
The US Corporation Income Tax Return Deferred: A Comprehensive Guide is designed to help you navigate the complexities of tax deferral for your corporation. The IRS allows corporations to defer tax payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tax payments can be deferred for up to 90 days, giving you time to adjust to the new economic reality. This can provide much-needed breathing room for your business.
Corporations with a tax payment due between April 15, 2020, and July 15, 2020, can take advantage of this deferral. The IRS will not charge interest or penalties on these payments until after the deferral period ends.
Understanding US Corporate Income Tax Return
When it comes to US corporate income tax returns, understanding deferred revenue is crucial. Deferred revenue is revenue that's received but not yet earned, and it's essential to report it correctly to avoid tax penalties.
For goods, revenue is considered earned on the date of shipment or when the customer accepts delivery. You must choose one of these events consistently for tax reporting purposes.
For services, the concept is similar, but not identical. You must establish with the client when the services will be fulfilled. If the services are completed within the next tax year, the deferment can only be for one year.
US corporate income tax provisioning is calculated by multiplying taxable income by the tax rate, plus an optional buffer amount. Taxable income is your net income after deducting business expenses, deductions, and credits.
The federal corporate tax rate is 21%, and 44 states and D.C. impose their own taxes on corporate income, with marginal rates ranging from 2.5% in North Carolina to 11.5% in New Jersey.
Here's a breakdown of the corporate tax provision formula:
- Taxable Income: Your net income after deducting business expenses, deductions, and credits
- Tax Rate: The federal corporate tax rate (21%) plus state and local taxes
- Buffer Amount: An optional provision to account for potential tax law changes
To stay up-to-date with tax laws and regulations, it's essential to check official sources like the US government website or IRS official site.
Preparing the Return
When it comes to preparing the return for a US corporation income tax return with deferred revenue, it's essential to be consistent in your accounting methods from year to year.
Choose which event you consider earned revenue: shipment or customer acceptance of delivery. This decision will impact your tax reporting.
For goods, it's common to consider revenue earned on the date of shipment or customer acceptance of delivery. Consistency is key, so choose one and stick to it.
Make sure you have a clear understanding of when services will be fulfilled, especially if it's not within the next tax year. This will help you determine how to report revenue.
If services are expected to be fulfilled within the next tax year, your deferment can only be for one year. If it's unclear or will take longer than two years, revenue must be reported in the year received.
Be prepared to report revenue in the year received if services are expected to take longer than two years or if no completion date is established.
Income and Liability Handling
If you're a closely held C corporation, you may choose to defer DISC related income to reduce your current tax liability.
The interest charge on deferred tax liability is calculated using Form 8404, which is a two-page form that must be completed and filed by the due date of the federal income tax return.
The interest charge is computed by multiplying the shareholder's DISC-related deferred tax liability by the base period T-bill rate, which is currently a minuscule 0.005414566.
A deferred tax liability can impact the future cash flow of a non-pass-through company, making it a valuable consideration during M&A transactions.
The size of the debt is based on the present value of the remaining tax payment differential over the life of the assets.
To calculate deferred tax liability, you'll need to know the Future Taxable Amount, Book Value, and Tax Rate, which can be plugged into the formula: Deferred Tax Liability = (Future Taxable Amount − Book Value) × Tax Rate.
The formula for calculating deferred tax liability is straightforward, but the accounting can be complex, so it's often wise to hire an M&A advisor to help sort it out.
A deferred tax liability only has value if the company is expected to be profitable and owe taxes in the future.
It's essential to consider the current tax code and various taxation rates when evaluating the value of deferred tax liability.
Here's a quick summary of the key factors to consider when handling income and liability:
- Interest charge on deferred tax liability: calculated using Form 8404
- Base period T-bill rate: currently 0.005414566
- Deferred tax liability impact: affects future cash flow and M&A transactions
- Calculation formula: Deferred Tax Liability = (Future Taxable Amount − Book Value) × Tax Rate
Deferred Income and Liabilities
Deferred income can be a complex issue for US corporations, but it's essential to understand the basics. For closely-held C corporations, utilizing an Interest Charge – Domestic International Sales Corporation (IC-DISC) can lead to deferred income, creating a situation where an interest charge is calculated based on the shareholder's DISC-related deferred tax liability.
The interest charge is computed by the shareholder(s) of an IC-DISC and reported by filing Form 8404. This two-page form utilizes a simple calculation that must be completed and filed by the due date of the federal income tax return. The computed interest charge must be paid by the due date of the federal tax return.
A deferred tax liability can impact the future cash flow of a non-pass-through company, affecting the sales price for a business during an M&A transaction. The liability is treated like a "debt" and is based on the present value of the remaining tax payment differential over the life of the assets.
Calculating Deferred Tax Liability
- Future Taxable Amount: The anticipated taxable income your company expects to generate in future periods
- Book Value: The value of an asset/liability as per your financial statements
- Tax Rate: The applicable corporate income tax rate
The formula for calculating deferred tax liability is: Deferred Tax Liability = (Future Taxable Amount − Book Value) × Tax Rate
What Qualifies as?
Revenue that's received but not yet earned qualifies as deferred revenue. This type of income reporting is known as the accrual method.
A conventional store only sees an influx of cash when something is sold, but businesses that provide goods or services before receiving payment have to deal with deferred revenue.
To qualify as deferred revenue, a payment must be received for something that hasn't been provided yet. This can be a challenge during tax season, as the amount a business owes the IRS may differ from their reported tax expense.
