Learning Module 9 Analysis of Income Taxes

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Overview and Key Concepts5 min
Differences between accounting profit and taxable income arise because accounting standards and tax laws recognize revenues and expenses in different periods or treat items differently. Permanent differences never reverse and do not create deferred tax balances (examples: non-deductible fines, tax credits that directly reduce taxes). Temporary differences reverse over time and create deferred tax assets when they will reduce future taxes or deferred tax liabilities when they will increase future taxes. Tax base is the amount used in tax accounting; carrying amount is the book value. Taxable temporary differences (carrying amount > tax base for assets, or tax base > carrying amount for liabilities) create deferred tax liabilities. Deductible temporary differences (carrying amount < tax base for assets, or carrying amount > tax base for liabilities) create deferred tax assets. Recognition of deferred tax assets requires assessment of realizability; under IFRS recognize only to extent probable, under US GAAP recognize with a valuation allowance when more-likely-than-not criterion is not met. Changes in statutory tax rates require remeasurement of deferred tax balances. The income tax provision on the income statement equals current tax payable (taxable income * enacted tax rates) plus the change in net deferred tax balances (increase in deferred tax liability increases expense; increase in deferred tax asset reduces expense). Effective tax rate (ETR) = reported income tax provision / accounting pre-tax income. Cash tax rate = cash taxes paid / accounting pre-tax income (or sometimes taxable income depending on context). ETR differs from statutory rate for many reasons: geographic profit mix, tax credits, nondeductible expenses, adjustments to prior years, rate changes, and permanent differences. Analysts use ETR and cash tax rate to forecast taxes and cash flows; they should normalize for one-time items and large equity-method or nonrecurring items. Financial statement disclosures typically include a reconciliation of statutory to effective tax rate, a rollforward or breakout of deferred tax assets and liabilities by type, information about valuation allowances, tax loss carryforwards and expiration dates, and disclosure about tax contingencies and unrecognized tax benefits. Deferred tax liabilities expected to reverse and cause future cash outflows should be considered in liquidity and solvency analysis; if reversal timing or amount is uncertain, analysts may treat them differently (exclude or treat as equity-like). Examples demonstrate computing present deferred tax balances from temporary differences, calculating tax payable and provision, and illustrating how accelerated tax depreciation produces deferred tax liabilities while earlier expense recognition for accounting produces deferred tax assets. Important analysis tasks include: evaluating realizability of deferred tax assets (examining forecasted taxable income, carryforward periods, and tax jurisdiction mix), assessing the sustainability of a company’s effective tax rate, and incorporating tax items into valuation and credit models. Key ratios and metrics: statutory rate, effective rate, cash tax rate, deferred tax asset-to-equity, valuation allowance coverage, and deferred tax liability maturity analyses. When statutory rates change or a company restructures, deferred tax balances should be remeasured and the effects disclosed. Analysts should read the tax footnote carefully to understand drivers of ETR changes and the composition and expiry of tax carryforwards.

