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Intraperiod Tax Allocation

Moneyzine Editor
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Moneyzine Editor
2 mins
January 22nd, 2024
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Intraperiod Tax Allocation

Definition

The financial accounting term intraperiod tax allocation refers to the distribution of income taxes to specific irregular items appearing in a financial statement. Intraperiod tax allocations occur within a given accounting period and allow the reader to understand the income tax implication of the irregular item.

Explanation

Generally, the income statement will be divided into several sections, thereby allowing the analyst to understand income generated from continuing operations versus the impact of irregular items. If they apply, the income statement will include line items for the following:

  • Income (or Loss) from Continuing Operations

  • Discontinued Operations

  • Extraordinary Items

  • Prior Period Adjustments

  • Changes in Accounting Principles

Each of the above items will likely provide the company with an additional tax liability or benefit. To allow the reader of the income statement to better understand the company's ability to generate net income from continuing operations, an intraperiod tax allocation is performed. This means the above items are shown net of taxes, or the income tax benefit or expense is shown immediately below.

As the name implies, the allocation occurs within the current accounting period. This process is straightforward and less controversial than an interperiod allocation, which apportions income taxes between accounting periods.

Example

Company A changed their depreciation method from declining balance to straight line. The cumulative effect of this change was an increase to net income of $50,000 on a before tax basis, and an increase to income taxes of $20,000. Before this change, Company A's financial statement indicated net income of $2,500,000. The impact of this change on Company A's income statement would be:

Income Before Changes in Accounting Principles

$2,500,000

Cumulative Effect of a Change in Depreciation Method

$50,000

Less: Applicable Income Taxes

$20,000

Net Income

$2,530,000

Note: Cumulative effects of a change in accounting methods would appear in the income statement after any extraordinary items.

Related Terms

  • Income Statement
    The income statement is a financial accounting report that demonstrates how net income, or profit, is derived from revenues. The main categories appearing on an income statement include revenues, cost of goods sold, operating expenses, non-recurring items and net income.
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  • Materiality Constraint
    The term materiality refers to an accounting constraint that is used to determine the relative importance or value of an item to one of the company's financial statements. If an item is not deemed significant enough to influence the decision-making process of an individual examining the company's financial statements, then that item is not considered material.
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  • Extraordinary Items
    The financial accounting term extraordinary items refers to gains or losses appearing on a company's income statement that are both unusual and occur infrequently. These are items that can materially affect the company's financial statements, but are not considered part of the company's normal business operations.
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  • The financial accounting term unusual gains or losses refers to line items appearing on a company's income statement that are unusual or occur infrequently. These are costs or revenues that would materially affect the company's financial statement, and are considered part of the company's normal business operation.
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  • The financial accounting term prior period adjustments refers to either a correction to a prior period's financial statement, or the realization of a tax benefit resulting from an operating loss of a subsidiary before it was acquired.
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  • Changes in Accounting Estimates
    The term changes in accounting estimates referrers to those estimations that require revision based on the availability of new and better information in the current accounting period. Changes in accounting estimates can involve revenues, expenses, liabilities and assets; and are corrected prospectively in the financial statements of a company.
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  • Change in Accounting Principle
    The term change in accounting principle refers to the adoption of an accounting method that differs from that used in the past. When an alternate accounting method is chosen, the impact on the company's financial statement must be shown in the current accounting period as well as retrospectively.
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