Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

14. Income Taxes

U.S. TAX LAW CHANGES

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 (H.R. 5376), which finances climate and energy provisions and an extension of enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Key provisions include a 15 percent corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) on adjusted financial statement income for corporations with average profits over $1 billion over a three-year period, a 1 percent stock buyback tax, increased IRS enforcement funding, and Medicare's new ability to negotiate prescription drug prices. CAMT and the stock buyback tax are effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The tax provisions of IRA are not expected to have a material impact on AIG’s financial results. However, the CAMT may impact our U.S. cash tax liabilities.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

We file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with our eligible U.S. subsidiaries. Income earned by subsidiaries operating outside the U.S. is taxed, and income tax expense is recorded, based on applicable U.S. and foreign laws.

Following the IPO of Corebridge on September 19, 2022, AIG’s remaining ownership in Corebridge decreased below 80 percent, resulting in tax deconsolidation of Corebridge parent and its subsidiaries from the AIG consolidated U.S. federal income tax group as well as certain state and local jurisdictions where unitary returns are filed.

Subsequent to the tax deconsolidation from AIG, due to the application of relevant U.S. tax laws, American General Corporation and its directly owned life insurance subsidiaries (the AGC Group) will not be permitted to join in the filing of a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return with Corebridge parent and its non-life-insurance subsidiaries for a period of five years. Corebridge’s net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards that have not been utilized prior to tax deconsolidation from AIG will remain with the relevant Corebridge entities and will be available for utilization by the respective Corebridge U.S. federal income tax groups. The realizability of the deferred tax assets related to such carryforwards is based on the positive and negative evidence applicable to each U.S. federal income tax group.

TAX ACCOUNTING POLICIES

We use an item-by-item approach to release the stranded or disproportionate income tax effects in AOCI related to our available-for-sale securities. Under this approach, a portion of the disproportionate tax effects is assigned to each individual security lot at the date the amount becomes lodged. When the individual securities are sold, mature, or are otherwise impaired on an other-than-temporary basis, the assigned portion of the disproportionate tax effect is reclassified from AOCI to income (loss) from continuing operations.

We consider our foreign earnings with respect to certain operations in Canada, South Africa, Japan, Latin America, Bermuda as well as the European, Asia Pacific and Middle East regions to be indefinitely reinvested. These earnings relate to ongoing operations and have been reinvested in active business operations. A deferred tax liability has not been recorded for those foreign subsidiaries whose earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested. If recorded, such deferred tax liability would not be material to our consolidated financial condition. Deferred taxes, if necessary, have been provided on earnings of non-U.S. affiliates whose earnings are not indefinitely reinvested.

Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) imposes U.S. taxes on the excess of a deemed return on tangible assets of certain foreign subsidiaries. Consistent with accounting guidance, we have made an accounting policy election to treat GILTI taxes as a period tax charge in the period the tax is incurred.

INTERIM TAX CALCULATION METHOD

We use the estimated annual effective tax rate method in computing our interim tax provision. Certain items, including those deemed to be unusual, infrequent or that cannot be reliably estimated, are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate. In these cases, the actual tax expense or benefit is reported in the same period as the related item. Certain tax effects are also not reflected in the estimated annual effective tax rate, primarily certain changes in uncertain tax positions and realizability of deferred tax assets, and are recorded in the period in which the change occurs.

INTERIM TAX EXPENSE (BENEFIT)

For the three-month period ended September 30, 2022, the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations was 21.0 percent. While the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations does not differ from the statutory tax rate of 21 percent, we recognized tax benefits associated with tax exempt income and reclassifications from AOCI to income from continuing operations related to the disposal of available for sale securities, offset by tax charges associated with the effect of foreign operations, state and local income taxes, and non-deductible transfer pricing charges. The effect of foreign operations is primarily related to income of our foreign operations taxed at statutory tax rates higher than 21 percent, other foreign taxes, and foreign income subject to U.S. taxation.

