Arnold Industries has pretax accounting income of $32 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The tax rate is 25%. The only difference between accounting income and taxable income relates to an operating lease in which Arnold is the lessee. The inception of the lease was December 28, 2021. An $8 million advance rent payment at the inception of the lease is tax-deductible in 2021 but, for financial reporting purposes, represents prepaid rent expense to be recognized equally over the four-year lease term.

Required:
1. Determine the amounts necessary to record Arnold’s income taxes for 2021, and prepare the appropriate journal entry.
2. Determine the amounts necessary to record Arnold’s income taxes for 2022, and prepare the appropriate journal entry. Pretax accounting income was $50 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.

3. Assume a new tax law is enacted in 2022 that causes the tax rate to change from 25% to 15% beginning in 2023. Determine the amounts necessary to record Arnold’s income taxes for 2022, and prepare the appropriate journal entry.
4. Why is Arnold’s 2022 income tax expense different when the tax rate change occurs from what it would be without the change?