valuation allowance

ASC 210-10 provides the general guidance for classifying assets and liabilities as current or noncurrent on a classified balance sheet (statement of financial position), permitting ready determination of working capital. Current assets are cash and other resources expected to be realized in cash or consumed within one year or the operating cycle, whichever is longer; current liabilities are obligations whose liquidation is expected to require use of current assets within that same period. The guidance applies to all entities, but only when an entity chooses to present a classified balance sheet (210-10-15-3).

This subtopic governs how income tax expense (or benefit) is computed and presented in interim financial statements. The core rule is a hybrid model: tax on "ordinary income (or loss)" is measured by applying a best-estimate annual effective tax rate to year-to-date ordinary income, while items excluded from that rate — significant unusual or infrequently occurring items, discontinued operations, changes in tax law or rates on deferred taxes, changes in beginning-of-year valuation allowances, and certain share-based payment tax effects — are computed individually and recognized discretely in the interim period in which they occur (740-270-25-2; 740-270-30-11 through 30-13). Recognition of interim tax benefits from losses is limited to amounts expected to be realized during the year or recognizable as a deferred tax asset at year-end (740-270-25-9).

This subtopic governs how mortgage banking entities account for mortgage loans and mortgage-backed securities, including classification as held for sale versus held for long-term investment, related origination fees and costs, and transactions with affiliates. Loans held for sale are carried at the lower of amortized cost basis or fair value through a valuation allowance charged to income, while loans held for long-term investment are carried at amortized cost basis with credit losses measured under Subtopic 326-20. Transfers between classifications require reversal in earnings of any previously recorded allowance and re-measurement under the new classification.

ASC 718-740 governs the income tax accounting consequences of share-based payment arrangements, including employee stock ownership plans. Cumulative compensation cost recognized for awards that ordinarily generate a future tax deduction creates a deductible temporary difference and a deferred tax asset (718-740-25-2, 25-4), measured on book compensation cost rather than the shares' current fair value. When the actual tax deduction is finally determined (typically at exercise, expiration, or vesting), any difference between it and cumulative book compensation cost is recognized as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement (718-740-35-2).

ASC 740-10 is the Overall subtopic for income taxes and contains the core asset-and-liability model: recognize (1) current taxes payable or refundable for the year and (2) deferred tax assets and liabilities for the future tax consequences of temporary differences and operating loss/tax credit carryforwards (740-10-10-1; 740-10-25-2). Deferred taxes are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply when the item reverses, are not discounted, and deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some or all will not be realized (740-10-30-5, 740-10-30-8). It also houses the two-step uncertain tax position model — more-likely-than-not recognition on technical merits, then measurement at the largest benefit greater than 50 percent likely of being realized on settlement (740-10-25-6; 740-10-30-7).

ASC 740-20 governs intraperiod tax allocation: after total income tax expense or benefit for the period is computed under ASC 740-10, this Subtopic allocates that total among continuing operations, discontinued operations, other comprehensive income, and items charged or credited directly to shareholders' equity (740-20-45-2). Continuing operations is computed first ("with-and-without"), considering only items in continuing operations (740-20-45-7), and the residual is assigned to the single other item, or apportioned among multiple other items in proportion to their individual effects (740-20-45-12 and 45-14).

ASC 740-30 governs the limited exceptions to comprehensive deferred tax recognition for temporary differences (outside basis differences) arising from investments in subsidiaries and corporate joint ventures, principally undistributed earnings. The starting presumption is that all undistributed earnings of a subsidiary will be transferred to the parent and thus create a taxable temporary difference (740-30-25-3), but that presumption can be overcome by the "indefinite reversal criteria" for foreign subsidiaries/foreign corporate joint ventures essentially permanent in duration and for pre-December 16, 1992 domestic undistributed earnings (740-30-25-17 and 25-18). Deferred tax assets for excess outside tax basis are recognized only if it is apparent the difference will reverse in the foreseeable future (740-30-25-9).

ASC 740-805 (codified as 805-740) gives the income tax rules that apply when an acquirer accounts for a business combination or a not-for-profit acquisition. It requires recognizing deferred tax assets and liabilities (and valuation allowances) at the acquisition date for the differences between the tax bases and the recognized values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, measured under Subtopic 740-10 with no discounting. It also specifies exceptions (nondeductible goodwill, leveraged leases) and how post-acquisition changes in valuation allowances and acquired tax positions are recognized — through goodwill only within the measurement period, otherwise in income tax expense.

ASC 740-852 gives incremental income tax guidance for entities emerging from Chapter 11 that qualify for fresh-start reporting and for entities that effect a quasi-reorganization. Under fresh-start reporting, deferred taxes follow ordinary GAAP, and tax benefits of preconfirmation NOL carryforwards and deductible temporary differences recognized later (by releasing the valuation allowance) reduce income tax expense. After a quasi-reorganization, by contrast, subsequently recognized tax benefits of deductible temporary differences and carryforwards that existed at the quasi-reorganization date are credited directly to contributed capital, not income.

This subtopic applies Topic 740 to stock and mutual savings and loan associations and mutual savings banks, whose tax bad-debt reserve deductions differ from book bad-debt experience. Its core rule is an exception to comprehensive deferred tax recognition: no deferred tax liability is recognized for the tax bad-debt reserve that arose in tax years beginning before December 31, 1987 (the base-year amount), while a deferred tax liability must be recognized for reserve amounts in excess of the base year. Related valuation allowance, measurement, and disclosure requirements are specified.