deferral

Deferral is the act of postponing a decision, obligation, payment, or delivery to a future time. It is typically intentional and used to manage timing, resources, or risk, rather than a cancellation. The deferral may be revisited later as circumstances change.

In accounting and finance, deferral refers to delaying recognition of revenue or expense to a future period. Deferred revenue arises when payment is received before goods or services are delivered, creating a liability until the obligation is satisfied. Deferred expenses, or prepaid items, are costs paid in advance and recognized as expenses over the period benefited. Tax deferral postpones a tax obligation to future periods, often through arrangements such as retirement accounts or other legally sanctioned instruments.

Deferral also appears in non-financial contexts. In education, a deferral of admissions allows a student to delay enrollment to a later term. In policy and governance, deferral can mean postponing the implementation of rules, decisions, or funding pending further evaluation or changes in conditions. In medical settings, deferral may involve postponing elective procedures or non-urgent treatments due to patient health, resource limits, or risk considerations. In project management or operations, deferral decisions may be used to reallocate resources, adjust timelines, or de-risk plans.

Implications of deferral include effects on financial statements and cash flow, project scheduling, and strategic planning. While deferral can provide flexibility and risk management, frequent or poorly justified deferrals may signal planning weaknesses or lead to accumulated backlog and uncertainty.