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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

14.  Income Taxes

We operate on a global basis and are subject to numerous and complex tax laws and regulations.  Additionally, tax laws continue to undergo rapid changes in both application and interpretation by various countries, including state aid interpretations and initiatives led by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.  Our income tax filings are subject to examinations by taxing authorities throughout the world. Income tax audits may require an extended period of time to reach resolution and may result in significant income tax adjustments when interpretation of tax laws or allocation of company profits is disputed.  Although ultimate timing is uncertain, the net amount of tax liability for unrecognized tax benefits may change within the next twelve months due to changes in audit status, expiration of statutes of limitations, settlements of tax assessments and other events.  Management’s best estimate of such change is within the range of a $260 million decrease to a $20 million increase.

We are under continuous audit by the IRS and other taxing authorities.  During the course of these audits, we receive proposed adjustments from taxing authorities that may be material.  Therefore, there is a possibility that an adverse outcome in these audits could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition.  Our U.S. Federal income tax returns have been audited through 2015 and are currently under audit for years 2016-2019.   

In October 2020, we reached agreement with the IRS for tax years 2006-2012 related to the reallocation of profits between the U.S. and Puerto Rico as well as other miscellaneous adjustments.  

The IRS has proposed adjustments for tax years 2010-2012, primarily related to reallocating profits between certain of our U.S. and foreign subsidiaries, which remain unsettled.  We have disputed these adjustments and intend to continue to vigorously defend our positions as we pursue resolution through the administrative process with the IRS Independent Office of Appeals.  

In December 2020, we received a revised Notice of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPA”) from the IRS for tax years 2013-2015 relating to transfer pricing involving our cost sharing agreement between the U.S. and Switzerland affiliated companies and reallocating profits between certain of our U.S. and foreign subsidiaries.  In April 2021, we received a Revenue Agents’ Report (“RAR”) on this matter which was consistent with the NOPA.  The RAR adjustment related to the cost sharing agreement proposes an increase to our U.S. Federal taxable income, which would result in additional tax expense related to 2013 of approximately $370 million, subject to interest and penalties.  We strongly believe that the position of the IRS, with regard to this matter, is inconsistent with the applicable U.S. Treasury regulations governing our cost sharing agreement.  We do not expect changes to our reserves

relative to these matters within the next twelve months.  We intend to vigorously contest the RAR, and we will pursue all available administrative and, if necessary, judicial remedies.  If we pursue judicial remedies in the U.S. Tax Court for years 2013-2015, a number of years will likely elapse before such matters are finally resolved.  No payment of any amount related to this RAR is required to be made, if at all, until all applicable proceedings have been completed.  

A public referendum held in Switzerland passed the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (“TRAF”), effective January 1, 2020.  The TRAF provides transitional relief measures for companies that are losing the tax benefit of a ruling, including a "step-up" for amortizable goodwill, equal to the amount of future tax benefit they would have received under their existing ruling, subject to certain limitations.  This resulted in the recording of a deferred tax asset for future deductions of tax goodwill. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2021, we recognized benefits of $10.0 million related to certain adjustments to the estimated net deferred tax asset from the filing of tax returns.  

In the three-month periods ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 our effective tax rate (“ETR”) was 10.4 percent and negative 1.0 percent, respectively.  The 10.4 percent ETR in the three-month period ended March 31, 2021 was the result of favorable discrete adjustments from the filing of Swiss tax returns and an excess tax benefit related to stock-based compensation.  The negative 1.0 percent ETR in the three-month period ended March 31, 2020 was primarily due to the $612.0 million goodwill impairment charge, which resulted in a loss before taxes, but had no corresponding tax benefit.  Absent discrete tax events, we expect our future ETR will be lower than the U.S. corporate income tax rate of 21.0 percent due to our mix of earnings between U.S. and foreign locations, which have lower corporate income tax rates.  Our ETR in future periods could also potentially be impacted by: changes in our mix of pre-tax earnings; changes in tax rates, tax laws or their interpretation; the outcome of various federal, state and foreign audits; and the expiration of certain statutes of limitations.  Currently, we cannot reasonably estimate the impact of these items on our financial results.