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Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
IRA
The IRA was enacted in August 2022, and includes various income tax provisions, among other things. The law extends federal production and investment tax credits for projects beginning construction through 2024 and allows for a 10% adder to the production and investment tax credits for siting projects at existing energy communities as defined in the law, which includes sites previously used for coal-fired generation. The law also creates clean energy tax credits for projects beginning construction after 2024. The clean energy tax credits will apply to renewable energy production and investments, along with certain nuclear energy production, and will be phased out beginning in 2033, at the earliest. The phase-out is triggered when greenhouse gas emissions from the electric generation industry are reduced by at least 75% from the annual 2022 emission rate or at the beginning of 2033, whichever is later. The law allows for transferability to an unrelated party for cash of up to 100% of certain tax credits generated after 2022. In addition, the law imposes a 15% minimum tax on adjusted financial statement income, as defined in the law, for corporations whose average annual adjusted financial statement income exceeds $1 billion for three consecutive preceding tax years effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. Once a corporation exceeds this three-year average annual adjusted financial statement income threshold, it will be subject to the minimum tax for all future tax years. Additional regulations, interpretations, amendments, or technical corrections to or in connection with the IRA have been and are expected to be issued by the IRS or United States Department of Treasury, which may impact the timing of when the 15% minimum tax becomes applicable for Ameren.
IRS Natural Gas Repairs and Maintenance Guidance
In April 2023, the IRS issued guidance providing a safe harbor method of accounting for the capitalization or deduction of certain expenditures to maintain, repair, replace, or improve natural gas distribution and transmission property. Ameren adopted this guidance for the 2024 tax year and, as a result, during December 2024, Ameren, Ameren Missouri, and Ameren Illinois recorded increases to their “plant-related” deferred tax liabilities of $123 million, $12 million, and $111 million, respectively.
The following table presents the principal reasons for the difference between the effective income tax rate and the federal statutory corporate income tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:
Ameren MissouriAmeren IllinoisAmeren
2024
Federal statutory corporate income tax rate21 %21 %21 %
Increases (decreases) from:
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(a)
(17)(4)(9)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credit(1)  
Renewable and other tax credits(b)
(24) (9)
State tax3 7 5 
Depreciation differences  (1)
Effective income tax rate(18)%24 %7 %
2023
Federal statutory corporate income tax rate21 %21 %21 %
Increases (decreases) from:
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(a)
(15)(2)(8)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credit(1)— — 
Renewable and other tax credits(b)
(10)— (4)
State tax
Effective income tax rate(2)%26 %14 %
2022
Federal statutory corporate income tax rate21 %21 %21 %
Increases (decreases) from:
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(a)
(15)(2)(8)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credit(1)— — 
Renewable and other tax credits(b)
(10)— (4)
State tax
Effective income tax rate(2)%26 %14 %
(a)Reflects the amortization of a regulatory liability resulting from the revaluation of accumulated deferred income taxes subject to regulatory ratemaking, which are being refunded to customers.
(b)The benefit of the credits associated with Missouri renewable energy standard compliance is refunded to customers through the RESRAM. The benefit of the credits associated with the production and investment tax credit tracker will be refunded to customers based on MoPSC approval in a regulatory rate review.
The following table presents the components of income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022:
Ameren MissouriAmeren IllinoisOtherAmeren
2024
Current taxes:
Federal$(55)$5 $7 $(43)
State(3) 2 (1)
Deferred taxes:
Federal45 144 (12)177 
State8 76 (19)65 
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(79)(32)(1)(112)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credits(3)  (3)
Total income tax expense (benefit)$(87)$193 $(23)$83 
2023
Current taxes:
Federal$(37)$27 $(37)$(47)
State(5)
Deferred taxes:
Federal102 123 35 260 
State71 (10)70 
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(80)(17)(1)(98)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credits(3)— — (3)
Total income tax expense (benefit)$(8)$209 $(18)$183 
2022
Current taxes:
Federal$(26)$46 $(15)$
State(5)16 (10)
Deferred taxes:
Federal93 82 19 194 
State18 48 14 80 
Amortization of excess deferred income taxes(86)(13)(1)(100)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credits(4)— — (4)
Total income tax expense (benefit)$(10)$179 $$176 
The following table presents the accumulated deferred income tax assets and liabilities recorded as a result of temporary differences and accumulated deferred production and investment tax credits at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Ameren MissouriAmeren IllinoisOtherAmeren
2024
Accumulated deferred income taxes, net liability (asset):
Plant-related$2,429 $2,250 $261 $4,940 
Regulatory assets and liabilities, net(193)(170)(22)(385)
Deferred employee benefit costs(25)77 (25)27 
Tax carryforwards(355)(45)(103)(503)
Other131 28 3 162 
Total net accumulated deferred income tax liabilities (assets)1,987 2,140 114 4,241 
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits230 3  233 
Accumulated deferred income taxes and investment tax credits$2,217 $2,143 $114 $4,474 
2023
Accumulated deferred income taxes, net liability (asset):
Plant-related$2,370 $2,030 $246 $4,646 
Regulatory assets and liabilities, net(206)(184)(23)(413)
Deferred employee benefit costs(48)55 (33)(26)
Tax carryforwards(124)(33)(61)(218)
Other104 38 19 161 
Total net accumulated deferred income tax liabilities (assets)2,096 1,906 148 4,150 
Accumulated deferred investment tax credits26 — — 26 
Accumulated deferred income taxes and investment tax credits$2,122 $1,906 $148 $4,176 
The following table presents the components of accumulated deferred income tax assets relating to net operating loss carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards at December 31, 2024 and 2023:
Ameren MissouriAmeren IllinoisOtherAmeren
2024
Net operating loss carryforwards:
Federal(a)
$ $ $30 $30 
State(b)
 34 29 63 
Total net operating loss carryforwards$ $34 $59 $93 
Tax credit carryforwards:
Federal(c)
$355 $9 $44 $408 
State(d)
 2  2 
Total tax credit carryforwards$355 $11 $44 $410 
2023
Net operating loss carryforwards:
Federal
$— $— $— $— 
State— 26 16 42 
Total net operating loss carryforwards$— $26 $16 $42 
Tax credit carryforwards:
Federal
$124 $$45 $174 
State
— — 
Total tax credit carryforwards$124 $$45 $176 
(a)No expiration date.
(b)Will expire between 2032 and 2044.
(c)Will expire between 2031 and 2044.
(d)Will expire between 2025 and 2028.
Uncertain Tax Positions
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Ameren Companies did not record any uncertain tax positions.
Ameren is a part of the IRS’s compliance assurance process program, which involves real-time review of compliance with federal income tax law. State income tax returns are generally subject to examination for a period of three years after filing. The state impact of any federal changes remains subject to examination by various states for up to one year after formal notification to the states. Ameren’s federal tax return for the 2023 tax year is open, but, at the time of this filing, the Ameren Companies do not have material income tax issues under examination, administrative appeals, or litigation.