Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

NOTE 2 — INCOME TAXES

During the quarter ended September 30, 2011, we finalized a settlement with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Examination Division resolving all outstanding issues for our 1997 through 2001 tax years.

At September 30, 2011, we were contesting, before the IRS Appeals Division, certain claimed deficiencies and adjustments proposed by the IRS Examination Division in connection with its audit of HCA Inc.’s 2005 and 2006 federal income tax returns. The disputed items include the timing of recognition of certain patient service revenues, the deductibility of certain debt retirement costs and our method for calculating the tax allowance for doubtful accounts. In addition, 2002, 2003 and 2004 taxable periods of HCA Inc., for which the primary remaining issue is the computation of the tax allowance for doubtful accounts, were pending before the IRS Examination Division as of September 30, 2011. The IRS Examination Division began an audit of HCA Inc.’s 2007, 2008 and 2009 federal income tax returns in 2010.

Our liability for unrecognized tax benefits was $462 million, including accrued interest of $49 million, as of September 30, 2011 ($413 million and $115 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2010). Unrecognized tax benefits of $153 million ($190 million as of December 31, 2010) would affect the effective rate, if recognized. The liability for unrecognized tax benefits does not reflect deferred tax assets of $38 million ($63 million as of December 31, 2010) related to deductible interest and state income taxes or a refundable deposit of $39 million ($82 million as of December 31, 2010), which is recorded in noncurrent assets. The provision for income taxes reflects $66 million and $5 million ($42 million and $3 million, net of tax) in reductions in interest expense related to taxing authority examinations for the quarters ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, and $92 million and $79 million ($58 million and $50 million, respectively, net of tax) reductions in interest expense related to taxing authority examinations for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

Depending on the resolution of the IRS disputes, the completion of examinations by federal, state or international taxing authorities, or the expiration of statutes of limitation for specific taxing jurisdictions, we believe it is reasonably possible our liability for unrecognized tax benefits may significantly increase or decline within the next 12 months. However, we are currently unable to estimate the range of any possible change.