For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations was 20.8 percent. The effective tax rate on income from continuing operations differs from the statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to tax benefits associated with tax exempt income, reclassifications from AOCI to income from continuing operations related to the disposal of available for sale securities, excess tax benefits related to share based compensation payments recorded through the income statement and tax adjustments related to prior year returns. These tax benefits were partially offset by tax charges associated with the effect of foreign operations, state and local income taxes, and non-deductible transfer pricing charges. The effect of foreign operations is primarily related to income of our foreign operations taxed at statutory tax rates higher than 21 percent, other foreign taxes, and foreign income subject to U.S. taxation.

For the three-month period ended September 30, 2021, the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations was 20.2 percent. The effective tax rate on income from continuing operations differs from the statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to tax benefits associated with tax adjustments related to prior year returns, tax exempt income, and reclassifications from AOCI to income from continuing operations related to the disposal of available for sale securities. These tax benefits were partially offset by tax charges associated with the effect of foreign operations, valuation allowance activity related to certain foreign subsidiaries, state and local income taxes, and non-deductible transfer pricing charges. The effect of foreign operations is primarily related to income of our foreign operations taxed at statutory tax rates higher than 21 percent, other foreign taxes, and foreign income subject to U.S. taxation.

For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, the effective tax rate on income from continuing operations was 17.5 percent. The effective tax rate on income from continuing operations differs from the statutory tax rate of 21 percent primarily due to tax benefits associated with the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions, penalties and interest related to the recent completion of audit activity by the IRS, release of reserves for uncertain tax positions and interest related to a New York State tax settlement based on the completion of recent audit activity, tax adjustments related to prior year returns, tax exempt income, remeasurement of deferred taxes as a result of an increase in the UK corporate income tax rate enacted during the second quarter, and reclassifications from AOCI to income from continuing operations related to the disposal of available for sale securities. These tax benefits were partially offset by tax charges associated with the establishment of U.S. federal valuation allowance related to certain tax attribute carryforwards, the effect of foreign operations, excess tax charges related to share based compensation payments recorded through the income statement, state and local income taxes, and non-deductible transfer pricing charges. We also recognized a tax charge associated with reduction of net operating loss deferred tax assets in certain foreign jurisdictions, with a corresponding decrease in the related deferred tax asset valuation allowance. The effect of foreign operations is primarily related to income of our foreign operations taxed at statutory tax rates higher than 21 percent, other foreign taxes, and foreign income subject to U.S. taxation.

ASSESSMENT OF DEFERRED TAX ASSET VALUATION ALLOWANCE

The evaluation of the recoverability of our deferred tax asset and the need for a valuation allowance requires us to weigh all positive and negative evidence to reach a conclusion that it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The weight given to the evidence is commensurate with the extent to which it can be objectively verified. The more negative evidence that exists, the more positive evidence is necessary and the more difficult it is to support a conclusion that a valuation allowance is not needed.

Recent events, including changes in target interest rates by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and significant market volatility, continue to impact actual and projected results of our business operations as well as our views on potential effectiveness of certain prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. In order to demonstrate the predictability and sufficiency of future taxable income necessary to support the realizability of the net operating losses and foreign tax credit carryforwards, we have considered forecasts of future income for each of our businesses, including assumptions about future macro-economic and AIG-specific conditions and events, and any impact these conditions and events may have on our prudent and feasible tax planning strategies. We also subjected the forecasts to a variety of stresses of key assumptions and evaluated the effect on tax attribute utilization.

The carryforward period of our foreign tax credit carryforwards runs through 2023. Carryforward periods for our net operating losses extend from 2028 forward. However, utilization of a portion of our net operating losses is limited under separate return limitation year rules.

To the extent that the valuation allowance is attributed to changes in forecast of current year taxable income, the impact is included in our estimated annualized effective tax rate. A valuation allowance related to changes in forecasts of income in future periods as well as other items not related to the current year is recorded discretely.

