Tax Shield Formula

Table of Contents

• What is the Tax Shield Formula?
• Examples of Tax Shield Formula
• Calculator

What is Tax Shield Formula?

The term “Tax Shield” refers to the deduction allowed on the taxable income that eventually results in the reduction of taxes owed to the government. The formula for tax shield is very simple and it is computed by first adding the different tax deductible expense and then multiplying the result by the tax rate.

Mathematically, it is represented as,

Although tax shield can be claimed for a charitable contribution, medical expenditure etc., it is primarily used for interest expense and depreciation expense in the case of a company. The tax shield can be specifically represented as per tax-deductible expenses.

The formula for the calculation of interest tax shield can be obtained by multiplying average debt, cost of debt and tax rate as shown below,

The formula for the calculation of depreciation tax shield can be obtained by depreciation expense and tax rate as shown below,

Explanation of the Tax Shield Formula

The formula for tax shield can be derived by using the following steps:

Step 1: Firstly, gather all the tax-deductible expenses, such as interest expense, depreciation expense, charitable contribution, medical expenditure etc., from the income statement of a company. All such expenses are added to derive the sum of all the tax-deductible expenses.

Step 2: Next, the tax rate that is applicable to the company is determined, which is dependent on the jurisdiction.

Step 3: Finally, the formula for tax shield is computed by multiplying the sum of tax-deductible expenses and the applicable tax rate as shown above.

Examples of Tax Shield Formula

Let’s see some simple to advanced examples of Tax Shield Formula to understand it better.

Tax Shield Formula – Example #1

Let us consider an example of a company XYZ Ltd, which is in the business of manufacturing synthetic rubber. As per the recent income statement of XYZ Ltd for the financial year ended on March 31, 2018, the following information is available. Do the calculation of Tax Shield enjoyed by the company.

Based on the information, do the calculation of the tax shield enjoyed by the company.

The following is the Sum of Tax-deductible Expenses,

Therefore, the calculation of Tax Shield is as follows,

• Tax Shield Formula= ($10,000 + $18,000 + $2,000) * 40%

Tax Shield will be –

Tax Shield= $12,000

Therefore, XYZ Ltd enjoyed a Tax shield of $12,000 during FY2018.

Tax Shield Formula – Example #2

Let us take the example of another company PQR Ltd., which is planning to purchase equipment worth $30,000 payable in 3 equal yearly installments and the interest is chargeable at 10%. The company can also acquire the equipment on lease rental basis for $15,000 per annum payable at the end of each year for 3 years. The original cost of the equipment would be depreciated at 33.3% on the straight-line method. The applicable tax rate is 35%. Determine which option is more viable for the company. Purchase of Equipment on Debt or Purchase of Equipment on Lease.

1^st option (Purchase of Equipment on Debt)

Annual repayment=Equipment price * Interest rate * [(1 + Interest rate)^{No. of years}] / [(1 + Interest rate)^{No. of years} -1]

= $30,000 * 10% * [(1 + 10%)³] ÷ [(1 + 10%)³ -1] = $12,063

Cash Outflow in Year 1 = Annual repayment – Depreciation tax shield – Interest tax shield

= $12,063 – $30,000 * 33.3% * 35% – $30,000 * 10% * 35% = $7,513

Cash outflow in year 2 = $12,063 – $30,000 * 33.3% * 35% – ($30,000 – $12,063 + $3,000) * 10% * 35%

= $7,831

Cash outflow in year 3 = $12,063 – $30,000 * 33.3% * 35% – ($20,937 – $12,063 + $2,094) * 10% * 35%

= $8,180

PV of cost of acquisition @10% = $7,513 / (1+10%) + $7,831 / (1+10%)² + $8,180 / (1+10%)³

= $19,447

2^nd option (Purchase of Equipment on Lease)

Yearly cash outflow after tax shield   = $15,000 * (1 – 35%) <<since lease rental is the only tax deductible expense, no depreciation due to lease and no interest as no debt>>

= $9,750

PV of cost of acquisition @10% = $9,750 / (1+10%) + $9,750 / (1+10%)² + $9,750 / (1+10%)³

 = $24,247

Therefore, the 1^st option is better since it offers a lower cost of acquisition.

Tax Shield Formula in Excel (with Excel Template)

Now let us take the case of mentioned in example 2 to illustrate in excel template below. The table provides the detailed calculation of the tax shield.

1st Option

2nd  Option

Calculator

You can use the following calculator.

Relevance and Use of Tax Shield Formula

The tax shield is a very important aspect for corporate accounting since it is the amount a company can save on income tax payments by using various deductible expenses and this savings eventually adds to the bottom line of the company. Higher the savings from tax shield, higher is the cash profit of the company. The extent of tax shield vary from nation to nation and as such their benefits also vary based on the overall tax rate.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Tax Shield Formula. Here we discuss how to calculate Tax Shield for the Company along with the practical examples and downloadable excel sheet. You can learn more about financing from the following articles –

• Marginal Tax Rate Formula
• Rate Formula in Excel
• Taxable Income Formula
• Effective Tax Rate Formula
• Accumulated Depreciation Formula
• Calculate WACC