Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Aug. 01, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Effective Tax Rate

Income tax expense for the interim periods was computed using the tax rate estimated to be applicable for the full fiscal year, adjusted for discrete items. The Company’s effective income tax rate was a benefit of 9.9% for the six months ended August 1, 2020, compared to an expense of 52.2% for the six months ended August 3, 2019. During the six months ended August 1, 2020, the Company recognized a tax benefit of approximately $3.9 million from a tax rate change related to the ability to carryback net operating losses to tax years with a higher federal corporate tax rate as allowed under the CARES Act enacted in March 2020. This benefit was mostly offset by a valuation allowance of $3.7 million resulting from jurisdictions where there have been cumulative net operating losses, limiting the Company’s ability to consider other subjective evidence to continue to recognize the existing deferred tax assets. Excluding the impact of these items, the change in the effective tax rate was due primarily to a shift in the distribution of earnings among the Company’s tax jurisdictions during the six months ended August 1, 2020, compared to the same prior-year period.

On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the CARES Act to provide economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act includes certain provisions that affect our income taxes, including temporary five-year net operating loss carryback provisions, relaxation of the net interest deduction limitations and the technical amendment for qualified improvement property deduction.

Unrecognized Tax Benefit

From time-to-time, the Company is subject to routine income and other tax audits on various tax matters around the world in the ordinary course of business. As of August 1, 2020, several tax audits were ongoing for various periods in multiple jurisdictions. These audits could conclude with an assessment of additional tax liability for the Company. These assessments could arise as the result of timing or permanent differences and could be material to the Company’s net income or future cash flows. In the event the Company disagrees with an assessment from a taxing authority, the Company may elect to appeal, litigate, pursue settlement or take other actions. The Company accrues an amount for its estimate of additional tax liability which the Company, more likely than not, will incur as a result of the ultimate resolution of tax audits (“uncertain tax positions”). The Company reviews and updates the estimates used in the accrual for uncertain tax positions, as appropriate, as more definitive information or interpretations become available from taxing authorities, upon completion of tax audits, upon receipt of assessments, upon expiration of statutes of limitation, or upon occurrence of other events.

During the second quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company became aware of a foreign withholding tax regulation that could be interpreted to apply to certain of its previous transactions. The Company currently does not expect that its exposure, if any, will have a material impact on its condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

The Company had aggregate accruals for uncertain tax positions, including penalties and interest, of $35.6 million and $34.0 million as of August 1, 2020 and February 1, 2020, respectively. This includes an accrual of $19.9 million for the estimated transition tax (excluding related interest) related to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for each of the periods ended August 1, 2020 and February 1, 2020.