Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rates were a benefit of 13.0% and an expense of 3.4% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to an expense of 18.9% and 19.4% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. The change in rates for the three and nine months was due to a shift in the geographical mix of forecasted pretax earnings and significant transactions that occurred during the quarter, including the early debt retirement and the tax-free sale of a portion of the Company's shares in Wilmar, which resulted in a significant decrease in the previously forecasted 2020 effective tax rate. The change in rates was also due to the impact of U.S. tax credits signed into law in December 2019, including a $73 million discrete tax benefit related to 45G railroad tax credits recognized in the quarter ended March 31, 2020. The 45G railroad tax credits have an offsetting expense in cost of products sold.

In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was signed into law in the United States. The Company continues to assess the effects of the provisions of the CARES Act and does not expect any income tax effects to have a material impact on the annual effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2020. The Company also continues to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 on its ability to indefinitely reinvest foreign earnings and does not expect any change in its assertion to have a material impact on the annual effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2020.

The Company is subject to income taxation and routine examinations in many jurisdictions around the world and frequently faces challenges regarding the amount of taxes due.  These challenges include positions taken by the Company related to the timing, nature and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions.  In its routine evaluations of the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company recognizes a liability, when necessary, for estimated potential tax owed by the Company in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Resolution of the related tax positions, through negotiations with relevant tax authorities or through litigation, may take years to complete. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the timing for resolution of tax positions and the Company cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of these ongoing or future examinations. However, the Company does not anticipate that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will increase or decrease significantly in the next twelve months. Given the long periods of time involved in resolving tax positions, the Company does not expect that the recognition of unrecognized tax benefits will have a material impact on the Company’s effective income tax rate in any given period.

The Company’s subsidiary in Argentina, ADM Agro SRL (formerly ADM Argentina SA and Alfred C. Toepfer Argentina SRL), received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for the tax years 1999 through 2011. As of September 30, 2020, these assessments totaled $11 million in tax and $44 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). The Argentine tax authorities conducted a review of income and other taxes paid by large exporters and processors of cereals and other agricultural commodities resulting in allegations of income tax evasion. The Company believes that it has complied with all Argentine tax laws. To date, the Company has not received assessments for closed years subsequent to 2011. While the statute of limitations has expired for tax years 2012 and 2013, the Company cannot rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for years subsequent to 2013, and estimates that these potential assessments could be approximately $34 million in tax and $25 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates as of September 30, 2020).  The Company believes that it has appropriately evaluated the transactions underlying these assessments, and has concluded, based on Argentine tax law, that its tax position would be sustained, and accordingly, has not recorded a tax liability for these assessments. In accordance with the accounting requirements for uncertain tax positions, the Company has not recorded an uncertain tax liability for this assessment because it has concluded that it is more likely than not to prevail on the matter based upon its technical merits and because the taxing jurisdiction’s process does not provide a mechanism for settling at less than the full amount of the assessment. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2013.

In 2014, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands, ADM Europe B.V., received a tax assessment from the Netherlands tax authority challenging the transfer pricing aspects of a 2009 business reorganization, which involved two of its subsidiary companies in the Netherlands. As of September 30, 2020, this assessment was $95 million in tax and $38 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). In September 2019, the Company received an interim decision on its appeal which directed the parties to work toward a settlement. On April 23, 2020, the court issued an unfavorable ruling and in October 2020, assigned a third party expert to establish a valuation by early 2021. Subsequent appeals may take an extended period of time and could result in additional financial impacts of up to the entire amount of the assessment. The Company has carefully evaluated the underlying transactions and has concluded that the amount of gain recognized on the reorganization for tax purposes was appropriate. As of September 30, 2020, the Company has accrued its best estimate of what it believes will be the likely outcome of the litigation and will vigorously defend its position against the assessment.

During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the ongoing litigation between the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ADM do Brasil Ltda. and the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service was favorably resolved without any tax due. The litigation related to assessments received with respect to the tax deductibility of commodity hedging losses and related expenses. The Company does not expect to receive any additional tax assessments with respect to this issue.