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Income Taxes (Tables)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Reconciliation of Income Taxes From Continuing Operations

Reconciliations of income tax expense for the periods ended June 30 are:

(PPL)
                
     Three Months Six Months
     2011 2010 2011 2010
Reconciliation of Income Tax Expense            
 Federal income tax on Income from Continuing Operations Before            
  Income Taxes at statutory tax rate - 35% $ 104 $ 32 $ 323 $ 163
Increase (decrease) due to:            
 State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit   14   1   39   15
 State valuation allowance adjustments (a)         11   (8)
 Impact of lower U.K. income tax rates (b)   (11)   (3)   (19)   (7)
 U.S. income tax on foreign earnings - net of foreign tax credit (c)   (9)   (8)   (15)   (6)
 Federal and state tax reserve adjustments (d)   (2)   1   (3)   (7)
 Foreign tax reserve adjustments (e)      22      22
 Domestic manufacturing deduction (f)      (8)      (12)
 Health Care Reform (g)            8
 Foreign losses resulting from restructuring (e)      (25)      (25)
 Federal income tax credits   (2)   (2)   (7)   (4)
 Amortization of investment tax credit   (1)   (1)   (4)   (2)
 Depreciation not normalized (a)   (2)      (6)   
 Nondeductible acquisition-related costs (h)   8      8   
 Other    (3)   (2)   (8)   (4)
   Total increase (decrease)   (8)   (25)   (4)   (30)
Total income taxes from continuing operations $ 96 $ 7 $ 319 $ 133

(a)       In February 2011, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued interpretive guidance on the treatment of bonus depreciation for Pennsylvania income tax purposes. In accordance with Corporation Tax Bulletin 2011-01, Pennsylvania allows 100% bonus depreciation for qualifying assets in the same year bonus depreciation is allowed for federal income tax purposes. Due to the reduction in projected Pennsylvania taxable income for tax years 2011 and 2012 related to the 100% bonus depreciation deduction, PPL adjusted its deferred tax valuation allowances for Pennsylvania net operating losses. As a result, during the six months ended June 30, 2011 PPL recorded $11 million of deferred income tax expense.

 

       Additionally, the 100% Pennsylvania bonus depreciation deduction created a current state income tax benefit for the flow-through impact of Pennsylvania regulated state tax depreciation.

(b)       The U.K.'s Finance Act of 2010, enacted in July 2010, included a reduction in the U.K. statutory income tax rate. Effective April 1, 2011, the statutory income tax rate was reduced from 28% to 27%.

(c)       During the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, PPL recorded a $7 million and $14 million federal income tax benefit related to U.K. pension contributions.

(d)       During the six months ended June 30, 2010, PPL recorded a $6 million federal income tax benefit related to claims associated with foreign earnings.

(e)       During the three and six months ended June 30, 2010, PPL recorded a $25 million foreign tax benefit and a related $22 million foreign tax reserve in conjunction with losses resulting from restructuring in the U.K. These losses offset tax on a deferred gain from a prior year sale of WPD's supply business.

(f)       In December 2010, Congress enacted legislation allowing for 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property. The increased tax depreciation eliminates the estimated income tax benefit related to the domestic manufacturing deduction in 2011.

(g)       Beginning in 2013, provisions within Health Care Reform eliminated the tax deductibility of retiree health care costs to the extent of federal subsidies received by plan sponsors that provide retiree prescription drug benefits equivalent to Medicare Part D Coverage. As a result, PPL recorded deferred income tax expense in the first quarter of 2010. See Note 9 for additional information.

(h)       During the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, PPL recorded nondeductible acquisition-related costs (primarily the U.K. stamp duty tax) associated with its acquisition of WPD Midlands. See Note 8 for additional information on the acquisition.

 

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

Changes to unrecognized tax benefits for the periods ended June 30 were as follows.

   Three Months Six Months
   2011 2010 2011 2010
PPL            
 Beginning of period $251 $201 $251 $212
 Additions based on tax positions of prior years  1  2  1  4
 Reductions based on tax positions of prior years           (6)
 Additions based on tax positions related to the current year     30     30
 Reductions based on tax positions related to the current year  (1)     (2)  (5)
 Settlements     (5)     (1)
 Lapse of applicable statutes of limitations  (3)  (2)  (5)  (4)
 Effects of foreign currency translation  2  (2)  5  (6)
 End of period $250 $224 $250 $224
              
PPL Energy Supply            
 Beginning of period $28 $115 $183 $124
 Additions based on tax positions of prior years     2     2
 Reductions based on tax positions of prior years           (4)
 Additions based on tax positions related to the current year     30     30
 Reductions based on tax positions related to the current year     (3)     (3)
 Settlements           (1)
 Derecognition (a)        (155)   
 Effects of foreign currency translation     (2)     (6)
 End of period $28 $142 $28 $142
              
PPL Electric            
 Beginning of period $59 $72 $62 $74
 Additions based on tax positions of prior years           2
 Reductions based on tax positions of prior years           (2)
 Reductions based on tax positions related to the current year     (2)  (1)  (2)
 Lapse of applicable statutes of limitations  (3)  (2)  (5)  (4)
 End of period $56 $68 $56 $68

(a)       Represents unrecognized tax benefits derecognized as a result of PPL Energy Supply's distribution of its membership interest in PPL Global to PPL Energy Supply's parent, PPL Energy Funding. See Note 8 for additional information on the distribution.

At June 30, 2011, it was reasonably possible that during the next 12 months the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits could increase or decrease by the following amounts.

    Increase Decrease
         
PPL $ 25 $ 231
PPL Energy Supply      26
PPL Electric   26   41

At June 30, the total unrecognized tax benefits and related indirect effects that, if recognized, would decrease the effective tax rate were as follows.

       
  2011 2010
       
PPL $185 $132
PPL Energy Supply  12  112
PPL Electric  10  11