Although tax deconsolidation of Corebridge from the AIG consolidated U.S. federal income tax group resulted in the formation of new federal tax filing groups requiring separate deferred tax asset realizability assessments, there was no overall change to the total deferred tax asset valuation allowance recorded as of September 30, 2022. After factoring in multiple data points and assessing relative weight of all positive and negative evidence, we concluded that a valuation allowance of $850 million is still necessary. Accordingly, as of September 30, 2022, the balance sheet reflects a valuation allowance of $850 million, of which $705 million and $145 million was recorded by AIG Parent and Corebridge, respectively. The valuation allowance at AIG Parent relates to a portion of our U.S. consolidated federal income tax group tax attribute carryforwards that are no longer more-likely-than-not to be realized. The valuation allowance at Corebridge relates to a portion of both tax attribute carryforwards and certain other deferred tax assets of the Corebridge non-life insurance group that are not more-likely-than-not to be realized.

For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, recent changes in market conditions, including rising interest rates, impacted the unrealized tax gains and losses in the available for sale securities portfolios of both our U.S. Life Insurance and non-life insurance companies, resulting in deferred tax assets related to net unrealized tax capital losses. The deferred tax assets relate to the unrealized tax capital losses for which the carryforward period has not yet begun, and as such, when assessing recoverability, we consider our ability and intent to hold the underlying securities to recovery. As of September 30, 2022, based on all available evidence, we concluded that a valuation allowance should be established on a portion of the deferred tax assets related to unrealized tax capital losses that are not more-likely-than-not to be realized. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, we established $1.6 billion of valuation allowance associated with the unrealized tax capital losses in the U.S. Life Insurance Companies’ available for sale securities portfolio and $991 million of valuation allowance associated with the unrealized tax capital losses in the non-life insurance companies’ available for sale securities portfolio. For the three-month period ended September 30, 2022, we recorded an increase in valuation allowance of $75 million associated with the unrealized tax capital losses in the U.S. Life Insurance Companies’ available for sale securities portfolio and $361 million associated with the unrealized tax capital losses in the non-life insurance companies’ available for sale securities portfolio. The valuation allowance establishment was allocated to other comprehensive income.

For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, we recognized a net $15 million decrease in deferred tax asset valuation allowance associated with certain foreign and state jurisdictions, primarily attributable to current year activity.

TAX EXAMINATIONS AND LITIGATION

We are currently under examination by the IRS for the tax years 2011 through 2019.

In September 2020, we received the IRS Revenue Agent Report containing agreed and disagreed issues for the audit of tax years 2007-2010. In October 2020, we filed a protest of the disagreed issues with the IRS Independent Office of Appeals (IRS Appeals). In March 2021, the IRS audit team issued their rebuttal to the protest of disagreed issues to IRS Appeals. We had an IRS Appeals conference in October 2021 and are continuing to engage in the Appeals process.

In 2009, after paying amounts due on a statutory notice of deficiency related to the disallowance of foreign tax credits associated with cross border financing transactions, we filed a refund lawsuit in the Southern District of New York (Southern District) with respect to tax year 1997. In 2020, the parties executed a binding settlement agreement with respect to the underlying issues in the lawsuit. On October 22, 2020, the Southern District dismissed the case based upon the settlement reached between AIG and the government. In March 2022, interest amounts due on the settlement of items challenged by the IRS during the audit of AIG's 2006 and prior years were agreed to between AIG and the IRS, thus concluding this matter.

ACCOUNTING FOR UNCERTAINTY IN INCOME TAXES

At both September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, our unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, were $1.2 billion. At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, our unrecognized tax benefits related to tax positions that, if recognized, would not affect the effective tax rate because they relate to such factors as the timing, rather than the permissibility, of the deduction were $2 million and $22 million, respectively. Accordingly, at September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the amounts of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would favorably affect the effective tax rate were $1.2 billion and $1.1 billion, respectively.

Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are recognized in income tax expense. At September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, we had accrued liabilities of $61 million and $69 million, respectively for the payment of interest (net of the federal benefit) and penalties. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022, we accrued benefit of $8 million for the payment of interest and penalties. The interest activity related to unrecognized tax benefits for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2022 was due to the completion of audit activity and expiration of a certain statute related to foreign operations. For the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021, we accrued benefit of $203 million for the payment of interest and penalties. The activity for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2021 primarily related to the completion of audit activity by the IRS and New York State.

Although it is reasonably possible that a change in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the next 12 months, based on the information currently available, we do not expect any change to be material to our consolidated financial condition.