Most deferred tax adjustments in financial statements help investors - but not always. The ‘economic value’ of deferred tax assets arising from unused tax losses may be significantly less than the balance sheet figure. However, as a consequence, profit forecasts may be understated, potentially leading to an undervaluation by investors. We estimate that if the £24bn deferred tax asset of Vodafone were discounted to an economic value then it would instead be closer to £8bn, but forecast p...| The Footnotes Analyst
Taxation is a significant expense for most companies and an important driver of profitability and value. Differences in the effective tax rate matter in equity analysis, but how should you calculate this metric and what rate should you use as a basis for forecasting? We explain the different calculations of effective tax rates, why it is important to examine the tax rate reconciliation footnote, the impact of exceptional gains and losses, and how intangible amortisation complicates the analys...| The Footnotes Analyst
Stock-based compensation can have a significant impact on the effective tax rate. For US companies the effect is driven to a large extent by changes in the stock price. In 2021 this reduced the effective tax rate for many companies; however, in 2022 you could well see the reverse. We use Netflix to explain the effect of stock-based compensation on cash taxes and deferred tax adjustments. The accounting is complex and made even more challenging for investors by differences between IFRS and US ...| The Footnotes Analyst