INCOME TAXES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

Income before income taxes was taxed in the following jurisdictions in each of the years ended December 31:

	2023		2022		2021
	(Dollars in thousands)
Domestic	$	253,916	$	400,889	$	338,304
Foreign	168,205		73,250		128,009
Total	$	422,121	$	474,139	$	466,313

The components of the provision (benefit) for income taxes were as follows:

 

	2023		2022		2021
	(Dollars in thousands)
Current:
Federal	$	10,847	$	99,760	$	963
State	(529)		23,915		3,412
Foreign	52,730		41,797		43,280
Current income tax provision	63,048		165,472		47,655
Deferred:
Federal	29,337		(27,681)		59,979
State	7,957		(8,916)		4,984
Foreign	(4,186)		4,416		(5,386)
Deferred income tax provision (benefit)	33,108		(32,181)		59,577
	$	96,156	$	133,291	$	107,232

The provision for income taxes varied from income taxes computed at the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate as a result of the following:

	2023			2022			2021
	(Dollars in thousands)
Income taxes computed at the statutory     U.S. federal income tax rate	$	88,646		$	99,569		$	97,926
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	5,551			12,815			10,496
Tax liabilities no longer required	(4,071)			(2,142)			(3,784)
Valuation allowance	2,287			16,635			6,745
Tax credit refunds, net	(2,684)			(5,081)			(3,593)
Foreign earnings taxed at other than 21%	9,993			5,126			5,907
Deferred tax rate changes	(3,133)			(1,276)			(3,409)
European Commission settlement	—			5,313			—
Other	(433)			2,332			(3,056)
	$	96,156		$	133,291		$	107,232
Effective tax rate	22.8		%	28.1		%	23.0		%

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Significant components of our deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31 were as follows:

	2023		2022
	(Dollars in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
Pension and other postretirement liabilities	$	17,093	$	11,072
Rationalization and other accrued liabilities	33,196		42,219
AMT and other credit carryforwards	3,584		3,094
Net operating loss carryforwards	54,067		45,606
Other intangible assets	268		1,091
Foreign currency translation	—		223
Property, plant and equipment	1,559		734
Inventory and related reserves	3,098		28,409
Long term operating lease liabilities	58,430		53,198
Other	29,233		19,494
Total deferred tax assets	200,528		205,140
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(259,083)		(253,753)
Pension and other postretirement liabilities	(44,782)		(36,150)
Other intangible assets	(178,062)		(175,358)
Operating lease right of use assets	(55,993)		(50,747)
Inventory and related reserves	(13,527)		—
Foreign currency translation	(13,496)		(17,285)
Other	(11,210)		(8,600)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(576,153)		(541,893)
Valuation allowance	(45,525)		(41,823)
	$	(421,150)	$	(378,576)

At December 31, 2023, the net deferred tax liability in our Consolidated Balance Sheets was comprised of long-term deferred tax assets of $12.5 million and long-term deferred tax liabilities of $433.7 million. At December 31, 2022, the net deferred tax liability in our Consolidated Balance Sheets was comprised of long-term deferred tax assets of $10.1 million and long-term deferred tax liabilities of $388.7 million. Long-term deferred tax assets were classified as other assets, net in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

The valuation allowance in 2023 includes deferred tax assets of $45.5 million resulting from state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards, or NOLs. The valuation allowance for deferred tax assets increased in 2023 by $3.7 million primarily due to an increase in the valuation allowance related to foreign NOLs.

At December 31, 2023, we had foreign NOLs of approximately $51.5 million that are available to offset future taxable income. Of that amount, approximately $8.8 million will expire from 2024 to 2034. The remaining portion has no expiration date. At December 31, 2023, we had state tax NOLs of approximately $7.5 million that are available to offset future taxable income and that will expire from 2025 to 2042.

We recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized taxes as additional income tax expense. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had $1.8 million and $5.2 million, respectively, accrued for potential interest and penalties.

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits recorded in other liabilities as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $13.5 million and $30.0 million, respectively, excluding associated tax assets and including the federal tax benefit of state taxes, interest and penalties.

Tax assets associated with uncertain tax positions primarily represent our estimate of the potential tax benefits in one tax jurisdiction that could result from the payment of income taxes in another jurisdiction. At December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had approximately $7.2 million and $18.5 million, respectively, in assets associated with uncertain tax positions recorded in other assets, net in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits included as other liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets was as follows:

	2023		2022
	(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at January 1,	$	26,721	$	28,981
Increase based upon tax positions of current year	8,807		—
Increase based upon tax positions of a prior year	625		1,652
Decrease based upon settlements with taxing authorities	(15,681)		(131)
Decrease based upon a lapse in the statute of limitations	(3,071)		(3,781)
Balance at December 31,	$	17,401	$	26,721

The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized, at December 31, 2023 and 2022 were $16.7 million and $14.1 million, respectively.

Silgan and its subsidiaries file U.S. Federal income tax returns, as well as income tax returns in various states and foreign jurisdictions. We expect the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, will complete its review of the 2022 tax year with no change to our filed tax return. We have been accepted into the Compliance Assurance Program for the 2023 tax year which provides for the review by the IRS of tax matters relating to our tax return prior to filing. We are subject to examination by state and local tax authorities generally for the period mandated by statute, with the exception of states where waivers of the statute of limitations have been executed. The earliest open period for a state audit is 2018. Our foreign subsidiaries are generally not subject to examination by tax authorities for periods before 2012, and we have contractual indemnities with third parties with respect to open periods that predate our ownership of certain foreign subsidiaries. Subsequent periods may be examined by the relevant tax authorities. In the next twelve months, it is reasonably possible that our reserve for unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by approximately $1.0 million primarily related to tax attributes acquired from and expenses related to certain acquisitions, as we anticipate the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations with respect to certain tax matters.

For certain of our foreign subsidiaries where we expect to be indefinitely reinvested, we estimate that the unremitted earnings as of December 31, 2023 are approximately $99.4 million. The amount of unrecognized deferred tax liabilities on these indefinitely reinvested earnings is estimated to be approximately $5.6 million.