The accrual method of tax reporting is especially relevant for companies that see a spike in sales around the holidays. This method allows businesses to push back their tax obligations for further periods of time, leaving them with more cash to invest or scale with.
For a payment to be considered revenue earned, a business must have the legal right to collect it from the buyer. This means that revenue from rent, for example, can't be considered earned until the month has been reached.
A rent payment that's made in advance is considered deferred revenue, and only a portion of it can be reported as earned revenue each month.
Return
To calculate Deferred Tax Expense, you'll need to subtract the net deferred tax position at the beginning of the year from the one at the end of the year.
The formula is straightforward: Deferred Tax Expense = Net Deferred Tax Liabilities − Net Deferred Tax Assets. This accounts for changes in deferred tax liabilities and assets during the year.
For revenue to be considered earned, it's essential to choose a consistent event, such as the date of shipment or the time the customer accepts delivery.
This decision will impact your tax reporting from year to year, so it's crucial to make a choice and stick to it.
If you have deferred revenue for goods, you must report it as earned revenue when the customer receives the goods, not when they pay for them.
Similarly, for services, you'll need to determine when the services will be fulfilled and report revenue accordingly.
If the services will be completed within two tax years, you can only defer revenue for one year, but if you can't determine a completion date, you'll need to report revenue in the year it's received.
Liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities can have a significant impact on a company's cash flow and financial situation. They arise when a company has a temporary difference between its financial reporting and tax reporting, resulting in a higher taxable income in the future.
The size of the deferred tax liability is based on the present value of the remaining tax payment differential over the life of the assets. This means that the liability will be calculated by considering how much is still owed, over how long, and what the current age of the asset is.
A deferred tax liability can be treated like a "debt" in an M&A transaction, affecting the sales price for a business. Savvy buyers will take this into account when figuring out how much to offer for a business.
The accounting for deferred tax liabilities can be complex, making it wise to hire an M&A advisor to help sort it out. This is especially true when dealing with nuances like the age of the asset and the expected profitability of the company.
Here's a breakdown of the formula for calculating deferred tax liability:
The interest charge on a deferred tax liability can be computed by the shareholder(s) of an IC-DISC and reported by filing Form 8404. This two-page form utilizes a simple calculation that must be completed and filed by the due date of the federal income tax return.
The interest charge itself tends to be minuscule, given the minimal base period T-bill rates. For example, the base period T-bill rate factor for 2016 is just 0.005414566.
Subtract Loss Carry Forwards
Net operating losses (NOLs) occur when a company's allowable tax deductions exceed its taxable income for a given period.
If your business incurs losses during a tax year, it can use those losses to reduce its taxable income in other years.
NOLs can be carried forward for tax purposes, allowing you to offset future taxable income with them.
You can subtract the amount of usable loss carry forwards to reduce your taxable income.
Vena for Tax Provisioning includes a pre-built template to help you manage carry forwards.
ASC 740 Provisions and Expenses
Calculating your ASC 740 provisions and expenses can be a complex task, but it's essential to get it right to ensure accurate financial reporting.
To calculate your current year income tax expense, you'll need to subtract total tax credits and adjustments from the tax expense calculated in Step 6.
You'll then arrive at the current year's income tax expense for your ASC 740 provision.
If you have any tax credit carryforwards from previous years, add it to reduce your future tax liabilities.
Deferred tax expenses arise from differences between accounting income and taxable income that will reverse in future periods.
These differences can result from various factors, such as revenue recognition timing, depreciation methods, and the treatment of certain expenses.
Temporary differences can either require you to pay taxes on certain income in the future or reduce your tax liability in the future due to deductible amounts.
To calculate your deferred tax expenses, follow these steps: subtract the net deferred tax position at the beginning of the year from the one at the end of the year.
The formula for deferred tax expense is: Deferred Tax Expense = Net Deferred Tax Liabilities − Net Deferred Tax Assets.
This accounts for changes in deferred tax liabilities and assets during the year.
Shareholders of closely held C corporations may choose to defer DISC-related income to reduce their current tax liability.
Although they will have to pay an interest charge on the deferred tax liability, the interest charge itself tends to be minuscule given the minimal base period T-bill rates.
Financial Statements and Compliance
Financial statements and compliance are closely tied to the accuracy of your corporation's income tax return. Manual data entry can lead to errors and potential non-compliance with regulations.
Tax provisioning software can help automate the data entry process by integrating with core source systems like ERP, HRIS, and payroll systems. This eliminates the need for manual data entry and reduces errors that could result in penalties.
Automated tax calculations can further reduce errors and improve compliance. Vena's software, for example, can calculate current year tax provisioning based on the business's current year income tax and deferred tax.
The benefits of tax provisioning software include using the same data set as a baseline, reducing human error, and easily identifying and reconciling differences. This results in more speed and accuracy in the financial close process.
Integrates with Financial and ERP Software
Integrating your tax provisioning software with your core financial and ERP systems can greatly simplify your tax process. This integration provides a single source of truth for your tax processes.
Authorized team members can easily access the data they need from one central location, reducing the time spent searching multiple platforms.
Any updates made in your accounting or ERP software are immediately reflected in the tax calculations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency.
Sources
- https://mcguiresponsel.com/blog/deferred-income-and-tax-liability-treatment/
- https://revenue.iowa.gov/taxes/tax-guidance/business-income-tax/deemed-repatriation-deferred-foreign-income
- https://silvertaxgroup.com/deferred-revenue/
- https://www.redpathcpas.com/blog/deferred-tax-liability
- https://www.venasolutions.com/blog/us-tax-provisioning-guide
Featured Images: pexels.com