Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Income Taxes
Income Taxes	12. Income Taxes Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has elected to be treated and believes that it has been organized and has operated in a manner that has enabled it to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is generally not subject to corporate level federal income taxes on taxable income distributed currently to its stockholders. Since inception, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has distributed at least 100% of its taxable income annually. As such, no provision for federal income taxes has been included in the Company’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. The Operating Partnership is a partnership and is not required to pay federal income tax. Instead, taxable income is allocated to its partners, who include such amounts on their federal income tax returns. As such, no provision for federal income taxes has been included in the Operating Partnership’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements. We have elected taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) status for some of our consolidated subsidiaries. In general, a TRS may provide services that would otherwise be considered impermissible for REITs to provide and may hold assets that REITs cannot hold directly. Income taxes for TRS entities were accrued, as necessary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. For our TRS entities and foreign subsidiaries that are subject to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities are established for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is provided if we believe it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset may not be realized, based on available evidence at the time the determination is made. An increase or decrease in the valuation allowance that results from the change in circumstances that causes a change in our judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax asset is included in the income statement. Deferred tax assets (net of valuation allowance) and liabilities for our TRS entities and foreign subsidiaries were accrued, as necessary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had deferred tax liabilities net of deferred tax assets of approximately $703.1 million and $143.4 million, respectively, primarily related to our foreign properties, classified in accounts payable and other accrued expenses in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The majority of our net deferred tax liability relates to differences between foreign tax basis and book basis of the assets acquired in the Interxion Combination in March 2020, the European Portfolio Acquisition in July 2016 and the Sentrum portfolio acquisition during 2012. The valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 relate primarily to net operating loss carryforwards that we do not expect to utilize attributable to certain foreign jurisdictions.

Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

12. Income Taxes

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has elected to be treated and believes that it has been organized and has operated in a manner that has enabled it to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. As a REIT, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is generally not subject to corporate level federal income taxes on taxable income distributed currently to its stockholders. Since inception, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has distributed at least 100% of its taxable income annually. As such, no provision for federal income taxes has been included in the Company’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.

The Operating Partnership is a partnership and is not required to pay federal income tax. Instead, taxable income is allocated to its partners, who include such amounts on their federal income tax returns. As such, no provision for federal income taxes has been included in the Operating Partnership’s accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.

We have elected taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) status for some of our consolidated subsidiaries. In general, a TRS may provide services that would otherwise be considered impermissible for REITs to provide and may hold assets

that REITs cannot hold directly. Income taxes for TRS entities were accrued, as necessary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019.

For our TRS entities and foreign subsidiaries that are subject to U.S. federal, state, local and foreign income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities are established for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities at the enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is provided if we believe it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset may not be realized, based on available evidence at the time the determination is made. An increase or decrease in the valuation allowance that results from the change in circumstances that causes a change in our judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax asset is included in the income statement. Deferred tax assets (net of valuation allowance) and liabilities for our TRS entities and foreign subsidiaries were accrued, as necessary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had deferred tax liabilities net of deferred tax assets of approximately $703.1 million and $143.4 million, respectively, primarily related to our foreign properties, classified in accounts payable and other accrued expenses in the condensed consolidated balance sheet. The majority of our net deferred tax liability relates to differences between foreign tax basis and book basis of the assets acquired in the Interxion Combination in March 2020, the European Portfolio Acquisition in July 2016 and the Sentrum portfolio acquisition during 2012. The valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 relate primarily to net operating loss carryforwards that we do not expect to utilize attributable to certain foreign jurisdictions.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.

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