Deferred Tax Assets and Payables

Current income-tax payables and the deferred tax assets and liabilities created by temporary differences.

Tax balances answer different questions. Income Tax Payable is a current or prior-period amount still owed, while Deferred Tax reflects future income-tax effects of temporary differences and qualifying tax attributes.

Accrued Taxes places income tax alongside payroll-related, collected, and other tax payables. Deferred Tax Asset focuses on potential future tax benefits and the evidence needed to support their use. Deferred Tax Liability covers taxable temporary differences and their future tax consequences.

When reviewing these balances, reconcile tax expense, taxable profit, installments, current tax payable, temporary differences, rates, carryforwards, and cash taxes paid. Do not treat a deferred tax asset as cash or a deferred tax liability as a scheduled loan payment.

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Accrued Taxes

Taxes attributable to activity already recorded but not yet paid, including current income tax, payroll-related tax, and other tax payables.

Deferred Tax

Future income-tax effects of temporary differences between financial-statement carrying amounts and tax bases.

Deferred Tax Asset

A potential future income-tax benefit from deductible temporary differences, losses, or credits, subject to realizability requirements.

Deferred Tax Liability

A recognized future income-tax consequence of taxable temporary differences between financial-statement carrying amounts and tax bases.

Income Tax Payable

Income tax payable is unpaid current income tax owed to tax authorities. Learn its calculation, journal entries, roll-forward, presentation, and deferred-tax differences.

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