Key Points

  • Temporary differences create deferred tax assets or liabilities depending on direction.
  • Permanent differences do not create deferred taxes and affect ETR versus statutory rate.
  • Deferred tax asset recognition requires management judgment about realizability; valuation allowances are used under US GAAP.
  • Income tax expense = current taxes payable + change in deferred tax balances.
  • Three useful rates: statutory, effective, and cash tax rates; each serves different analytical purposes.
  • Footnote disclosures (reconciliations and deferred tax roll-forwards) are essential for tax analysis.
Calculating and Interpreting Deferred Taxes5 min
Deferred tax assets and liabilities arise from temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities. To calculate a deferred tax balance on an item, multiply the temporary difference by the enacted tax rate expected to apply when the difference reverses. For example, if an asset has a carrying amount of 18,000 and a tax base of 17,143 (difference of 857) and the tax rate is 30 percent, the deferred tax liability is 257 (857 * 30%). At the end of each reporting period, the company recalculates deferred tax balances and recognizes the change in the income tax provision. Reversals of deferred tax liabilities generally cause future cash taxes; thus analysts consider the timing and certainty of reversals when assessing solvency. Recognize valuation allowances when realization of deferred tax assets is uncertain: IFRS requires probable recovery; US GAAP requires a valuation allowance unless more-likely-than-not realization is expected. Changes to statutory rates require remeasurement of deferred balances, affecting income statement or OCI depending on standards and item. Analysts should inspect the tax note for the composition of deferred tax assets (net operating loss carryforwards, accrued liabilities, tax credits, inventory reserves) and deferred tax liabilities (accelerated depreciation differences, untaxed foreign earnings, other timing). Compare gross deferred tax assets to valuation allowance to assess conservatism; large valuation allowances indicate doubts about future taxable income. The income tax note normally reconciles current taxes payable and deferred tax changes to arrive at the income tax expense reported on the income statement; analysts can reproduce this to test the company’s computation. Example calculations: compute taxable income by applying tax depreciation instead of accounting depreciation, compute taxes payable, compute temporary difference and deferred tax balance, and compute income tax provision as taxes payable plus change in deferred tax balance.

Key Points

  • Deferred tax = temporary difference * enacted tax rate expected at reversal.
  • Reversal timing matters for cash flow and solvency analysis.
  • Valuation allowances reduce deferred tax assets when recovery is uncertain.
  • Statutory tax rate changes require remeasurement of deferred tax balances.
  • Examine detailed deferred tax rollforwards and carryforward expiries in the notes.
Effective and Cash Tax Rates; Forecasting5 min
The statutory tax rate is the corporate tax rate in the company's domicile. The effective tax rate (ETR) equals reported income tax expense divided by accounting pre-tax income; it reflects current tax payable and changes in deferred taxes. The cash tax rate equals cash taxes paid divided by accounting pre-tax income and is used to forecast cash flows. Differences among statutory, effective, and cash tax rates arise from cross-border income allocation (different tax rates in jurisdictions where the company operates), tax credits, permanent differences, adjustments for prior years, valuation allowance changes, and timing differences from depreciation and other timing items. To forecast taxes analysts use normalized effective tax rates after removing one-time items and items that will not persist (e.g., certain tax benefits, unusual gains/losses). For cash forecasts, use the cash tax rate and adjust for expected reversals of deferred taxes and for the timing of tax payments. Analysts should build scenarios for projected effective tax rates that account for geopolitical, legislative, and company-specific factors (profit mix by jurisdiction, tax planning, and expected changes to tax law). Examples show how a multinational company's consolidated ETR can move lower when profit growth occurs in low-tax jurisdictions, and how temporary deferrals (accelerated depreciation for tax) affect cash tax rates in the near term but not effective tax rates over the life of the temporary difference.

Key Points

  • ETR = reported tax expense / pretax accounting income; cash tax rate = cash taxes paid / pretax income.
  • ETR and cash tax rate serve different forecasting purposes: ETR for accounting expense; cash tax rate for cash flow.
  • Profit mix across jurisdictions with different statutory rates is a key driver of consolidated ETR.
  • Normalize ETR for one-time items when forecasting future tax expense.
Presentation, Disclosures, and Analyst Adjustments5 min
Income tax disclosures are among the most informative notes in financial statements. Useful items include the reconciliation from statutory tax rate to the effective tax rate (showing the effects of foreign rate differentials, tax credits, nondeductible items, prior-year adjustments, valuation allowance changes, and other items), a breakout of current and deferred tax provision, deferred tax asset and liability rollforwards, details on tax loss and credit carryforwards and expiry dates, and description of accounting policies for income taxes. Analysts use the footnote to identify whether the company has significant unrecognized tax benefits, the amount of taxes expected to be payable if uncertain tax positions are settled, and whether foreign earnings are indefinitely reinvested (and whether deferred taxes on those earnings are recognized). Analysts should consider reclassifying certain items for comparability across firms or for use in valuation models (e.g., adjusting tax expense for items that are nonrecurring or adjusting deferred tax assets for valuation allowance changes). When valuing a company or assessing creditworthiness, deferred tax balances that are likely to result in future cash payments should be included in debt-like obligations; those unlikely to reverse can be treated as equity-like. Analysts should also be aware of disclosure differences between IFRS and US GAAP (for example, options for presentation of interest and taxes in the cash flow statement, and some differences in measurement and recognition guidance) and adjust where appropriate for comparability.

