Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted tax reform, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Act"), which made comprehensive changes to U.S. federal income tax laws by moving from a global to a modified territorial tax regime. The Act includes a reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent in calendar year 2018 along with the elimination of certain deductions and credits, and a one-time "deemed repatriation" of accumulated foreign earnings. The Company recognized a net tax benefit of $43 ($0.07 per share) in the first quarter of fiscal 2018, and in the third quarter recognized a benefit of $150 ($0.24 per share) due to additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service and as a result of actions taken by the Company. The Company completed its accounting for the Act in the first quarter of fiscal 2019.

Effective in fiscal 2019, the Act also subjects the Company to U.S. tax on global intangible low-taxed income earned by certain of its foreign subsidiaries. The Company elected to recognize this tax as a period expense when it is incurred.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2019, the Company recorded a $13 tax benefit due to the issuance of final regulations related to the one-time tax on deemed repatriation. In the third quarter of fiscal 2019, final regulations related to the calculation of global intangible low-taxed income were issued, which resulted in the Company reversing a $100 benefit and related reserve associated with the one-time tax on deemed repatriation, originally recorded in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. This change had no impact on the Company's results of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019.

The Company will include the effects of any final regulations, as well as any additional guidance or legislative changes, in the period they are issued.

Income taxes were $155 in the third quarter of 2019 and $49 in 2018, resulting in effective tax rates of 20 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The effective tax rates in both years reflect the lower U.S. corporate income tax rate as a result of the Act. The current year rate also included a tax benefit of $21 ($0.03 per share) from restructuring a foreign subsidiary, while the prior year rate included the $150 ($0.24 per share) tax benefit related to the Act discussed above.

Income taxes were $429 for the first nine months of 2019 and $327 for 2018, resulting in effective tax rates of 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively. The effective tax rates in both years reflect the lower U.S. corporate income tax rate as a result of the Act. The current year rate also included favorable discrete items which reduced the rate approximately 3 percentage points, while the prior year rate included a net tax benefit of $193 due to impacts of the Act.