Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate was 19.3% and 19.0% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, respectively, compared to 18.0% and 17.0% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, respectively. The increase in the rate was primarily due to the impact of discrete tax items, partially offset by the change in the geographic mix of forecasted pretax earnings.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Pillar Two initiative introduced a 15% global minimum tax applied on a country-by-country basis that has been enacted in certain jurisdictions in which the Company operates, with effective dates starting in fiscal year 2024. The Company is in scope of the enacted legislation and has performed an assessment of the potential exposure based on its most recent tax filings, country-by-country reporting, and the financial results of the constituent entities. Based on the assessment, the effective tax rates in most of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates are above the 15% global minimum tax threshold. However, there are a limited number of jurisdictions where the effective tax rate is close to 15%. ADM does not expect a material liability to global minimum tax in those jurisdictions.

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.

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 June 30, 2024, this assessment was $87 million in tax and $35 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 both the Dutch tax authorities and ADM filed an appeal. On July 11, 2024, the Court of Appeals issued a decision which resulted in the Company increasing its uncertain tax position for this matter equal to the Court’s decision. The Company is evaluating the legal options. As of June 30, 2024, the Company has accrued its best estimate of what it believes will be the likely outcome of the litigation.