deficit occurs when an entity (often a government) spends more money than it takes in. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        Government debt (also known as public debt or national debt) is... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        For other uses of this word, see tariff (disambiguation). ... A trade pact is a wide ranging tax, tariff and trade pact that usually also includes investment guarantees. ... Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... There are two basic financial market participant catagories, Investor vs. ... Domestic credit to private sector in 2005 Corporate finance is an area of finance dealing with the financial decisions corporations make and the tools and analysis used to make these decisions. ... Personal finance is the application of the principles of finance to the monetary decisions of an individual or family unit. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Accounting scholarship be merged into this article or section. ... In the most general sense, a liability is anything that is a hindrance, or puts individuals at a disadvantage. ... This article is about the business definition. ... This refers to accounting for local tax purposes. ...


Tax deferral may also refer to incentives provided that allow a taxpayer (an individual or a company) to defer or delay payment of taxes to future years.

Contents

Types of Tax Deferred Accounts

529 plan A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged investment vehicle in the United States designed to encourage saving for the future higher education expenses of a designated beneficiary. ...


457(b) Account The 457 plan is a type of tax advantaged defined contribution retirement plan that is available for governmental and certain non governmental employers in the United States. ...


401(k) Account The 401(k) plan is a type of employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States and some other countries, named after a section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. ...


403(b) Account A 403(b) plan is a tax advantaged retirement savings plan available for public education organizations, some non-profit employers (only US Tax Code 501(c)(3) organizations) and self-employed ministers in the United States. ...


Self Employed Pension


Koegh


Individual Retirement Account Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        An Individual Retirement Account (or IRA) is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States. ...


Variable Universal Life Insurance It has been suggested that Variable universal life Insurance be merged into this article or section. ...


Tax Deferral

Tax deferral refers to instances where a taxpayer can delay paying taxes to some future period. In theory, the net taxes paid should be the same. In practice, due to the time value of money, paying taxes in future is usually preferable to paying them now. Taxes can sometimes be deferred indefinitely, or may be taxed at a lower rate in the future, particularly for deferral of income taxes. It is a general fact of taxation that when taxpayers can choose when to pay taxes, the total amount paid in tax will likely be lower. The time value of money is the premise that an investor prefers to receive a payment of a fixed amount of money today, rather than an equal amount in the future, all else being equal. ...


Corporate tax deferral

Corporations (or other enterprises) may often be allowed to defer taxes, for example, by using accelerated depreciation. Profit taxes (or other taxes) are reduced in the current period by either lowering declared revenue now, or by increasing expenses. In principle, taxes in future periods should be higher. Accelerated depreciation refers to allowing a company to depreciate an asset (such as a unit of machinery) at a higher-than-normal rate, thus reducing taxes payable. ... In ring theory, a ring R is said to be reduced if it has no non-zero nilpotent elements. ...


Income tax deferral

In many jurisdictions, income taxes may be deferred to future periods by a number of means. For example, income may be recognized in future years by using income tax deductions, or certain expenses may be provided as deductions in current rather than future periods. In jurisdictions where tax rates are progressive - meaning that income taxes as a percentage of income are higher for higher incomes or tax brackets, resulting in a higher marginal tax rate - this often results in lower taxes paid, regardless of the time value of money. A progressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax rate increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases. ... Tax brackets are the divisions at which tax rates change in a progressive tax system (or an explicitly regressive tax system, although this is much rarer). ... In the tax system and in economics, the marginal tax rate refers to the increase in ones tax obligation as ones taxable income rises: marginal tax rate = Δ(tax obligation)/Δ(taxable income) This can be measured either by looking at the published tax tables (to get the official marginal...


Tax deferred retirement accounts exist in many jurisdictions, and allow individuals to declare income later in life; if the individuals also have lower income in retirement, taxes paid may be considerably lower. In Canada, contributions to registered retirement savings plans or RRSPs are deducted from income, and earnings (interest, dividends and capital gains) in these accounts are not taxed; only withdrawals from the retirement account are taxed as income. Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. ... Overview A Registered Retirement Savings Plan or RRSP is an investment account that provides some tax benefits for saving for retirement in Canada. ... For other senses of this word, see interest (disambiguation). ... A dividend is the distribution of profits to a companys shareholders. ... In finance, a capital gain is profit that results from the appreciation of a capital asset over its purchase price. ...


Other types of retirement accounts will defer taxes only on income earned in the account. In the United States, a number of different forms of retirement savings accounts exist with different characteristics and limits, including 401ks, IRAs, and more. The 401(k) plan is a type of retirement plan available in the United States. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Part of the Taxation series        An Individual Retirement Account (or IRA) is a retirement plan account that provides some tax advantages for retirement savings in the United States. ...


As long as the individual withdraws tax only when he or she is in a lower tax bracket (that is, has a lower marginal tax rate), total taxes payable will be lower.


