What happens to the 3 financial statements if deferred revenue increase / decrease by 10?

Hi,
I am trying to understand how deferred revenue affects the financial statements (incl. DTA)

1) If deferred revenue decreases by 10 what happens? (assuming no DTA, margin of 100%, tax rate of 40%)

I/S: Net income increase by 6

CFS: Cash flow decrease by 4 from +6 net income and -10 deferred revenue)

B/S: Assets: -4 cash, Liabilities and equity: -10 deferred revenue and +6 retained earnings

2) If deferred revenue decreases by 10 what happens? (assuming DTA, margin of 100%, tax rate of 40%)

I/S: Net income: +6

CFS: No change to cash flow: Net income: +6, Deferred revenue: -10 (liability decrease), DTA: +4 (Asset decrease)

B/S: Assets: -4 from DTA, liabilities and equity: -4 from -10 deferred revenue +6 retained earnings

3) If deferred revenue increases by 10 what happens? (assuming no DTA, margin of 100%, tax rate of 40%) 

I/S: No change

CFS: Cash flow increases by 10 from deferred revenue

B/S: Assets: +10 cash, liabilities & equity: -10 deferred revenue

3) If deferred revenue increases by 10 what happens? (assuming DTA, margin of 100%, tax rate of 40%) 

I/S: No change

CFS: Cash flow increases by 6, -4 DTA +10 deferred revenue

B/S: Assets: +10 from +6 cash, +4 DTA, Liabilities & equity: +10 from deferred revenue

Have I understood it correctly? Thanks!

9 Comments
 

Toll Ride

They only come up when there is a net asset write-down in an acquisition. 

Unequivocally false.

Deferred revenue frequently, if not almost always, causes a DTA. You are taxed by the government when you collect the cash, not when you recognize it on your income statement. As a result, your tax income is going to be higher than your financial reporting income. When you decrease deferred revenue (recognize it), your financial reporting income is going to be higher than your taxable income, thus reducing the DTA. 

 

What are you crediting then if you aren't recognizing income? Debit to deferred revenue and credit to what?

 
Most Helpful

if deferred revenue is going up by 10 then you'll:

Debit Cash by 10

  Credit Def. rev. by 10

deferred revenue is a liability account.

if you reduce deferred revenue (assuming because you have provided the service/good now)

Debit Def. Rev. by 10

     Credit Revenue by 10 

Since the service/good has been provided, you can recognize it as revenue. 

 

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