Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

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.

The estimated annual effective tax rate, before discrete items, applied to ordinary income was 29.7% in both the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2021, and 34.5% in both the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020. The 2021 rate 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 (“GILTI”) and other foreign earnings, incremental state tax and foreign taxes on earnings also subject to U.S. federal income tax, and nondeductible expenses. The 2020 rate was higher than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to U.S. tax on foreign earnings, incremental state tax and foreign taxes on earnings also subject to U.S. federal income tax, and nondeductible expenses.

For the third quarter of 2021 and 2020, the tax rate including discrete items was 17.4% (benefit on income) and 400.0% (benefit on a relatively small loss), respectively. For the third quarter of 2021, the Company recorded a discrete tax benefit of $12 related to a net $13 benefit from prior year amended returns and audit settlements, and a net $1 charge for other items. For the third quarter of 2020, the Company recorded a discrete tax benefit of $41 related to a $36 benefit for a U.S. tax law change associated with the issuance of final regulations that provide for an exclusion of certain high-taxed foreign earnings from the calculation of GILTI, a net $6 benefit for prior year items, and a net $1 charge for other items.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, the tax rate including discrete items was 26.4% (provision on income) and 5.0% (benefit on income), respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company recorded a discrete tax benefit of $9 related to a net $13 benefit related to prior year amended returns and audit settlements, a $2 charge for a U.K. tax rate change, and a net $2 charge for other items. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded a discrete tax benefit of $39 related to a $36 benefit for a U.S. tax law change associated with the issuance of final regulations that provide for an exclusion of certain high-taxed foreign earnings from the calculation of GILTI, a $6 charge for the remeasurement of deferred tax balances in various jurisdictions as a result of the Arconic Inc. Separation Transaction, a $5 benefit for stock compensation, a net $2 benefit for prior year items, and a net $2 benefit for other items.

The tax (benefit) provision for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020 were comprised of the following:

	Third quarter ended				Nine months ended
	September 30,				September 30,
	2021		2020		2021		2020
Pre-tax income (loss) at estimated annual effective income tax rate before discrete items	$	7	$	(4)	$	73	$	34
Impact of change in estimated annual effective tax rate on previous quarter’s pre-tax income	1		(2)		—		—
Interim period treatment of operational losses in foreign jurisdictions for which no tax benefit is recognized	—		(1)		1		—
Other discrete items	(12)		(41)		(9)		(39)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	$	(4)	$	(48)	$	65	$	(5)