INCOME TAXES

6 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

NOTE 11. INCOME TAXES

At the end of each interim period, the Company estimates its annual effective tax rate and applies that rate to ordinary quarterly earnings. The tax expense or benefit related to significant, unusual or extraordinary items that will be separately reported or reported net of their related tax effect are individually computed and recognized in the interim period in which those items occur. In addition, the effects of changes in enacted tax laws or rates or tax status are recognized in the interim period in which the change occurs.

For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded income tax expense of $124 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $430 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates and by valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses offset by lower taxes on the disposition of REA Group’s interest in PropertyGuru.

For the six months ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded income tax expense of $185 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $640 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates and by valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses offset by lower taxes on the disposition of REA Group’s interest in PropertyGuru.

For the three months ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded income tax expense of $97 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $291 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates, and by valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses.

For the six months ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded income tax expense of $131 million on pre-tax income from continuing operations of $379 million, resulting in an effective tax rate that was higher than the U.S. statutory tax rate. The tax rate was impacted by foreign operations which are subject to higher tax rates and by valuation allowances recorded against tax benefits in certain businesses.

Management assesses available evidence to determine whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit the use of existing deferred tax assets. Based on management’s assessment of available evidence, it has been determined that it is more likely than not that certain deferred tax assets may not be realized and therefore, a valuation allowance has been established against those tax assets.

The Company’s tax returns are subject to on-going review and examination by various tax authorities. Tax authorities may not agree with the treatment of items reported in the Company’s tax returns, and therefore the outcome of tax reviews and examinations can be unpredictable. The Company is currently undergoing audits with certain U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company believes it has appropriately accrued for the expected outcome of uncertain tax matters and believes such liabilities represent a reasonable provision for taxes ultimately expected to be paid. However, the Company may need to accrue additional income tax expense and its liability may need to be adjusted as new information becomes known and as these tax examinations continue to progress, or as settlements or litigations occur.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) continues to develop detailed rules to assist member states in the implementation of landmark reforms to the international tax system, as agreed in October 2021 by 136 members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework. These rules are intended to address certain tax challenges arising from digitalization of the global economy and ensure that companies pay a global minimum level of taxation in countries where they operate.

The OECD’s recommendations call for a global minimum effective tax rate of 15% for multinational groups with annual global revenue exceeding 750 million Euros. In December 2022, European Union (“EU”) member states agreed to adopt the OECD’s minimum tax rules which began going into effect in tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2024. The majority of the EU countries and the U.K. enacted minimum tax legislation in 2023. Australia enacted minimum tax legislation in December 2024. Several other countries have proposed changes to their tax law to implement the OECD’s minimum tax proposal. Global minimum tax legislation will generally be effective for the Company’s financial year beginning on July 1, 2024. The Company has assessed the potential impact of global minimum tax proposals in the jurisdictions where it operates, including available transitional safe harbor relief which provides more simplified measures, on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Based on its assessment, these rules are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations. However, the application of the rules continues to evolve, and its outcome may alter aspects of how the Company’s tax obligations are determined in countries in which it does business. The Company continues to evaluate the potential impact of these rules.

The Company paid gross income taxes of $108 million and $74 million during the six months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and received tax refunds of $1 million and $9 million, respectively.