Study Programmes 2016-2017
DROI2012-1  
From annual accounts to the statement of income : relationships between accounting and tax system
Duration :
15h Th
Number of credits :
Specialised master in tax law2
Lecturer :
Luc Herve
Language(s) of instruction :
French language
Organisation and examination :
Teaching in the second semester
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents :
The objective of this course, which has a multidisciplinary approach, is to analyse the different sections in the corporation tax return, from a theoretical and practical point of view. The course highlights the common ground and differences that exist between accounting law and tax law. In particular, it clarifies the adjustments not reflected in the accounts that have to be made to the tax return and the different options referred to in the reserves chart. The course therefore constantly switches between accounting and taxation. Students are given examples which they are required to comment on during the oral presentation.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit :
By the end of the course, students should be able to master the various accounting and tax aspects of the corporation tax return. They must be able to analyse a concrete situation and grasp the convergences and differences between accounting law and corporate tax in a practical way.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
Students must have taken a general course in corporate tax and must have basic knowledge of accounting law. Besides the references and reminders given in class, a recommended reading list will be given to students who need to be brought up to speed.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Lectures are accompanied by written material.
Practical cases are explained orally, leading to the deduction of the applicable legal rules. Students are asked to prepare examples and to solve them in class. The students' active participation is strongly encouraged through questions asked by the teacher. Because the students are taught in small groups, it is possible to adopt an interactive method.
Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
The course combines theory and practical work. Students are required to attend the classes so that they can interact. Some parts of the course may be recorded. Students will be informed of this in advance. Students must have a model of the corporation tax return for the current year, a copy of the Tax Code and the accounting laws, which the students can annotate for the exam.
Recommended or required readings :
Compulsory reading:
  • course notes given to the students;
  • certain works or academic articles referred to by the teacher, especially on accounting law;
  • explanatory note on the corporation tax return.
Recommended reading:
  • recommended reading to bring students studying corporate tax and accounting law up to speed.
Assessment methods and criteria :
Both the first and second exam sessions involve a written exam. There are two parts. The first part is theoretical: students are required to faithfully reconstitute the contents of some of the annual accounts' entries and the minimum standardised chart of accounts. The second part is practical: students have to solve a case using the different principles studied in class. Based on the annual accounts as well as the corporation tax return relating to the previous year, they have to complete the corporation tax return relating to the current year and explain the contents of the entries they are dealing with. The students must be able to make use of the principles and concepts they have learnt, explain them and identify them in the example given to them. Students are assessed on their mastery of the principles and concepts, their ability to construct a coherent and critical legal reasoning  and on their mastery of accounting law in relation to the corporation tax return.
Work placement(s) :
No placement is required.
Organizational remarks :
Students must have a copy of the Tax Code and the accounting laws, both for classes and the exam. These texts can be annotated.
Contacts :
Students can contact the teacher by e-mail or by phone at the following: l.herve@herve-law.be 04/343.53.33
Items online :
Course notes
All course notes can be downloaded from campus HD.