Income taxes

3 Months Ended

May 02, 2020



	13 weeks ended
	May 2, 2020		May 4, 2019
Estimated annual effective tax rate before discrete items	24.5	%	14.7	%
Discrete items recognized	11.2	%	(1.7	)%
Effective tax rate recognized in statement of operations	35.7	%	13.0	%

During the 13 weeks ended May 2, 2020, the Company’s effective tax rate was higher than the US federal income tax rate primarily due to the anticipated benefit from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) enacted on March 27, 2020, recognized as a discrete item in the first quarter of Fiscal 2021, partially offset by the unfavorable impact of a valuation allowance recorded against certain US and state deferred tax assets and the impairment of goodwill which was not deductible for tax purposes. The Company’s effective tax rate for the same period during the prior year was lower than the US federal income tax rate primarily due to the favorable impact of foreign tax rate differences and benefits from global reinsurance arrangements.

The CARES Act provides a technical correction to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) allowing fiscal year tax filers with federal net operating losses arising in the 2017/2018 tax year to be carried back two years to tax years that had higher enacted tax rates resulting in a tax benefit of $67.5 million. The CARES Act also provides for net operating losses incurred in Fiscal 2021 to be carried back five years to tax years with higher enacted tax rates resulting in an anticipated tax benefit of $48.5 million. In addition, during the first quarter of Fiscal 2021, based on weighing all positive and negative evidence, management determined it was more likely than not that it would not be able to realize certain US and state deferred tax assets primarily related to state deferred tax assets including state net operating losses and recorded a valuation allowance of $56.7 million. The estimated annual effective tax rate excludes the effects of any discrete items that may be recognized in future periods.

As of May 2, 2020, there has been no material change in the amounts of unrecognized tax benefits, or the related accrued interest and penalties (where appropriate), in respect of uncertain tax positions identified and recorded as of February 1, 2020.