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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes [Text Block]
10.    Income Taxes
For interim tax reporting, we estimate an annual effective tax rate which is applied to the year-to-date ordinary income/(loss). Tax effects of significant unusual or infrequently occurring items are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate calculation and recognized in the interim period in which they occur. Our effective income tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, changes in pre-tax income in countries with varying statutory tax rates, changes in valuation allowances, changes in foreign exchange gains/losses, the amount of exempt income, changes in unrecognized tax benefits associated with uncertain tax positions, and changes in tax laws.
Our effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 1,136.4% compared with 12.3% for the three months ended September 30, 2019. In the third quarter of 2020, we recognized a tax benefit of $125 million, primarily from a non-cash impairment, resulting in a tax rate of 1,136.4% on our $11 million pre-tax loss.
Our effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was -16.7% compared with 15.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The lower effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was primarily attributable to lower earnings largely from a non-cash impairment. This decreased pre-tax earnings increased the relative impact of our tax rate drivers, primarily exempt income and to a lesser extent a tax benefit in relation to the CARES Act.
On March 27, 2020, the U.S. enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, also known as the “CARES Act,” which contains numerous income tax provisions and other stimulus measures. We anticipate that several of the tax measures will favorably impact our income tax on our Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2020. Based on our analysis as of September 30, 2020, we recorded an overall tax benefit including the impact of an expected net operating loss carry-back. We continue to assess the impact that the CARES Act will have on our Company.