Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020

The Company’s year-to-date tax provision is comprised of the most recent estimated annual effective tax rate applied to year-to-date pre-tax ordinary income. The tax impacts of unusual or infrequently occurring items, including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and effects of changes in tax laws or rates, are recorded discretely in the interim period in which they occur. In addition, the tax provision is adjusted for the interim period impact of non-benefited pre-tax losses.

For the first quarter of 2020 and 2019, the estimated annual effective tax rate, before discrete items, applied to ordinary income was 27.9% and 25.9%, respectively. The rate in each period was higher than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to additional estimated U.S. tax on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income, state income taxes, and foreign income taxed in higher rate jurisdictions. The 2020 estimated annual effective tax rate was also higher due to tax expense resulting from non-deductible transaction costs and restructuring related capital gains associated with the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction.

For the first quarter of 2020 and 2019, the tax rate including discrete items was 26.1% and 27.2%, respectively, and included a discrete tax benefit of $8 related primarily to stock compensation in the first quarter of 2020 and a discrete tax charge of $1 related to other items in the first quarter of 2019.

The tax provisions for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 and 2019 were comprised of the following:


	First quarter ended
	March 31,
	2020		2019
Pre-tax income at estimated annual effective income tax rate before discrete items	$	81	$	67

Interim period treatment of operational losses in foreign jurisdictions for which no tax benefit is recognized	3		2
Other discrete items	(8)		1
Provision for income taxes	$	76	$	70