Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

NOTE 7 — INCOME TAXES

The effective income tax rate of 21.3% for the three months ended August 31, 2024 compares to the effective income tax rate of 25.2% for the three months ended August 31, 2023. The effective income tax rates for both periods reflect variances from the 21% statutory rate due to the unfavorable impact of state and local income taxes, non-deductible business expenses, and the net tax on foreign subsidiary income resulting from the global intangible low-taxed income provisions, partially offset by tax benefits related to equity compensation. Additionally, the effective income tax rate for the current three-month period ended August 31, 2024, reflects a favorable adjustment for incremental U.S. foreign tax credits associated with a distribution of historic foreign earnings that were previously not considered to be permanently reinvested. The distribution of such earnings was done in conjunction with global cash redeployment and debt optimization projects executed during the quarter. The effective income tax rate for the three-month period ended August 31, 2023 reflected incremental tax expense related to a change in the estimated net deferred tax liability for unremitted earnings and our liability for uncertain tax positions.

Our deferred tax liability for unremitted foreign earnings was adjusted to $4.1 million as of May 31, 2024. The $4.1 million represented our estimate of the net tax cost of remitting of $285.6 million of foreign earnings that were not considered to be permanently reinvested. As of August 31, 2024, the amount of these earnings has changed to $164.0 million and we no longer have a tax liability associated with remitting these earnings. The reduction to the earnings amounts no longer permanently reinvested is due principally to distributions of such earnings during the quarter. We have not provided for foreign withholding or income taxes on the remaining foreign subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings because such earnings have been retained and reinvested by the subsidiaries as of August 31, 2024. Accordingly, no provision has been made for foreign withholding or income taxes, which may become payable if the remaining undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries were remitted to us as dividends.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) has proposed a framework comprised of rules and models, collectively referred to as Pillar Two (“P2”), that are designed to ensure that certain multi-national enterprises pay a minimum tax rate of 15% on reported profits arising in each jurisdiction where they operate. Although the OECD provided a framework for applying the minimum tax, individual countries have and may continue to enact P2 rules that are different than the OECD framework. While we continue to monitor P2 developments, we do not anticipate that P2 will have a material impact on our long-term financial position.