Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate was 20.1% and 17.9% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively, compared to 15.7% and 16.9% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively. The increase in the rate was primarily due to the change in the geographic mix of forecasted pretax earnings.

On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“Inflation Act”), which includes, among other provisions, changes to the U.S. corporate income tax system, including a 15% minimum tax based on “adjusted financial statement income” and a one percent excise tax on net repurchases of stock for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The Company’s adoption of the Inflation Act did not have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

The Company is subject to income taxation and routine examinations in many jurisdictions around the world and frequently faces challenges regarding the amount of taxes due.  These challenges include positions taken by the Company related to the timing, nature, and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions.  In its routine evaluations of the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company recognizes a liability, when necessary, for estimated potential tax owed by the Company in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Resolution of the related tax positions, through negotiations with relevant tax authorities or through litigation, may take years to complete. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the timing for resolution of tax positions and the Company cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of these ongoing or future examinations. However, the Company does not anticipate the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will increase or decrease significantly in the next twelve months. Given the long periods of time involved in resolving tax positions, the Company does not expect the recognition of unrecognized tax benefits will have a material impact on the Company’s effective income tax rate in any given period.

The Company’s subsidiary in Argentina, ADM Agro SRL (formerly ADM Argentina SA and Alfred C. Toepfer Argentina SRL), received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for the tax years 1999 through 2011, 2014 and 2015. As of September 30, 2023, these assessments totaled $3 million in tax and up to $13 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). The Argentine tax authorities conducted a review of income and other taxes paid by large exporters and processors of cereals and other agricultural commodities resulting in allegations of income tax evasion. The Company strongly believes it has complied with all Argentine tax laws. Currently the Company is under audit for fiscal years 2016 to 2017. While the statute of limitations has expired for tax years 2012 and 2013, the Company cannot rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for years subsequent to 2015. The Company believes it has appropriately evaluated the transactions underlying these assessments, and has concluded, based on Argentine tax law, that its tax position is more likely than not to be sustained based upon its technical merits, and accordingly, has not recorded a tax liability for these assessments. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against any assessments.

In 2014, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands, ADM Europe B.V., received a tax assessment from the Netherlands tax authority challenging the transfer pricing aspects of a 2009 business reorganization, which involved two of its subsidiary companies in the Netherlands. As of September 30, 2023, this assessment was $86 million in tax and $32 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). On April 23, 2020, the court issued an unfavorable ruling and in October 2020, assigned a third party expert to establish a valuation. During the second quarter of 2021, the third party expert issued a final valuation. On September 30, 2022, the court issued a ruling consistent with the valuation report, and the Dutch tax authorities have filed an appeal. During the quarter ended March 31, 2023, ADM filed a cross-appeal. As of September 30, 2023, the Company has accrued its best estimate of what it believes will be the likely outcome of the litigation.