Key Points

  • Key disclosures: statutory-to-effective tax reconciliation, current vs deferred tax provision, deferred tax rollforwards, valuation allowance details, carryforward expiries, unrecognized tax benefits, and repatriation/reinvestment of foreign earnings.
  • Analysts adjust reported tax metrics for valuation, comparability, and forecasting.
  • Treatment of deferred tax liabilities in leverage measures depends on expectation of reversal and certainty of cash outflow.

Questions

Question 1

Which of the following best describes a temporary difference for income taxes?

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Question 2

A company uses straight-line depreciation for accounting (10-year life) and accelerated tax depreciation over 5 years. On the balance sheet at the end of Year 2, which of the following is most likely?

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Question 3

Which of the following items would most likely be a permanent difference for tax purposes?

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Question 4

How is the income tax expense reported on the income statement generally calculated?

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Question 5

A company has a tax loss carryforward that is expected to be used within 5 years. Under US GAAP, what must the company consider before recognizing a deferred tax asset for the carryforward?

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Question 6

If a country's statutory tax rate falls from 35 percent to 21 percent at year-end, what immediate accounting effect should be expected on a company’s deferred tax balances?

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Question 7

Which tax rate is most appropriate for forecasting a company's future income tax expense on the income statement?

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Question 8

A company shows a large net deferred tax asset but a valuation allowance nearly equal to the gross amount. What does this most likely indicate?

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Question 9

Calculate the deferred tax liability for an asset with carrying amount of 14,000 and tax base of 11,429 given a tax rate of 30 percent.

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Question 10

Which of the following items is typically disclosed in the income tax footnote?

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Question 11

A multinational reports pretax accounting income of 200 and an income tax provision of 50. Its cash taxes paid were 30. What are the company's effective tax rate and cash tax rate?

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Question 12

If a company receives an immediately refundable tax credit from a government for purchasing approved equipment that reduces taxes dollar-for-dollar, how should that credit be classified for accounting vs tax analysis?

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Question 13

Which of the following best describes the tax base of an asset?

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Question 14

A company reports a pretax accounting profit of 10, taxable income of 8, and current tax payments of 2. Deferred tax liability at the beginning of the period was 1 and at the end of the period is 3. What is the income tax expense on the income statement for the period?

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Question 15

Which of the following is the best definition of the cash tax rate?

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Question 16

When should an analyst be most concerned about a deferred tax liability being classified as equity-like rather than debt-like for ratio analysis?

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Question 17

A company reports income before taxes of 100 and reports taxes payable of 30. The change in deferred tax liabilities during the period is an increase of 10. What is the effective tax rate?

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Question 18

Which of the following statements about deferred tax assets is correct?

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Question 19

Which item in the tax footnote would most help an analyst estimate when a company’s deferred tax assets will be realized?

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Question 20

A company reports income before tax of 50, provisions for current tax of (15), and records a deferred tax benefit of 5. What is the effective tax rate?

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Question 21

Which of the following scenarios would produce a deferred tax asset?

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Question 22

Which of the following best explains why an analyst might prefer using the cash tax rate rather than the effective tax rate when forecasting future free cash flow?

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Question 23

Which of the following would most likely cause a company's effective tax rate to be lower than its domestic statutory rate?

