Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note 9: Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was (71.7) percent and 63.0 percent, respectively.  The Company’s effective tax rate for the nine months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was (95.7) percent and 65.4 percent, respectively.  The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2021 periods were largely driven by both significant impairment charges and income tax charges related to valuation allowances.  See Note 2 for information regarding the $134.4 million of impairment charges recorded during the third quarter of fiscal 2021.  The income tax benefits associated with these impairment charges totaled $24.4 million and $13.3 million in the U.S. and in certain foreign jurisdictions, respectively, and increased the deferred tax assets in the applicable jurisdictions.  The deferred tax assets, in turn, were evaluated for realizability as of December 31, 2020, as further described below.

In the fiscal 2020 periods, the effective tax rates were negatively impacted by income tax charges recorded during the third quarter of fiscal 2020.  A $3.0 million income tax charge was recorded related to a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets in the U.S. and a net income tax charge totaling $2.7 million was recorded in connection with legal entity restructuring completed in preparation of the potential sale of the liquid-cooled automotive business.  Partially offsetting the negative impacts of the income tax charges, the effective tax rates for the fiscal 2020 periods were favorably impacted by the recognition of a tax incentive in Italy during the third quarter and by the release of an unrecognized tax benefit during the second quarter.

The Company records valuation allowances against its net deferred tax assets to the extent it determines it is more likely than not that such assets will not be realized in the future.  Each quarter, the Company evaluates the probability that its deferred tax assets will be realized and determines whether valuation allowances or adjustments thereto are needed.  This determination involves judgement and the use of significant estimates and assumptions, including expectations of future taxable income and tax planning strategies.  In addition, the Company considers the duration of statutory carryforward periods and historical financial results.

Based upon its analysis as of December 31, 2020, the Company determined it was more likely than not that its deferred tax assets in the U.S. and in certain foreign jurisdictions will not be realized in the future.  As a result, the Company recorded income tax charges totaling $116.5 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2021 to increase the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets in the U.S. ($103.3 million) and in certain foreign jurisdictions ($13.2 million).  Combined with the $6.6 million income tax charge recorded during the second quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company has now established a full valuation allowance on its U.S. deferred tax assets.  Based upon the Company’s projections of future taxable income at the time, the Company previously believed it was more likely than not that these deferred tax assets would be realized in the future.  The Company’s analysis for the third quarter of fiscal 2021 included consideration of the impairment charges recorded during the quarter in connection with the pending sale of the liquid-cooled automotive business; see Note 2 for additional information.  These impairment charges contributed to the Company entering into a three-year cumulative loss position in the U.S. and in certain foreign jurisdictions as of December 31, 2020.  The Company also considered year-to-date taxable income, which has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and lower sales to data center cooling customers, and current future projections of taxable income in the relevant jurisdictions.  After considering both the positive and negative evidence, the Company determined it is more likely than not that these deferred tax assets will not be realized.

As of December 31, 2020, valuation allowances against deferred tax assets in the U.S. and in certain foreign jurisdictions totaled $121.7 million and $55.5 million,  respectively.  The Company will maintain the valuation allowances in each applicable tax jurisdiction until it determines it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will be realized, thereby eliminating the need for a valuation allowance.

As further discussed in Note 18, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in risks and uncertainties to our business.  Future events or circumstances, such as lower taxable income or unfavorable changes in the financial outlook of the Company’s operations in certain foreign jurisdictions, could necessitate the establishment of further valuation allowances.

Accounting policies for interim reporting require the Company to adjust its effective tax rate each quarter to be consistent with its estimated annual effective tax rate.  Under this methodology, the Company applies its estimated annual income tax rate to its year-to-date ordinary earnings to derive its income tax provision each quarter.  The Company records the tax impacts of certain significant, unusual or infrequently occurring items in the period in which they occur.  The Company excluded the impact of its operations in certain foreign locations from the overall effective tax rate methodology and recorded them discretely based upon year-to-date results because the Company anticipates net operating losses for the full fiscal year in these jurisdictions.  The Company does not anticipate a significant change in unrecognized tax benefits during the remainder of fiscal 2021.