What are deferred taxes?

The need for deferred tax accounting arises because companies often postpone or pre-pay taxes on profits pertaining to a particular period.


When a company arrives at its profits or losses for a period, it does so after deducting all the expenses, including the tax for the period, from the revenues earned. But a company's profits/losses reported to investors often differ, sometimes substantially, from the profits the taxman lays claim to - the taxable profit. Tax profit or taxable profit is used to distinguish between accounting profit or earnings (the number that is generally referred to in financial results for public companies and quoted in the press). ...


What are the situations in which there is a deferred tax liability?

There may be a difference in the way certain items of expense are allowed to be treated for tax purposes and how a company actually treats them.


Tax laws allow a 100% depreciation in the first year after a company acquires certain assets, a form of accelerated depreciation. But a company may actually write off the depreciation over a larger number of years in its financials. The company may charge depreciation at lower rates than allowed under tax laws. Or it may use a different method of charging depreciation. Accelerated depreciation refers to allowing a company to depreciate an asset (such as a unit of machinery) at a higher-than-normal rate, thus reducing taxes payable. ...


Tax laws may allow a company to deduct certain expenses in full in a single year, but it may charge the expenses over a period of year against profits for the purposes of reporting to its shareholders.


How should companies account for this?

Under the old system of accounting only for current taxes, the company's profits would be artificially high in the first year (due to the tax savings).


The profits would, however, be lower in the subsequent years, as the tax laws in subsequent years would not recognise the depreciation charge or the amortised expense, as the case may be. In order to improve reporting to shareholders and respect the principle of matching revenues with expenses, accounting standards were modified.


More recent accounting standards require that a company carve out a part of its current year's profits (equal to the future tax liability on such transactions) as a deferred tax liability. The deferred tax liability serves the purpose of a reserve, which will be drawn down in the future years to meet the company's higher tax liability in those years.


Under International Financial Reporting Standards, deferred tax should be accounted for using the principles in IAS 12: Income Taxes. In US GAAP, deferred taxes are accounted for under SFAS 109. In PCGA (also known as Mexican GAAP), deferred taxes are calculated under Boletín D-4, el impuesto sobre la renta diferido. International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are standards and interpretations adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). ...


When does a company create a deferred tax asset?

The tax laws may not recognize some of the expenses that a company has charged off in its accounts. For instance, provisions made at the discretion of management, such as those for bad debts, may not be fully recognized by tax authorities.


In some tax systems, companies may be able to "carry forward" losses to future years, which may be referred to as tax write-offs. In such cases, the company may have a tax asset representing the amount that future taxes payable may be reduced due to tax losses in previous years.


Expenses which are accounted for on an accrual basis (that is, when they become due and not when they are actually paid) may not be applicable to tax accounting and therefore to taxable profit. Companies may charge off duty, cess and tax dues against profits when they become due, but they would be recognised for tax computation only when actually paid. This refers to accounting for local tax purposes. ...


In such cases, a company is actually pre-paying taxes pertaining to future years. For the year, the profits that are taxable would be higher than those computed in the company's books of accounts; there is a timing difference in the recognition of the taxable profit compared to the accounting profit.


So, while the company shells out a disproportionately high tax in the current year, it would save on tax in the years when the expenses or provisions actually materialise.


Tax assets and liabilities: management judgment and estimations

Management has an obligation to accurately report the true state of the company, and to make judgments and estimations where necessary. In the context of tax assets and liabilities, there must be a reasonable likelihood that the tax difference may be realised in future years.


For example, a tax asset may appear on the company's accounts due to losses in previous years (if carry-forward of tax losses is allowed). If it becomes clear that the company does not expect to make profits in future years, the value of the tax asset has been impaired: in the estimation of management, the likelihood that this profit tax shield can be utilised in the future has significantly fallen. It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: Article has nothing to do with tax shields, but rather is a brief article about depreciation If you can address this concern by improving, copyediting, sourcing, renaming or merging the page, please edit this page and do...


In cases where the carrying value of tax assets or liabilities has changed, the company may need to do a write down, and in some cases, a restatement of its financial results from previous years. A write-down is a partial reduction of a fixed assets accounted value. ... The American Law Institute (ALI) was established in 1923 to promote the clarification and simplification of American common law and its adaptation to changing social needs. ...


Why account for deferred taxes?

By recognizing deferred tax liabilities in its books, a company makes sure that the tax liability for any particular year is reflected in that year's financials and does not carry over to future profits.


It brings investors one step closer to understanding exactly how much of a company's profits for a period are from its operations (rather than from fiscal savings).


External links

  • Summary of International Accounting Standard 12: Income Taxes - by the International Accounting Standards Board
  • Summary of Financial Accounting Standard 109: Income Taxes - US Financial Accounting Standard
  • Financial Reporting Standard 19: Deferred Tax - UK Financial Reporting Standard


 
 

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