Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees

Note 30: Contingencies, Commitments and Guarantees

Lawsuits and legal claims

The Company is engaged in various legal proceedings, claims, audits and investigations that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. These matters include, but are not limited to, employment matters, commercial matters, defamation claims and intellectual property infringement claims. The outcome of all of the matters against the Company is subject to future resolution, including the uncertainties of litigation. Based on information currently known to the Company and after consultation with outside legal counsel, management believes that the ultimate resolution of any such matters, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition taken as a whole.

Uncertain tax positions

The Company is subject to taxation in numerous jurisdictions and is routinely under audit by many different taxing authorities in the ordinary course of business. There are many transactions and calculations during the course of business for which the ultimate tax determination is uncertain, as taxing authorities may challenge some of the Company’s positions and propose adjustments or changes to its tax filings.

As a result, the Company maintains provisions for uncertain tax positions that it believes appropriately reflect its risk. These provisions are made using the Company’s best estimates of the amount expected to be paid based on a qualitative assessment of all relevant factors. When appropriate, the Company performs an expected value calculation to determine its provisions. The Company reviews the adequacy of these provisions at the end of each reporting period and adjusts them based on changing facts and circumstances. Due to the uncertainty associated with tax audits, it is possible that at some future date, liabilities resulting from such audits or related litigation could vary significantly from the Company’s provisions. However, based on currently enacted legislation, information currently known by the Company and after consultation with outside tax advisors, management believes that the ultimate resolution of any such matters, individually or in the aggregate, will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition taken as a whole.

Prior to 2022, the Company paid $379 million of tax as required under notices of assessment issued by the U.K. tax authority, HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”), under the Diverted Profits Tax (“DPT”) regime that collectively related to the 2015, 2016, and 2018 taxation years of certain of

its

current and former U.K. affiliates. In 2022, HMRC issued additional DPT notices aggregating $85 million collectively related to the 2016, 2017 and 2018 taxation years. The Company paid these additional notices during the calendar year 2022.

HMRC continues to have the statutory authority to amend the above assessments solely for the 2017 taxation year by issuing DPT supplementary notices for that year.

As the Company does not believe these current and former U.K. affiliates fall within the scope of the DPT regime, it will continue contesting these assessments (including any amended by HMRC) through all available administrative and judicial remedies and intends to vigorously defend its position. Payments made by the Company are not a reflection of its view on the merits of the case. As the assessments largely relate to businesses that the Company has sold, the majority are subject to indemnity arrangements under which the Company has been or will be required to pay additional taxes to HMRC or the indemnity counterparty.

Because the Company believes that its position is supported by the weight of law, it does not believe that the resolution of this matter will have a material adverse effect on its financial condition taken as a whole. As the Company expects to receive refunds of substantially all of the aggregate of amounts paid and potential future payments pursuant to these notices of assessment, it expects to continue recording substantially all of these payments as

non-current

receivables from HMRC or the indemnity counterparty on its financial statements. The Company expects that its existing sources of liquidity will be sufficient to fund any required additional payments if HMRC issues further notices.

Guarantees

The Company has an investment in 3XSQ Associates, an entity jointly owned by a subsidiary of the Company and Rudin Times Square Associates LLC (“Rudin”), that owns and operates the 3 Times Square office building (“the building”) in New York, New York. In June 2022, 3XSQ Associates obtained a $415 million,

3-year

term loan facility to refinance existing debt, fund the building’s redevelopment, and cover interest and operating costs during the redevelopment period. The building is pledged as loan collateral. Thomson Reuters and Rudin each guarantee 50% of (i) certain principal loan amounts and (ii) interest and operating costs. Thomson Reuters and Rudin also jointly and severally guarantee (i) completion of commenced works and (ii) lender losses arising from disallowed acts, environmental or otherwise. To minimize economic exposure to 50% for the joint and several obligations, Thomson Reuters and a parent entity of Rudin entered into a cross-indemnification arrangement. The Company believes the value of the building is expected to be sufficient to cover obligations that could arise from the guarantees. The guarantees do not impact the Company’s ability to borrow funds under its $2.0 billion syndicated credit facility or the related covenant calculation.

Dispositions

In certain disposition agreements, the Company guarantees to the purchaser the recoverability of certain assets or limits on certain liabilities, including as in the “Uncertain tax positions” section above. The Company does not believe based upon current facts and circumstances described that additional payments in connection with these transactions would have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition taken as a whole.

Unconditional purchase obligations

The Company has various obligations for materials, supplies, outsourcing and other services contracted in the ordinary course of business. The future unconditional purchase obligations as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 are as follows:



	December 31,

	2022	2021
Within 1 year	342	374
Between 1 and 2 years	225	273
Between 2 and 3 years	135	199
Between 3 and 4 years	42	136
Between 4 and 5 years	2	47
Later than 5 years	2	3
	748	1,032