NOTE 13—COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Lease Commitments

HD Supply occupies certain facilities and operates certain equipment and vehicles under leases that expire at various dates through the year 2026. In addition to minimum rentals, there are certain executory costs such as real estate taxes, insurance, and common area maintenance on most of its facility leases. Expense under these leases totaled $146 million, $132 million, and $122 million in fiscal 2015, fiscal 2014, and fiscal 2013, respectively. Capital leases currently in effect are not material.

Future minimum aggregate rental payments under non-cancelable operating leases as of January 31, 2016 are as follows (amounts in millions):

	Fiscal Year
	2016		2017		2018		2019		2020		Thereafter		Total
Operating Leases	$	139		119		100		76		49		71	$	554

The Company subleases certain leased facilities to third parties. In addition, the Company leases certain owned facilities to third parties. Total future minimum rentals to be received under non-cancelable subleases and leases as of January 31, 2016 are approximately $36 million. These subleases and leases expire at various dates through the year 2025.

On February 4, 2016, the Company entered into an agreement for the lease of a leadership development and headquarters facility in Atlanta, Georgia. The lease commences upon completion of construction of the facility, which is anticipated to be January 2018. The initial term of the lease is twenty years with an initial base rent of approximately $5 million, escalating at 1.85% per year.

Purchase Obligations

As of January 31, 2016, the Company has agreements in place with various vendors to purchase goods and services, primarily inventory, in the aggregate amount of $399 million. These purchase obligations are generally cancelable, but the Company has no intent to cancel. Payment is due during fiscal 2016 for these obligations.

Internal Revenue Service

The Company carried back tax net operating losses ("NOL") from its tax years ended on February 3, 2008 and February 1, 2009 to tax years during which it was a member of The Home Depot Inc.'s ("Home Depot") U.S. federal consolidated tax group. As a result of those NOL carrybacks, Home Depot received cash refunds from the IRS in the amount of approximately $354 million. Under an agreement (the "Agreement") between the Company and Home Depot, Home Depot paid the Company the refund proceeds resulting from the NOL carrybacks.

In January 2013 in connection with an audit of the Company's U.S. federal income tax returns filed for the tax years ended on February 3, 2008 and February 1, 2009, the IRS issued a Revenue Agent's Report ("RAR") which proposed to disallow certain deductions claimed by the Company and a significant portion of the corresponding cash refunds resulting from the Company's NOL carrybacks. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company would be required to reimburse Home Depot an amount equal to the disallowed refunds plus related interest. In collaboration with Home Depot, the Company challenged the proposed adjustments of the RAR by filing a formal protest with the IRS Office of Appeals. In July 2014, the Company reached a tentative settlement ("Tentative Settlement") for approximately $27 million with the IRS Office of Appeals on the outstanding RAR. In order to stop the accrual of interest on the Tentative Settlement amount and as required under the Agreement, in August 2014 the Company made a payment of approximately $27 million to Home Depot which Home Depot then paid to the IRS. As a result of the Tentative Settlement, the Company's deferred tax assets increased by approximately $12 million before the impact of the valuation allowance.

The Tentative Settlement and the carryback claims were subject to review by the Joint Committee on Taxation ("JCT"). Accordingly, the Tentative Settlement would not become effective, nor were the carryback claims finalized, until the JCT reviewed them without objection or the IRS Office of Appeals executed such settlement, whichever comes first. The JCT is required to review refunds in excess of $2 million.

On February 19, 2015, the Company received notification the Tentative Settlement was approved by the JCT. As a result of the approval and finalization of the Tentative Settlement, the tax years ending February 3, 2008 and February 1, 2009 are settled and closed to any further adjustments.

See "Note 8, Income Taxes," for further disclosures on the Company's income taxes.

Legal Matters

On August 11, 2015, HD Supply Waterworks, Ltd., and the United States of America, acting through the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York and on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Transportation (collectively the "United States") entered into a civil settlement agreement in connection with the previously disclosed investigation of the Company by the United States related to the activities of certain disadvantaged business enterprises, including American Indian Builders and Suppliers, Inc (the "United States Investigation"). Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Company, in exchange for a release of certain civil and administrative monetary claims, paid the United States $4.945 million, which is an amount within the Company's previously established reserve for such matter.

In addition, on September 21, 2015 (the "Effective Date"), the Company entered into an Administrative Settlement and Compliance Agreement (the "AS&C Agreement") with the Federal Highway Administration ("FHWA"), an Operating Administration of the United States Department of Transportation, related to the same conduct at issue in the United States Investigation. Under the terms of the agreement, which will be effective for a period of three years from the Effective Date, HD Supply Waterworks has agreed to undertake, and has already undertaken, certain remedial measures, including (a) commitment to continue to be bound by its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; (b) a Corporate Compliance Program; (c) appointment of a Corporate Compliance Officer who was not involved in the conduct at issue in the United States Investigation; and (d) retention of an independent monitor to evaluate Waterworks' performance of the AS&C Agreement and to submit periodic reports directly to FHWA. In exchange, the FHWA has agreed not to initiate or pursue any suspension or debarment action against HD Supply Waterworks, the Company, or their affiliated entities, based on the conduct at issue in the United States Investigation unless HD Supply Waterworks materially breaches the AS&C Agreement. While the Company believes that HD Supply Waterworks will not materially breach its obligations under the AS&C Agreement, there can be no assurances that the FHWA will not initiate or pursue any suspension or debarment proceedings in the future.

HD Supply is involved in various legal proceedings arising in the normal course of its business. The Company establishes reserves for litigation and similar matters when those matters present loss contingencies that it determines to be both probable and reasonably estimable in accordance with ASC 450, Contingencies. In the opinion of management, based on current knowledge, all reasonably estimable and probable matters, including the government matters described above, are believed to be adequately reserved for or covered by insurance and are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. For all other matters, except as noted below, management believes the possibility of losses from such matters is not probable, the potential loss from such matters is not reasonably estimable, or such matters, if disposed of unfavorably to the Company, are of such kind or involve such amounts that would not have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. For material matters that are reasonably possible and reasonably estimable, including matters that are probable and estimable but for which the amount that is reasonably possible is in excess of the amount that the Company has accrued for, management has estimated the aggregate range of potential loss as $0 to $15 million. If a material loss is probable or reasonably possible, and in either case estimable, the Company has considered it in the analysis and it is included in the discussion set forth above.