Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The components of income before income taxes were as follows:

For the year ended December 31,	2023		2022		2021
United States	$	538	$	287	$	28
Foreign	437		319		296
Total	$	975	$	606	$	324

The provision for income taxes consisted of the following:

For the year ended December 31,	2023		2022		2021
Current:
Federal(1)	$	5	$	3	$	(9)
Foreign	94		53		39
State and local	2		—		(2)
	101		56		28
Deferred:
Federal	92		71		22
Foreign	16		5		11
State and local	1		5		5
	109		81		38
Total	$	210	$	137	$	66

(1)Includes U.S. taxes related to foreign income.

A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to Howmet’s effective tax rate was as follows (the effective tax rate for 2023, 2022, and 2021 was a provision on income):

For the year ended December 31,	2023		2022		2021
U.S. federal statutory rate	21.0	%	21.0	%	21.0	%
Foreign tax rate differential	(0.1)		0.1		(0.7)
U.S. and residual tax on foreign earnings(1)	0.6		1.2		6.5
U.S. state and local taxes, net of federal income tax effect	0.7		0.5		0.8
Non-deductible officer compensation	0.7		1.2		1.6
Statutory tax rate and law changes	(0.3)		0.1		1.0
Tax holidays	(0.4)		(0.5)		(0.4)
Tax credits(2)	(0.7)		(0.9)		(10.4)
Changes in valuation allowances	(1.1)		1.4		4.9
Changes in uncertain tax positions(3)	2.1		—		—
Excess benefit for stock compensation	(0.8)		(0.8)		(0.3)
Prior year tax adjustments	—		(0.1)		(3.7)
Other	(0.2)		(0.6)		0.1
Effective tax rate	21.5	%	22.6	%	20.4	%

(1)It is Howmet’s policy to treat taxes due from future inclusions in U.S. taxable income related to GILTI as a current period expense when incurred.

(2)In 2021, a $32 benefit for income tax credits related to development incentives in Hungary was recognized.

(3)In 2023, the Company recorded an income tax reserve of $21 related to an uncertain French tax position.

The components of net deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:

	2023				2022
December 31,	Deferred tax assets		Deferred tax liabilities		Deferred tax assets		Deferred tax liabilities
Depreciation	$	8	$	486	$	11	$	492
Employee benefits	240		4		232		1
Loss provisions	28		1		26		1
Deferred income/expense	32		1,210		62		1,161
Interest	32		—		99		—
Tax loss carryforwards	2,905		—		2,955		—
Tax credit carryforwards	216		—		268		—
Other	10		4		6		6
	$	3,471	$	1,705	$	3,659	$	1,661
Valuation allowance	(1,821)		—		(1,965)		—
Total	$	1,650	$	1,705	$	1,694	$	1,661

The following table details the expiration periods of the deferred tax assets presented above:

December 31, 2023	Expires within 10 years		Expires within 11-20 years		No Expiration(1)		Other(2)		Total
Tax loss carryforwards	$	330	$	533	$	2,042	$	—	$	2,905
Tax credit carryforwards	159		45		12		—		216
Other(3)	—		—		314		36		350
Valuation allowance	(450)		(234)		(1,131)		(6)		(1,821)
Total	$	39	$	344	$	1,237	$	30	$	1,650

(1)Deferred tax assets with no expiration may still have annual limitations on utilization.

(2)Other represents deferred tax assets whose expiration is dependent upon the reversal of the underlying temporary difference.

(3)A substantial amount of Other deferred tax assets relates to employee benefits that will become deductible for tax purposes in jurisdictions with unlimited expiration over an extended period of time as contributions are made to employee benefit plans and payments are made to retirees.

The total deferred tax asset (net of valuation allowance) is supported by projections of future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences (3%), and taxable temporary differences that reverse within the carryforward period (97%).

Valuation allowances are recorded to reduce deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not (greater than 50%) that a tax benefit will not be realized. In evaluating the need for a valuation allowance, management considers all potential sources of taxable income, including income available in carryback periods, future reversals of taxable temporary differences, projections of taxable income, and income from tax planning strategies, as well as all available positive and negative evidence. Positive evidence includes factors such as a history of profitable operations, projections of future profitability within the carryforward period, including from tax planning strategies, and Howmet’s experience with similar operations. Existing favorable contracts and the ability to sell products into established markets are additional positive evidence. Negative evidence includes items such as cumulative losses, projections of future losses, or carryforward periods that are not long enough to allow for the utilization of a deferred tax asset based on existing projections of income. Deferred tax assets for which no valuation allowance is recorded may not be realized upon changes in facts and circumstances, resulting in a future charge to establish a valuation allowance. Existing valuation allowances are re-examined under the same standards of positive and negative evidence. If it is determined that it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will be realized, the appropriate amount of the valuation allowance, if any, is released. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are also remeasured to reflect changes in underlying tax rates due to law changes and the granting and lapse of tax holidays.

