INCOME TAXES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

The Company's provision for income taxes represents federal, foreign, state and local income taxes. The Company’s tax provision changes quarterly based on various factors including, but not limited to, the geographical level and mix of earnings; enacted tax legislation; foreign, state and local income taxes; tax audit settlements; and the interaction of various global tax strategies.

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company concluded that the use of the cut-off tax rate method was more appropriate than the annual effective tax rate method, because the annual effective tax rate method would not be reliable due to its sensitivity to minimal changes in forecasted annual pre-tax earnings.

The Company recorded a benefit from income taxes of $37.2 million (Products Corporation - benefit from income taxes of $36.9 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2020 and a provision for income taxes of $0.1 million (Products Corporation - provision for income taxes of $0.3 million) for the three months ended March 31, 2019, respectively. The $37.3 million decrease (Products Corporation - $37.2 million) in the provision for income taxes in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter of 2019, was primarily due to: (i) the increased loss from continuing operations before income taxes; (ii) the mix and level of earnings; (iii) the U.S. tax on the Company's foreign earnings; and (iv) the release of uncertain tax positions for the three months ended March 31, 2020, compared to establishment of uncertain tax positions for the three months ended March 31, 2019, partially offset by the net change in valuation allowances recorded for the three months ended March 31, 2020 related to the limitation on the deductibility of interest.

The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2020 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to the impact of non-deductible impairment charges and the valuation allowance related to the limitation on the deductibility of interest, partially offset by the impact of the "Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act" (the "CARES Act"), signed into law on March 27, 2020 by President Trump, which resulted in a partial release of a valuation allowance on the Company's 2019 federal tax attributes associated with the limitation on the deductibility of interest.

The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the valuation allowance related to the limitation on the deductibility of interest and the U.S. tax on the Company's foreign earnings.

The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions providing for refundable payroll tax credits, the deferral of employer social security tax payments, acceleration of alternative minimum tax credit refunds and the increase of the net interest deduction limitation from 30% to 50%. The Company continues to examine the impact that the CARES Act may have on its results of operations, financial condition and/or financial statement disclosures.

The Company expects that its tax provision and effective tax rate in any individual quarter and year-to-date period will vary and may not be indicative of the Company's tax provision and effective tax rate for the full year.

In assessing the recoverability of its deferred tax assets, the Company continually evaluates the available positive and negative evidence to assess the amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not to realize a benefit. For any deferred tax asset in excess of the amount for which it is more likely than not that the Company will realize a benefit, the Company establishes a valuation allowance. A valuation allowance is a non-cash charge, and it in no way limits the Company's ability to utilize its deferred tax assets, including its ability to utilize tax loss and credit carryforward amounts. As of March 31, 2020, the Company concluded that, based on the weight of the available positive and negative evidence, it does not require a

valuation allowance on its federal deferred tax assets, other than those associated with the limitation on the deductibility of interest. The Company does have a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets associated with its activity in certain U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. These conclusions regarding the establishment of valuation allowances on the Company's deferred tax assets as of March 31, 2020 are consistent with the Company's conclusions on such matters as of the end of 2019. However, if the Company does not generate sufficient taxable income in future periods, its deferred tax assets may not be realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis. In such event, the Company may be required to establish an additional valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets in future periods, which would materially increase the Company's tax expense in the period in which the allowance is recognized and would adversely impact the Company's results of operations and statement of financial condition in such period. The Company will continue to monitor the circumstances that would require it to establish an additional valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets. Accordingly, depending on future evidence that may become available, the Company's assessments regarding its valuation allowance position may change.

For further information, see Note 14, "Income Taxes," to the Consolidated Financial Statements in the Company's 2019 Form 10-K and Item 1A. “Risk Factors-Uncertainties in the interpretation and application of the U.S. income tax provisions could have a material impact on the Company's financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows” in the Company's 2019 Form 10-K.