Commitments and Contingencies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies

Capital Commitments

At June 30, 2020, the Company had committed to spend approximately $9,900 under agreements to purchase property and equipment. This amount is net of capital advances paid as of June 30, 2020 which are recognized in the unaudited consolidated balance sheets as property and equipment.

Other Commitments

Certain units of the Company’s Indian subsidiaries were established as 100% Export-Oriented units or under the Software Technology Parks of India (“STPI”) or Special Economic Zone (“SEZ”) scheme promulgated by the Government of India. These units are exempt from customs, central excise duties, and levies on imported and indigenous capital goods, stores, and spares. The Company has undertaken to pay custom duties, service taxes, levies, and liquidated damages payable, if any, in respect of imported and indigenous capital goods, stores and spares consumed duty free, in the event that certain terms and conditions are not fulfilled. The Company’s management believes, however, that these units have in the past satisfied and will continue to satisfy the required conditions.

The Company’s operations centers in the Philippines are registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (“PEZA”). The registration provides the Company with certain fiscal incentives on the import of capital goods and local purchase of services and materials and requires ExlService Philippines, Inc. to meet certain performance and investment criteria. The Company’s management believes that these centers have in the past satisfied and will continue to satisfy the required criteria.

Contingencies

The U.S. and Indian transfer pricing regulations require that any international transaction involving associated enterprises be at an arm’s-length price. Accordingly, the Company determines the appropriate pricing for the international transactions among its associated enterprises on the basis of a detailed functional and economic analysis involving benchmarking against transactions among entities that are not under common control. The tax authorities have jurisdiction to review this arrangement

and in the event that they determine that the transfer price applied was not appropriate, the Company may incur increased tax liability, including accrued interest and penalties. The Company is currently involved in disputes with the Indian tax authorities over the application of some of its transfer pricing policies for some of its subsidiaries. Further, the Company and a U.S. subsidiary are engaged in tax litigation with the income-tax authorities in India on the issue of permanent establishment. The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and various states and foreign jurisdictions. For the U.S., the Philippines and India, tax year 2016 and subsequent tax years remain open for examination by the tax authorities as of June 30, 2020.

The aggregate amount demanded by income tax authorities (net of advance payments, if any) from the Company related to its transfer pricing issues for tax years 2003 to 2015 and its permanent establishment issues for tax years 2003 to 2007 as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 is $16,152 and $16,220, respectively, of which the Company has made payments and/or provided bank guarantees to the extent $7,856 and $8,108, respectively. Amounts paid as deposits in respect of such assessments aggregating to $6,102 and $6,252 as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, are included in “Other assets” and amounts deposited for bank guarantees aggregating to $1,754 and $1,856 as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, are included in “Restricted cash” in the non-current assets section of the Company’s unaudited consolidated balance sheets.

Based on the facts underlying the Company’s position and its experience with these types of assessments, the Company believes that its position will more likely than not be sustained upon final examination by the tax authorities based on its technical merits as of the reporting date and accordingly has not accrued any amount with respect to these matters in its unaudited consolidated financial statements. The Company does not expect any impact from these assessments on its future income tax expense. It is possible that the Company might receive similar orders or assessments from tax authorities for subsequent years. Accordingly, even if these disputes are resolved, the Indian tax authorities may still serve additional orders or assessments.

In February 2019, there was a judicial pronouncement in India with respect to defined contribution benefits payments interpreting certain statutory defined contribution obligations of employees and employers. Currently some of the Company's subsidiaries in India are undergoing assessment with the statutory authorities. As of the reporting date, it is unclear whether the interpretation set out in the pronouncement has retrospective application. If applied retrospectively, the interpretation may result in a significant increase in contributions payable by the Company for past periods for certain of its India-based employees. There are numerous interpretative challenges concerning the retrospective application of the judgment. Due to such challenges and a lack of interpretive guidance, and based on legal advice, the Company believes it is currently impracticable to reliably estimate the timing and amount of any payments the Company may be required to make. Accordingly, the Company will re-evaluate the amount of a potential provision, if any, upon further developments.

From time to time, the Company and/or its present officers or directors, on individual basis, may be or have been, named as a defendant in litigation matters, including employment-related claims. The plaintiffs in those cases seek damages, including, where applicable, compensatory damages, punitive damages and attorney’s fees. With respect to pending litigation matters as of the reporting date, the Company believes that the damages amounts claimed in such cases are not meaningful indicators of the potential liabilities of the Company, that these matters are without merit, and that the Company intends to vigorously defend each of them.

The outcomes of legal actions are unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and thus it is inherently difficult to determine the likelihood of the Company incurring a material loss or quantification of any such loss. With respect to pending litigation matters as of the reporting date, based on information currently available, including the Company’s assessment of the facts underlying each matter and advice of counsel, the amount or range of reasonably possible losses, if any, cannot be reasonably estimated. Based on the Company’s assessment, including the availability of insurance recoveries, the Company’s management does not believe that currently pending litigation, individually or in aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on the Company’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.