Is income tax expense a temporary account?

Yes, income tax expense is considered a temporary account. It is used to record the tax expense for a specific accounting period and is closed at the end of that period. The balance in the income tax expense account resets to zero at the beginning of the next period, allowing for the tracking of expenses anew. Temporary accounts, like income tax expense, are part of the income statement and are closed to retained earnings in the equity section of the balance sheet.