Income Tax Expense

6 Months Ended

Dec. 27, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Expense

Income Tax Expense

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “2017 Act”), enacted on December 22, 2017, includes a broad range of tax reform proposals affecting businesses. WDC completed its accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the 2017 Act during the second quarter of 2019. However, the U.S. Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have issued tax guidance on certain provisions of the 2017 Act since the enactment date, and the Company anticipates the issuance of additional regulatory and interpretive guidance. WDC applied a reasonable interpretation of the 2017 Act along with the then-available guidance in finalizing its accounting for the tax effects of the 2017 Act. Any additional regulatory or interpretive guidance would constitute new information, which may require further refinements to the Company’s estimates in future periods.

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which contained significant changes to laws related to tax, climate, energy, and health care. The tax measures include, among other things, a corporate alternative minimum tax (“CAMT”) of 15% on corporations with three-year average annual adjusted financial statement income (“AFSI”) exceeding $1.0 billion. The CAMT was effective for the Company beginning with fiscal year 2024. The Company does not expect to be subject to the CAMT of 15% for fiscal year 2025 as its average annual AFSI did not exceed $1.0 billion for the preceding three-year period.

On December 20, 2021, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development G20 (“OECD/G20”) Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting released Model Global Anti-Base Erosion rules under Pillar Two (“Pillar Two”). Several non-U.S. jurisdictions have either enacted legislation or announced their intention to enact future legislation to adopt certain or all components of the Pillar Two, some of which are effective for the Company in fiscal year 2025. For fiscal year 2025, the Company currently expects to be able to meet certain transitional safe harbors and does not expect any material Pillar Two taxes. As more jurisdictions adopt this legislation in fiscal year 2026, there may be material increases in the Company’s future tax obligations in certain jurisdictions.

The following table presents the Company’s Income tax expense and the effective tax rate:

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	December 27, 2024			December 29, 2023			December 27, 2024			December 29, 2023
	($ in millions)
Income (loss) before taxes	$	173		$	(260)		$	440		$	(754)
Income tax expense	69			41			125			65
Effective tax rate	40		%	(16)		%	28		%	(9)		%

Beginning in fiscal year 2023, the 2017 Act requires the Company to capitalize and amortize R&D expenses rather than expensing them in the year incurred. The tax effects related to the capitalization of R&D expenses are included in the effective tax rate for the three and six months ended December 27, 2024 and December 29, 2023.

The relative mix of earnings and losses by jurisdiction, the deduction for foreign-derived intangible income, credits and tax holidays in Malaysia that have or will expire at various dates during years 2025 through 2031 resulted in decreases to the effective tax rate below the U.S. statutory rate for the three and six months ended December 27, 2024. However, the tax effects of the mandatory capitalization of R&D expenses offset these decreases, resulting in the effective tax rate being closer to the U.S. Federal statutory rate for the three and six months ended December 27, 2024.

The primary drivers of the difference between the effective tax rate for the three and six months ended December 29, 2023 and the U.S. Federal statutory rate of 21% are the relative mix of earnings and losses by jurisdiction, the deduction for foreign-derived intangible income, credits and tax holidays in Malaysia.

Uncertain Tax Positions

With the exception of certain unrecognized tax benefits that are directly associated with the tax position taken, unrecognized tax benefits are presented gross in the Condensed Combined Balance Sheets.

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding accrued interest and penalties for the six months ended December 27, 2024:

	(in millions)
Accrual balance at June 28, 2024	$	47
Gross increases related to prior year tax positions	17
Gross increases related to current year tax positions	3
Gross decrease related to prior year tax positions	(7)
Accrual balance at December 27, 2024	$	60

As of December 27, 2024 and June 28, 2024, the liability for unrecognized tax benefits (excluding accrued interest and penalties) was $60 million and $47 million, respectively. Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in liabilities recorded for uncertain tax positions and are recorded in the provision for income taxes. Accrued interest and penalties included in the Company’s liability related to unrecognized tax benefits as of December 27, 2024 and June 28, 2024 was $6 million and $9 million, respectively.

The Company believes that adequate provision has been made for any adjustments that may result from any other tax examinations. However, the outcome of such tax examinations cannot be predicted with certainty. If any issues addressed in the Company’s tax examinations are resolved in a manner not consistent with management’s expectations, the Company could be required to adjust its provision for income taxes in the period such resolution occurs. Any significant change in the amount of the Company’s liability for unrecognized tax benefits would most likely result from additional information relating to the examination of the Company’s tax returns.