Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jul. 03, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

The following table summarizes the Company’s effective tax rate:

	Three-Month Period Ended				Six-Month Period Ended
	July 3, 2020		June 28, 2019		July 3, 2020		June 28, 2019
Effective tax rate	24.0	%	17.8	%	21.2	%	34.6	%

The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended July 3, 2020 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% principally due to a higher tax rate associated with the gain on the divestiture of certain product lines in the Life Sciences segment and changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions, partially offset by excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation and other items. These items increased the reported tax rate on a net basis by 4.5%.

The effective tax rate for the six-month period ended July 3, 2020 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% principally due to a higher tax rate associated with the gain on the divestiture of certain product lines in the Life Sciences segment and changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions, partially offset by excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of statutes of limitation and other items. These items increased the reported tax rate on a net basis by 1.7%.

The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended June 28, 2019 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% principally due to the impact of earnings outside the United States which are generally taxed at rates lower than the U.S. federal rate. The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended June 28, 2019 also included net discrete benefits of $18 million ($0.02 per diluted common share) from the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of statutes of limitation, benefits from changes in tax law in a certain foreign jurisdiction and excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation, partially offset by charges from audit settlements. These discrete tax benefits decreased the reported tax rate by 2.2%.

The effective tax rate for the six-month period ended June 28, 2019 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% principally due to the impact of net discrete charges of $227 million ($0.31 per diluted common share) related primarily to changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions and audit settlements, net of the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of statutes of limitation, release of valuation allowances associated with certain foreign tax credits, tax benefits resulting from changes in tax law and excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation. These net discrete income tax charges increased the reported tax rate by 14.7%.

In the fourth quarter of 2018 and in the first quarter of 2019, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) proposed significant adjustments to the Company’s taxable income for the years 2012 through 2015 with respect to the deferral of tax on certain premium income related to the Company’s self-insurance programs. For income tax purposes, the recognition of premium income has been deferred in accordance with U.S. tax laws related to insurance. The IRS challenged the deferral of premiums for certain types of the Company’s self-insurance policies. These proposed adjustments would increase the Company’s taxable income over the 2012 through 2015 period by approximately $2.7 billion. Management believes the positions the Company has taken in its U.S. tax returns are in accordance with the relevant tax laws and is vigorously defending these positions. Due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 and the resulting reduction in the U.S. corporate tax rate for years after 2017, the Company revalued its deferred tax liabilities related to the temporary differences associated with this deferred premium income from 35.0% to 21.0%. If the Company is not successful in defending these assessments, the taxes owed to the IRS may be computed under the previous 35.0% statutory tax rate and the Company may be required to revalue the related deferred tax liabilities from 21.0% to 35.0%, which in addition to any interest due on the amounts assessed, would require a charge to future earnings. The ultimate resolution of this matter is uncertain, could take years and could result in a material adverse impact to the Company’s financial statements, including its cash flows and effective tax rate.

Tax authorities in Denmark have raised significant issues related to interest accrued by certain of the Company’s subsidiaries. On December 10, 2013, the Company received assessments from the Danish tax authority (“SKAT”) of approximately DKK 1.8 billion including interest (approximately $277 million based on the exchange rate as of July 3, 2020), imposing withholding tax relating to interest accrued in Denmark on borrowings from certain of the Company’s subsidiaries for the years 2004-2009. The Company appealed these assessments to the Danish National Tax Tribunal in 2014. The appeal is pending, awaiting the final outcome of other, preceding withholding tax cases that were appealed to the Danish Courts and subsequently to the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”). In February 2019, the CJEU decided several of these cases and ruled that the exemption of interest payments from withholding taxes provided in the applicable European Union (“EU”) directive should be denied where taxpayers use the directive for abusive or fraudulent purposes, and that it is up to the national courts to make this determination. This decision of the CJEU now awaits application by the Danish High Court in the other, preceding withholding tax cases. SKAT has maintained a similar position related to withholding tax on interest accrued in Denmark on borrowings from certain of the Company’s subsidiaries with respect to tax years 2010-2012 and 2013-2015. On August 27, 2019 and December 16, 2019, the Company received assessments for these matters of approximately DKK 1.1 billion including interest (approximately $162 million based on the exchange rate as of July 3, 2020) for tax years 2010-2012 and DKK 753 million including interest (approximately $114 million based on the exchange rate as of July 3, 2020) for tax years 2013-2015, respectively. The Company is appealing these assessments as well. 

Management believes the positions the Company has taken in Denmark are in accordance with the relevant tax laws and is vigorously defending its positions. The Company intends on pursuing this matter through the Danish High Court should the appeal to the Danish National Tax Tribunal be unsuccessful. The Company will continue to monitor decisions of both the Danish courts and the CJEU and evaluate the impact of these court rulings on the Company’s tax positions in Denmark. The ultimate resolution of this matter is uncertain, could take many years, and could result in a further material adverse impact to the Company’s financial statements, including its cash flow and effective tax rate.

On June 24, 2020, SKAT issued a press release to announce that it has misapplied Denmark’s interest rules in some assessments concerning withholding tax. The Company’s subsidiaries in Denmark have been notified that they may be one of the companies potentially overcharged interest but a determination of the impact on the above assessments has not been received.