It is Howmet’s policy to apply a tax law ordering approach when considering the need for a valuation allowance on net operating losses expected to offset GILTI income inclusions. Under this approach, reductions in cash tax savings are not considered as part of the valuation allowance assessment. Instead, future GILTI inclusions are considered a source of taxable income that support the realizability of deferred tax assets.

Howmet’s foreign tax credits in the U.S. have a 10-year carryforward period with expirations ranging from 2024 to 2027 (as of December 31, 2023). Valuation allowances were initially established in prior years on a portion of the foreign tax credit carryforwards, primarily due to insufficient foreign source income to allow for full utilization of the credits within the expiration period. Foreign tax credits of $20 and $68 expired at the end of 2023 and 2022, respectively, resulting in a corresponding decrease to the valuation allowance. In 2022, the Company increased the valuation allowance by $12 in order to fully reserve the foreign tax credit carryover after weighing all available evidence including foreign source income projections. In 2023, the Company developed a tax planning strategy that will allow for the utilization of a portion of the foreign tax credit carryover and decreased the valuation allowance by $14, accordingly. As of December 31, 2023, the cumulative amount of the valuation allowance was $90. The need for this valuation allowance will be reassessed on a continuous basis in future periods and, as a result, the allowance may increase or decrease based on changes in facts and circumstances.

The Company recorded a net $2 decrease, $1 decrease, and $3 increase to U.S. state valuation allowances in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. After weighing all available positive and negative evidence, the Company determined the adjustments based on the underlying net deferred tax assets that were more likely than not realizable based on projected taxable income. Changes in fully reserved U.S. state tax losses, credits and other deferred tax assets resulting from expirations, audit adjustments, tax rate, and tax law changes also resulted in a corresponding net $49 decrease, $142 decrease, and $20 increase in the valuation allowance in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Valuation allowances of $438 remain against state deferred tax assets expected to expire before utilization. The need for valuation allowances against state deferred tax assets will be reassessed on a continuous basis in future periods and, as a result, the allowance may increase or decrease based on changes in facts and circumstances.

In 2022, after weighing all available evidence, the Company released a $6 valuation allowance in the U.K. related to interest deduction carryforwards. In 2021, after weighing all available evidence, the Company recognized a discrete income tax cost to establish a valuation allowance of $8 in Switzerland. The need for valuation allowances will be reassessed by entity and by jurisdiction on a continuous basis in future periods and, as a result, the allowances may increase or decrease based on changes in facts and circumstances.

The following table details the changes in the valuation allowance:

December 31,	2023		2022		2021
Balance at beginning of year	$	1,965	$	2,279	$	2,307
Increase to allowance	21		40		113
Release of allowance	(198)		(154)		(94)
Acquisitions, divestitures and liquidations	(16)		—		—
Tax apportionment, tax rate and tax law changes	(11)		(110)		63
Foreign currency translation	60		(90)		(110)
Balance at end of year	$	1,821	$	1,965	$	2,279

Foreign U.S. GAAP earnings that have not otherwise been subject to U.S. tax, will generally be exempt from future U.S. tax under the 2017 Act when distributed. Such distributions, as well as distributions of previously taxed foreign earnings, could potentially be subject to U.S. state tax in certain states, and foreign withholding taxes. Foreign currency gains/losses related to the translation of previously taxed earnings from functional currency to U.S. dollars could also be subject to U.S. tax when distributed. Howmet would expect the potential withholding tax, U.S. state tax, and U.S. capital gains tax impacts to be immaterial and the potential deferred tax liability associated with future currency gains to be impracticable to determine.

Howmet and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states and foreign jurisdictions. With a few minor exceptions, Howmet is no longer subject to income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2014. All U.S. tax years prior to 2023 have been audited by the Internal Revenue Service. Various state and foreign jurisdiction tax authorities are in the process of examining the Company’s income tax returns for various tax years through 2022. The Company had net cash income tax payments of $104, $50, and $53 in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits (excluding interest and penalties) was as follows:

December 31,	2023		2022		2021
Balance at beginning of year	$	2	$	2	$	2
Additions for tax positions of the current year	1		—		—
Additions for tax positions of prior years	13		—		—
Balance at end of year	$	16	$	2	$	2

For all periods presented, a portion of the balance pertains to state tax liabilities, which are presented before any offset for federal tax benefits. The effect of unrecognized tax benefits, if recorded, that would impact the annual effective tax rate for 2023, 2022, and 2021 would be 2%, less than 1%, and 1%, respectively, of pre-tax book income. Howmet does not anticipate that changes in its unrecognized tax benefits will have a material impact on the Statement of Consolidated Operations during 2024.

It is Howmet’s policy to recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of the Provision for income taxes in the Statement of Consolidated Operations. Howmet recognized interest of $7, less than $1, and less than $1 in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Due to the expiration of the statute of limitations, settlements with tax authorities, reductions in prior accruals, and refunded overpayments, Howmet recognized interest income of $2, less than $1, and $3 in 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the amount accrued for the payment of interest and penalties was $11, less than $1, and less than $1, respectively.