General

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

General

General

    The unaudited consolidated financial statements, which include the accounts of W. R. Berkley Corporation and its subsidiaries (the “Company”), have been prepared on the basis of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and notes required by GAAP for annual financial statements. The unaudited consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring items, which are necessary to present fairly the Company’s financial position and results of operations on a basis consistent with the prior audited consolidated financial statements. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the revenues and expenses reflected during the reporting period. For further information related to areas of judgment and estimates and other information necessary to understand the Company’s financial position and results of operations, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Reclassifications have been made in the 2021 financial statements as originally reported to conform to the presentation of the 2022 financial statements. Shares outstanding and per share amounts have been adjusted to reflect the 3-for-2 common stock split effected on March 23, 2022.

The income tax provision has been computed based on the Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate. The effective income tax rate differs from the federal income tax rate of 21% primarily due to a net reduction to the Company’s valuation allowance against foreign tax credits and foreign net operating losses, which was partially offset by state income taxes.