Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020
Income Taxes.
Income Taxes	NOTE 8. Income Taxes The Company is under IRS examination or appeals for the tax years 2015 through 2018. The IRS has completed its field examination of the U.S. federal income tax returns for all years through 2016, but the years have not closed as the Company is in the process of resolving issues identified during those examinations. In addition to the U.S. federal examination, there is also audit activity in several U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions. As of June 30, 2020, no taxing authority has proposed significant adjustments to the Company’s tax positions for which the Company is not adequately reserved. It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change within the next 12 months. At this time, the Company is not able to estimate the range by which these potential events could impact 3M’s unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months. The total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are $1,140 million and $1,178 million, respectively. The decrease in unrecognized tax benefits includes a $52 million decrease associated with the tax treatment of the 2018 agreement reached with the State of Minnesota that resolved the Natural Resources Damages (NRD) lawsuit. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had valuation allowances of $150 million and $158 million on its deferred tax assets, respectively. The effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2020 was 21.0 percent, compared to 21.8 percent in the second quarter of 2019, a decrease of 0.8 percentage points. Primary factors contributing to the 0.8 percentage point decrease were the 2019 non-deductible charge related to the deconsolidation of the Venezuelan subsidiary, adjustments to uncertain tax positions not repeating in 2020 and increased year-over-year benefit from US international tax provisions. These decreases were partially offset by the 2019 tax benefit that did not repeat related to the “held for sale” status of legal entities associated with the then pending divestiture of the gas and flame detection business and decreased year-over-year benefit from stock options. The effective tax rate for the first six months of 2020 was 19.2 percent, compared to 20.1 percent in the first six months of 2019, a decrease of 0.9 percentage points. Primary factors that decreased the effective rate for the first six months of 2020 include the 2019 non-deductible charge related to the deconsolidation of the Venezuelan subsidiary, adjustments to uncertain tax positions not repeating in 2020, 2020 resolution of the tax treatment of the 2018 NRD lawsuit, and increased year-over-year benefit from US international tax provisions. These decreases were partially offset by the 2019 tax benefit that did not repeat related to the “held for sale” status of legal entities associated with the then-pending divestiture of the gas and flame detection business and decreased year-over-year benefit from stock options. In March 2020, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and across the globe, the United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The enactment period impacts to 3M were immaterial to income tax expense.

Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

NOTE 8. Income Taxes

The Company is under IRS examination or appeals for the tax years 2015 through 2018. The IRS has completed its field examination of the U.S. federal income tax returns for all years through 2016, but the years have not closed as the Company is in the process of resolving issues identified during those examinations. In addition to the U.S. federal examination, there is also audit activity in several U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions. As of June 30, 2020, no taxing authority has proposed significant adjustments to the Company’s tax positions for which the Company is not adequately reserved.

It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly change within the next 12 months. At this time, the Company is not able to estimate the range by which these potential events could impact 3M’s unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months. The total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019 are $1,140 million and $1,178 million, respectively. The decrease in unrecognized tax benefits includes a $52 million decrease associated with the tax treatment of the 2018 agreement reached with the State of Minnesota that resolved the Natural Resources Damages (NRD) lawsuit.

As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company had valuation allowances of $150 million and $158 million on its deferred tax assets, respectively.

The effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2020 was 21.0 percent, compared to 21.8 percent in the second quarter of 2019, a decrease of 0.8 percentage points. Primary factors contributing to the 0.8 percentage point decrease were the 2019 non-deductible charge related to the deconsolidation of the Venezuelan subsidiary, adjustments to uncertain tax positions not repeating in 2020 and increased year-over-year benefit from US international tax provisions. These decreases were partially offset by the 2019 tax benefit that did not repeat related to the “held for sale” status of legal entities associated with the then pending divestiture of the gas and flame detection business and decreased year-over-year benefit from stock options.

The effective tax rate for the first six months of 2020 was 19.2 percent, compared to 20.1 percent in the first six months of 2019, a decrease of 0.9 percentage points. Primary factors that decreased the effective rate for the first six months of 2020 include the 2019 non-deductible charge related to the deconsolidation of the Venezuelan subsidiary, adjustments to uncertain tax positions not repeating in 2020, 2020 resolution of the tax treatment of the 2018 NRD lawsuit, and increased year-over-year benefit from US international tax provisions. These decreases were partially offset by the 2019 tax benefit that did not repeat related to the “held for sale” status of legal entities associated with the then-pending divestiture of the gas and flame detection business and decreased year-over-year benefit from stock options.

In March 2020, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and across the globe, the United States Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The enactment period impacts to 3M were immaterial to income tax expense.