Da. Guenther et Rc. Sansing, Valuation of the firm in the presence of temporary book-tax differences: The role of deferred tax assets and liabilities, ACC REVIEW, 75(1), 2000, pp. 1-12
This study uses an analytical model to investigate the value of the firm wh
en there are temporary differences between when revenue and expense items a
re recognized for tax- and financial-reporting purposes. The model shows th
at deferred tax assets and liabilities transform book values of underlying
liabilities and assets into estimates of the after-tax cash flows on which
the firm's market value is based. The analysis shows that if tax deductions
are taken on a cash basis, and if the underlying assets and liabilities ar
e recorded at the present value of their associated future cash flows, then
the value of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities is their rec
orded amount, regardless of when the asset will be realized or when the lia
bility will reverse. If tax deductions are not taken when the expenditure i
s made (e.g., depreciation) or if underlying assets and liabilities are rec
orded at more than the present value of their associated future cash flows
(e.g., warranty liabilities), then the market value of deferred tax assets
and deferred tax liabilities is less than their recorded values. The value
of the deferred tax account is independent of when that account will revers
e.