Income taxes	6 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income taxes	Income taxes The effective tax rate for the three and six months ended February 28, 2019 was 16.7% and 15.5%, respectively, compared to 27.4% and 25.4% for the three and six months ended February 28, 2018, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rates for the three and six months ended February 28, 2019 was primarily due to the provisional net discrete tax expense that was recorded during the three months ended February 28, 2018 as a result of the U.S. tax law changes, which were enacted on December 22, 2017. Income taxes paid for the six months ended February 28, 2019 were $766 million, compared to $301 million for the six months ended February 28, 2018. U.S. tax law changes In connection with the U.S. tax law changes enacted in December 2017 and in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (“SAB 118”), the Company completed its analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes during the three months ended February 28, 2019. The incremental net tax benefit for the six months ended recorded upon completion of the analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes was not material to our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. While the Company completed its analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes, the final impact of the U.S. tax law changes may differ from this analysis, due to, among other things, technical clarifications from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), interpretations of the U.S. tax law changes and actions the Company may take. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of any future authoritative guidance with respect to the U.S. tax law changes. The U.S. tax law changes created new rules that allow the Company to make an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on future global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) inclusions in taxable income as either a current period expense or reflect such inclusions related to temporary basis differences in the Company’s measurement of deferred taxes. The Company has elected to treat GILTI as a current period expense. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the GILTI provisions under the U.S. tax law changes, which are complex and subject to continuing regulatory interpretation by the IRS. As we repatriate the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries for use in the United States, the earnings from our foreign subsidiaries will generally not be subject to U.S. federal tax. We continuously evaluate the amount of foreign earnings that are not necessary to be permanently reinvested in our foreign subsidiaries.

Income taxes

The effective tax rate for the three and six months ended February 28, 2019 was 16.7% and 15.5%, respectively, compared to 27.4% and 25.4% for the three and six months ended February 28, 2018, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rates for the three and six months ended February 28, 2019 was primarily due to the provisional net discrete tax expense that was recorded during the three months ended February 28, 2018 as a result of the U.S. tax law changes, which were enacted on December 22, 2017.

Income taxes paid for the six months ended February 28, 2019 were $766 million, compared to $301 million for the six months ended February 28, 2018.

U.S. tax law changes

In connection with the U.S. tax law changes enacted in December 2017 and in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (“SAB 118”), the Company completed its analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes during the three months ended February 28, 2019. The incremental net tax benefit for the six months ended recorded upon completion of the analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes was not material to our Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

While the Company completed its analysis of the income tax effects of the U.S. tax law changes, the final impact of the U.S. tax law changes may differ from this analysis, due to, among other things, technical clarifications from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), interpretations of the U.S. tax law changes and actions the Company may take. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of any future authoritative guidance with respect to the U.S. tax law changes.

The U.S. tax law changes created new rules that allow the Company to make an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on future global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) inclusions in taxable income as either a current period expense or reflect such inclusions related to temporary basis differences in the Company’s measurement of deferred taxes. The Company has elected to treat GILTI as a current period expense. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the GILTI provisions under the U.S. tax law changes, which are complex and subject to continuing regulatory interpretation by the IRS.

As we repatriate the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries for use in the United States, the earnings from our foreign subsidiaries will generally not be subject to U.S. federal tax. We continuously evaluate the amount of foreign earnings that are not necessary to be permanently reinvested in our foreign subsidiaries.