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Question 24

A company reports a deferred tax liability related to taxable temporary differences of 300 at year-end. If management expects that none of these temporary differences will reverse for at least 10 years, how should an analyst most appropriately treat this balance for leverage analysis?

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Question 25

Which of the following best describes an unrecognized tax benefit (a tax contingency)?

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Question 26

During Year 1 a firm records a deferred tax asset of 100 related to a deductible temporary difference. At year-end Year 2 the firm records a valuation allowance increase of 40 against that deferred tax asset. What is the most direct effect of that valuation allowance increase on the Year 2 income statement?

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Question 27

Which of the following will reduce a company's deferred tax liability?

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Question 28

A company's consolidated effective tax rate was 40 percent this year while the domestic statutory rate is 35 percent. Which of the following explanations is least likely?

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Question 29

Which of the following is the most appropriate action for an analyst who wants to assess the sustainable, ongoing effective tax rate for use in forecasting?

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Question 30

Which of the following items is most likely disclosed separately as part of deferred tax liabilities in notes to the financial statements?

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Question 31

Which of the following would increase a company’s reported income tax expense this year, all else equal?

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Question 32

Company X has taxable income of 1,000 in Jurisdiction A at 25 percent and 500 in Jurisdiction B at 10 percent. What is Company X's combined statutory-based effective tax rate?

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Question 33

Which of the following statements regarding deferred tax assets and liabilities is correct under IFRS and US GAAP?

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Question 34

When a company reports undistributed earnings of a foreign subsidiary that management intends to reinvest indefinitely, how should deferred taxes on those earnings generally be treated in the consolidated financial statements?

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Question 35

If a company has deferred tax assets arising from net operating loss carryforwards of 1,000 and expects to utilize 400 within the carryforward period based on projected taxable income, what deferred tax asset should it recognize at a 25 percent enacted tax rate (ignoring valuation allowance nuances)?

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Question 36

Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the income tax provision on the income statement and cash taxes paid in the period?

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Question 37

A company has gross deferred tax assets of 2,000 and a valuation allowance of 1,200. Which of the following statements is most accurate?

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Question 38

Which of the following is least likely to appear in a company's tax footnote reconciliation from statutory to effective tax rate?

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Question 39

In forecasting a company's cash taxes, which item should an analyst explicitly model to capture the near-term effect of tax timing differences?

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Question 40

A firm's effective tax rate in Year 1 was 10 percent, well below its domestic statutory rate due to large foreign earnings in low-tax jurisdictions. In Year 2 the firm expects most profits to shift back to the domestic market. Which of the following is the best expected outcome for Year 2's effective tax rate?

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Question 41

Which of the following best describes why an analyst reviews a company's deferred tax rollforward disclosure?

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Question 42

When management states that certain foreign earnings are 'indefinitely reinvested,' the firm is most likely asserting what about those earnings?

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Question 43

Which of the following best describes the impact on the statement of cash flows when a company pays cash taxes that relate to prior years (a settlement of prior-year liabilities)?

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Question 44

If an analyst wants to evaluate whether a company’s deferred tax assets are reasonable relative to its balance sheet size, which ratio would be most relevant?

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Question 45

Which disclosure would best allow an analyst to determine whether a company’s low effective tax rate is temporary or structural?

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Question 46

A multinational recognizes interest income in certain low-tax jurisdictions which is tax-exempt locally. For consolidated reporting, how does this most likely affect its effective tax rate?

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Question 47

Which of the following best explains why an analyst would be concerned if a company continually reports an effective tax rate much lower than its peers without clear disclosures?

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Question 48

When a company records an impairment loss on goodwill for accounting purposes, what is the immediate tax accounting effect in most jurisdictions?

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Question 49

Which disclosure would help an analyst evaluate the potential future tax cash outflows associated with deferred tax liabilities?

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Question 50

A company has taxable income higher than accounting profit this year because certain revenues are taxable now but recognized in accounting later. What is the immediate accounting consequence?

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