The Definition And Uses Of Profit Before Tax (PBT)

This measures the profits that a corporation makes before paying corporate income tax. It essentially represents a company’s profits without considering any taxes.

A company’s profit before tax is calculated by subtracting operating profit from interest income on its income statement. A company’s profit before tax is used to calculate its tax obligations.

How Profit Before Tax is Calculated

A company’s profit before taxes (PBT) is also known as earnings before tax (EBT) or pre-tax profit, which is the total amount of profits it makes before taxes. The income statement shows all the expenses a company must incur before calculating operating profit. Costs of goods sold are deducted from gross profit. Operating profit accounts for all operational expenses and COGS. Operating profit is also known as earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). Net income is determined by deducting interest and taxes after EBIT.

Facts That You Need To Know

• The difference between earnings and profits before taxes is the profit before taxes.
• How much tax a company owes is determined by its profit before tax.
• Companies that pay varying amounts of taxes can use profit before tax as a measure of profitability.

PBT and its calculation, and its applications can be better understood by an analyst who understands the income statement. In the third section of the income statement, interest and taxes are discussed. Operating profit (EBIT) is the result of the summation of the second section. In addition to interest paid out for leverage, interest is an important metric.

A federal tax rate of 21% applies to all C-Corporations following the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Other companies are pass-throughs, which means they are taxed at the individual taxpayer’s rate. State taxes will also apply to every type of entity. There is a wide range of state tax rates depending on the type of entity and its state.

Generally, PBT is calculated by subtracting any interest payments from the income statement, then adding any interest earned. It includes the subtraction of taxes and is generally the first step in calculating net profit. It can also be calculated reversely by adding taxes back to the net income.

PBT is used to calculate the actual amount of taxes owed at the federal and state levels, as mentioned above.

What PBT can do for you

Income statements usually do not include PBT as a key performance indicator. These are usually focused on gross profit, operating profit, and net profit. For cost efficiency management, however, it can be useful to isolate a company’s tax payments as an interesting and important metric similar to interest.

Any tax credits would be deducted from the tax obligation, not from the pre-tax profit. Pre-tax profits also determine the amount of tax a company will pay.

Additionally, managers and stakeholders can analyze margins using another metric when tax is excluded. PBT margins are higher than net income margins because taxes are not included. Based on how much taxes are paid, the difference between PBT margins and net margins will differ.

A substantial impact may also be attributed to income tax if excluded from the analysis. The federal tax rate for C-Corps is 21%. Certain industries may receive tax breaks, often in the form of credits, which can affect the overall impact of taxes. Renewable energy is an example. Investment tax credits and production tax credits can be available for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. Therefore, comparing the PBT of companies that use renewable energy provides a more accurate picture of profitability.

Earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation (EBIT)

Operating profit, also known as EBIT, measures a company’s full operational capabilities. Working down the income statement provides a view of profitability with different types of expenses involved. Besides the direct costs of manufacturing a product, indirect operating expenses can also be included in this category as well.

It subtracts interest from EBIT, resulting in taxable net income for a company. PBT is calculated during the final steps in calculating net profit.

If a company has been financed with a large amount of debt, its interest payments will be higher. Interest itself is often an indicator of a company’s capitalization structure. The difference between EBIT and PBT is a good indicator of a company’s debt sensitivity, while EBIT can be viewed as a measure of full operational capabilities.

As an operational profitability and efficiency measure, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) is an extension of the well-known utility of EBIT. In addition to EBIT, depreciation and amortization are added to it as non-cash activities. A company’s EBITDA can be used to assess its cash flow and free cash flow very quickly without having to perform detailed calculations. EBITDA and EBIT are comparable, as they are before interest and tax. Due to EBITDA’s universal usefulness, many types of multiple comparisons use it. For example, enterprise value to EBITDA.