
Computing deferred tax liability can be a complex process, but understanding the basics can make a big difference. A deferred tax liability arises when a company has to pay more tax in the future due to temporary differences between its financial reporting and tax reporting.
Temporary differences can occur when a company recognizes revenue or expenses in its financial statements that are not recognized for tax purposes. For example, a company might recognize revenue from a sale in its financial statements, but the sale is not taxable until the following year.
A deferred tax liability is calculated by multiplying the temporary difference by the applicable tax rate. The tax rate used is typically the rate in effect at the time the temporary difference arises.
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Understanding Deferred Tax Liability
A Deferred Tax Liability is a tax that is assessed or is due for the current period but has not yet been paid.
It arises when there's a difference between accounting income and taxable income.
Accounting income is income that's considered or reported in the financial statements, while taxable income is income on which tax is payable.
The difference between these two types of income is what leads to a Deferred Tax Liability.
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Calculating Deferred Tax Liability
Calculating Deferred Tax Liability can be a complex process, but it's essential to understand the basics. The formula for calculating a deferred tax liability is: DTL = Income Tax Expense – Taxes Payable + Deferred Tax Assets (DTA). This is straightforward, but let's break it down further.
Income Tax Expense is a key component of the formula. According to Example 3, if Income Tax Expense is $10,000, and there's no DTA, the DTL would be $2,000. This shows how the formula works in a simple scenario.
To calculate DTL, you need to know your Income Tax Expense, Taxes Payable, and DTA. If you have a company with accounting income of $500,000 and taxable income of $400,000, with an enacted tax rate of 30% (as in Example 2), you can calculate the DTL using the formula.
Here's a simple example:
In this example, the DTL is calculated by subtracting Taxes Payable from Income Tax Expense and adding DTA. The result is the DTL for each year.
Keep in mind that the DTL is not a one-time calculation; it's a process that needs to be repeated for each year. As you can see from the example, the DTL can change from year to year based on the company's income tax expense, taxes payable, and DTA.
It's also worth noting that the DTL can be affected by the company's accounting methods, such as straight-line (SL) depreciation or accelerated depreciation. According to Example 3, if a company uses accelerated depreciation, the excess tax over book value can create a deferred tax liability.
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Key Concepts and Definitions
A Deferred Tax Liability is a tax due for the current period but has not been paid. It arises due to the difference between accounting income and taxable income.
A Deferred Tax Liability typically occurs when business income is more in the accounting records compared to the tax records. This leads to a firm's financial statements showing lesser tax payable than that according to tax regulations.
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To calculate a Deferred Tax Liability, you need to determine the correct tax rate and understand timing differences. Accurate calculation also requires mastery in interpreting the financial statements and anticipating future tax law changes.
The calculation of Deferred Tax Liability can be formulated as (Taxable Income - Accounting Income) * Tax Rate. This formula is essential to ensure compliance with tax laws and accounting standards.
A Deferred Tax Liability signifies an amount of taxes that a company would pay in future due to transactions that occurred in the present or past. It arises from differences in the recognition of income and expense between tax laws and a company's chosen accounting methods.
The three critical elements to consider when calculating Deferred Tax Liability are:
- The correct tax rate
- Understanding timing differences
- Knowing when and how these timing differences will reverse
These elements contribute to a substantial increase in accuracy, ensure compliance with tax laws and accounting standards, and support effective budgeting and financial decision making through forecasting.
Avoiding Errors and Pitfalls
To avoid errors and pitfalls in computing deferred tax liability, it's essential to stay updated with changes in tax laws and rates. This will help you accurately apply the correct tax rate expected to be in effect in the period of realising the liability.
Make sure to consider the impact of foreign exchange rates if your firm operates in multiple countries. This is crucial as it can significantly affect your tax liability.
Always ensure to apply the correct tax rate when calculating deferred tax liability. The formula for deferred tax liability is Taxable Income - Accounting Income times Tax Rate.
It's also important to note that the formula for deferred tax asset is Accounting Income - Taxable Income times Tax Rate.
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Calculating and Adjusting
The calculation of deferred tax liability is a straightforward process. Determine the difference between taxable income and accounting income, then multiply the result by the enacted tax rate.
In some cases, the calculation can be more complex, involving multiple years and different depreciation methods. For instance, a business may use straight-line depreciation for book purposes, but accelerated depreciation for tax purposes, resulting in excess tax over book value.
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To adjust for this excess, the business can use an amortization schedule to calculate the deferred tax liability. This involves creating a table that shows the book and tax depreciation for each year, as well as the excess tax over book value.
By netting all deferred tax liabilities across the five years, the business gets $0, illustrating that the excess tax over book value is used to pay future tax liabilities.
Intermediate Accounting Impact
Calculating and adjusting deferred tax liability can have a significant impact on a company's financial statements. The difference between taxable income and accounting income is a crucial factor to consider.
To determine the deferred tax liability, you need to multiply the difference between taxable income and accounting income by the enacted tax rate. This calculation is straightforward, but it's essential to get it right.
The enacted tax rate is a critical component of this calculation, as it directly affects the amount of deferred tax liability. A higher tax rate will result in a larger deferred tax liability.
Here's a summary of the steps to calculate deferred tax liability:
- Determine the difference between taxable income and accounting income.
- Multiply the result from step one by the enacted tax rate.
Calculation of Adjustment

Calculating Deferred Tax Liability requires careful attention to detail, but it's not as complicated as it seems. The key is to understand the difference between taxable income and accounting income.
To calculate deferred tax liability, you need to determine the difference between taxable income and accounting income. This is done by multiplying the result by the enacted tax rate.
For example, if a business has an accounting income of $100,000 and a taxable income of $80,000, the difference is $20,000. Multiplying this by the enacted tax rate of 25% results in a deferred tax liability of $5,000.
Here's a breakdown of the calculation:
By following these steps, you can accurately calculate the deferred tax liability and make informed decisions about your business's finances.
Example and Explanation
A deferred tax liability occurs when there's a difference between a company's taxable income and book income. This difference can result from various factors, such as property depreciation or installment sales.
To calculate the deferred tax liability, you need to know the tax rate and the amount of the difference in income. For example, if a company has a tax rate of 21% and a difference in income of $10,000, the deferred tax liability would be 21% of $10,000, which is $2,100.
Deferred tax liability can arise from property depreciation, where the expense on the tax return is larger than on the income statement. This is because property depreciation is calculated differently for tax and book purposes.
Here are some examples of how deferred tax liability can arise:
- Property Depreciation: The expense on the tax return is larger than on the income statement.
- Installment Sales: More income is recognized on the tax return than on the income statement.
- Credit Sales: Taxes are paid on customers' payments at a later time.
The calculation of deferred tax liability is based on the total difference in income, as shown in the example.
Sources
- https://www.vaia.com/en-us/explanations/business-studies/intermediate-accounting/deferred-tax-liability/
- https://www.inrev.org/guidelines/site/module/130
- https://www.realized1031.com/blog/how-to-calculate-deferred-tax-liability
- https://ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/home/sub-articles/2020/09/computation-of-deferred-tax-liabilities/
- https://www.freshbooks.com/glossary/accounting/deferred-tax-liability
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