Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of income before income taxes

The components of income before income taxes are as follows:

	Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2019		2018	2017
U.S.	15,875		10,722	15,680
Non-U.S.	(4,415	)	4,401	4,817
Total income before income taxes	11,460		15,123	20,497

Schedule of income tax provision

A summary of the provision for income taxes is as follows:

	Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2019			2018			2017
Current:
U.S. federal	$	2,763		$	2,998		$	3,454
U.S. state and local	493			405			495
International	1,495			1,377			1,510
Total current tax provision	4,751			4,780			5,459
Deferred:
U.S. federal	(361		)	(22		)	1,054
U.S. state and local	(16		)	(12		)	51
International	(93		)	(146		)	(360		)
Total deferred tax expense (benefit)	(470		)	(180		)	745
Total provision for income taxes	$	4,281		$	4,600		$	6,204

Schedule of income tax rate

A reconciliation of the significant differences between the U.S. statutory tax rate and the effective income tax rate on pretax income from continuing operations is as follows:

	Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
	2019		2018		2017
U.S. statutory tax rate	21.0	%	33.8	%	35.0	%
U.S. state income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit	3.3	%	1.8	%	1.7	%
Impact of the Tax Act:
One-time transition tax	3.6	%	12.3	%	—	%
Deferred tax effects	(0.7	)%	(14.1	)%	—	%
Income taxed outside the U.S.	(3.5	)%	(6.3	)%	(4.5	)%
Disposition of Walmart Brazil	6.7	%	—	%	—	%
Valuation allowance	6.4	%	2.1	%	—	%
Net impact of repatriated international earnings	0.8	%	(0.1	)%	(1.0	)%
Federal tax credits	(1.2	)%	(0.9	)%	(0.6	)%
Other, net	1.0	%	1.8	%	(0.3	)%
Effective income tax rate	37.4	%	30.4	%	30.3	%

Schedule of deferred tax balances

The significant components of the Company's deferred tax account balances are as follows:

	January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2019			2018
Deferred tax assets:
Loss and tax credit carryforwards	$	2,964		$	1,989
Accrued liabilities	2,135			2,482
Share-based compensation	245			217
Other	1,131			1,251
Total deferred tax assets	6,475			5,939
Valuation allowances	(2,448		)	(1,843		)
Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowances	4,027			4,096
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	4,175			3,954
Acquired intangibles	2,099			401
Inventory	1,354			1,153
Other	899			540
Total deferred tax liabilities	8,527			6,048
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	4,500		$	1,952

Schedule of deferred tax classification in the balance sheet

The deferred taxes noted above are classified as follows in the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets:

	January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2019		2018
Balance Sheet classification
Assets:
Other long-term assets	$	1,796	$	1,879
Liabilities:
Deferred income taxes and other	6,296		3,831
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	4,500	$	1,952

Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits from continuing operations

A reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits from continuing operations is as follows:

	Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2019			2018			2017
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning of year	$	1,010		$	1,050		$	607
Increases related to prior year tax positions	620			130			388
Decreases related to prior year tax positions	(107		)	(254		)	(32		)
Increases related to current year tax positions	203			122			145
Settlements during the period	(390		)	(23		)	(46		)
Lapse in statutes of limitations	(31		)	(15		)	(12		)
Unrecognized tax benefits, end of year	$	1,305		$	1,010		$	1,050