Financial reporting on income tax in Serbia and Croatia: An empirical analysis

Abstract

The paper examines the quality of financial reporting on income tax in Serbia and Croatia in order to determine the extent to which disclosed information on income tax in these countries is useful for economic decision making. The research based on financial statements of listed and non-listed companies for 2016 reveals that disclosed information on the income tax is not entirely in accordance with the relevant regulation. Therefore, there is a significant room for improvement of income tax financial reporting practices in both countries. The quality of disclosed income tax information is not related to the presence of companies in the stock market, as capital markets in Serbia and Croatia do not provide strong incentives for disclosing adequate information on income tax. The research also reveals significant differences in the prevailing sources of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities between Serbia and Croatia, which indicates that the income tax financial reporting is conditioned by the specifics of the national environment.