Equity Method Investment

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Equity Method Investment

Equity Method Investment

We have a 50% ownership interest in Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL), which operates an ammonia production facility in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. We include our share of the net earnings from this equity method investment as an element of earnings from operations because PLNL provides additional production to our operations and is integrated with our other supply chain and sales activities in the ammonia segment.

As of September 30, 2020, the total carrying value of our equity method investment in PLNL was $86 million, $43 million more than our share of PLNL’s book value. The excess is attributable to the purchase accounting impact of our acquisition of the investment in PLNL and reflects the revaluation of property, plant and equipment. The increased basis for property, plant and equipment is being amortized over a remaining period of approximately 13 years. Our equity in earnings of PLNL is different from our ownership interest in income reported by PLNL due to amortization of this basis difference.

We have transactions in the normal course of business with PLNL reflecting our obligation to purchase 50% of the ammonia produced by PLNL at current market prices. Our ammonia purchases from PLNL totaled $14 million and $37 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $12 million and $46 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

The Trinidadian tax authority (the Board of Inland Revenue) issued a proposed tax assessment against PLNL with respect to tax years 2011 and 2012 in the amount of approximately $12 million. The proposed assessment asserted that PLNL should have withheld tax at a higher rate on dividends paid to its Trinidadian owners. The Board of Inland Revenue also would have assessed statutory interest and penalties on the amount of tax owed when a final assessment was issued for the tax years 2011 and 2012. As we own a 50% interest in PLNL, our effective share of any assessment that is determined to be a liability of PLNL would be 50%, which would be reflected as a reduction in our equity in earnings of PLNL.

During the third quarter of 2019, the Trinidadian government offered a tax amnesty period that provided taxpayers the opportunity to pay any prior year tax obligations and avoid accumulated interest or penalties. During the tax amnesty period, PLNL evaluated the proposed assessment, including considering the outcome of certain recent legal cases involving other taxpayers. As a result of this evaluation, in the third quarter of 2019, PLNL paid withholding tax to the Board of Inland Revenue under the amnesty program for tax years back to 2011, and recognized a charge for $32 million. Our 50% share of PLNL’s tax charge is $16 million, which reduced our equity in earnings of operating affiliate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019.