Income Taxes
The accounting policy on taxation should include disclosures of the accounting treatment for deferred tax liabilities, deferred tax assets and income tax expense.
The policy on income tax expense was omitted from several sets of financial statements reviewed.
Disclosure
There should be an explanation of the relationship between tax expense (income) and accounting profit in either or both of the following forms:
(i) a numerical reconciliation between tax expense (income) and the product of accounting profit multiplied by the applicable tax rate, disclosing also the basis on which the applicable tax rate is computed, or
(ii) a numerical reconciliation between the average effective tax rate and the applicable tax rate, disclosing also the basis on which the applicable tax rate is computed, for example, tax rates which have been enacted or substantially enacted by balance sheet date.
Under FRS 25.28 [FRS 25.28], an entity holding investment properties should either (a) treat them as property in accordance with FRS 16 or (b) account for them as long-term investments.
Entities that account for investment properties as long-term investments consider that changes in their fair value, usually market value, are more significant than their depreciation. The properties are therefore revalued periodically on a systematic basis.
Observations
When fair value accounting is adopted for investment properties, it is observed that there is no disclosure on whether deferred tax liability on the revaluation surplus has been considered.
There should be disclosure of the amount of deductible temporary differences, unused tax losses, and unused tax credits for which no deferred tax asset is recognised in the balance sheet.