CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
22 Points
Joined October 2008
| Ankur Srivastava |
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Whether Deferred Tax Liability should be included in the Net Worth.
If Yes, why??
If No, why??
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Dear Friends, we need to go to the basics. Deferred tax liabilities generally arise where tax relief is provided in advance of an accounting expense, or income is accrued but not taxed until received. Deferred tax asset/Liability is recognised as a result of " Matching Concept" i.e. matching of revenue and expenses of the same period to arrive at net profit /loss.
Example:- Provision for Tax in the P/L was Rs. 10,00,000/- however, in September when the ITR was filled the actual tax is Rs. 8,00,00/- only. Thus Rs.2,00,000/- is the deferred tax liability.
You know why?? My friends, because here the company has saved Rs. 2 Lacs Cash( Asset) due to timing difference arising out of difference in treatment of expenses under Accounting Standards and Income Tax Act,1961. Hence the corresponding liability has been created because this Rs. 2 Lacs belongs to tomorrow's expense. Creating Deferred Tax liability is a way to setting aside that portion of Cash which doesn't belongs to this year.
This Deferred Tax liability in Balance Sheet is representing the amount of Cash saved today and lying under "Cash" head in asset column which will be spent in future. A perfect display of "Matching Concept".
This Rs. 2 lacs will be spent in future due to timing difference and the corresponding Deferred tax liability will be reversed. since the cash saved today and cash to be spent in future is same, net effect will be zero for the company over such period. Thus the Deferred Tax Liability is a Claim on the Cash Asset for future expense, which will be satisfied due to timing difference in future. And this is what a liability means , all liabilities are claim on the assets for future satisfaction.
Since we have to deduct all the liabilities to arrive at the Net worth, We have to Deduct Deferred Tax Liability for calculating NetWorth. It can never be a part of Reserves & surplus and thus can never be included in Shareholders' fund due to "Matching Concept",which is the basis of preparation of Financial Statements.
THUS DEFERRED TAX LIABILITY CANNOT BE INCLUDED IN THE NET WORTH.
The Approach will be the same whatever purpose you use, be it Net worth Calculation, takeover, Financing or Mergers etc.