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Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Note 13: Income Taxes
 
Income before income taxes is as follows:
 
Year Ended April 30,
  
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Domestic
$
659.2

 
$
828.6

 
$
836.8

Foreign
42.4

 
32.4

 
41.6

Income before income taxes
$
701.6

 
$
861.0

 
$
878.4



The components of the provision for income taxes are as follows:
  
Year Ended April 30,
  
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Current:
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
$
227.9

 
$
277.9

 
$
325.1

Foreign
16.0

 
7.9

 
11.0

State and local
36.8

 
40.0

 
29.4

Deferred:
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
(73.6
)
 
(802.3
)
 
(78.3
)
Foreign
(0.1
)
 
0.5

 
1.6

State and local
(19.8
)
 
(1.6
)
 
(2.7
)
Total income tax expense (benefit)
$
187.2

 
$
(477.6
)
 
$
286.1


A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate is as follows:
  
Year Ended April 30,
(Percent of Pre-tax Income)
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Statutory federal income tax rate
21.0
 %
 
30.4
 %
 
35.0
 %
Tax reform – net impact on U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities

 
(92.0
)
 

Tax reform – transition tax
(0.5
)
 
3.0

 

Goodwill impairment charges
2.9

 
5.5

 

Sale of the U.S. baking business
2.4

 

 

State and local income taxes
2.7

 
1.9

 
2.1

Domestic manufacturing deduction

 
(3.0
)
 
(3.7
)
Deferred tax benefit from integration
(2.4
)
 

 

Other items – net
0.6

 
(1.3
)
 
(0.8
)
Effective income tax rate
26.7
 %
 
(55.5
)%
 
32.6
 %
Income taxes paid
$
250.9

 
$
336.8

 
$
367.2


Income tax expense of $187.2 for 2019 includes the permanent tax impacts associated with the sale of the U.S. baking business and a goodwill impairment charge, partially offset by a noncash deferred tax benefit related to the integration of Ainsworth into the Company. The income tax benefit of $477.6 for 2018 included the net benefit of our discrete adjustments resulting directly from U.S. tax reform, as discussed below, partially offset by the permanent tax impact of a goodwill impairment charge.
U.S. Tax Reform: On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted the Act, legislating comprehensive tax reform that reduced the U.S. federal statutory corporate tax rate from 35.0 percent to 21.0 percent effective January 1, 2018, broadened the U.S. federal income tax base, required companies to pay a one-time transition tax, and created new taxes on certain foreign-sourced earnings as part of a new territorial tax regime.

During the third quarter of 2019, we finalized our accounting for the income tax effects of enactment of the Act, as required by ASU 2018-05, Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, which resulted in an immaterial adjustment to the net provisional benefit of $765.8 previously recorded during 2018. The net benefit included the revaluation of net deferred tax liabilities at the reduced federal income tax rate, offset in part by the estimated impact of the one-time transition tax.

Despite the completion of our accounting for the Act, the amounts recorded may change as a result of future guidance and interpretation from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and various other taxing jurisdictions, all of which are continuing to analyze the complexities and interdependencies of the provisions within the Act. Any future legislative and interpretive actions could result in additional income tax impacts which could be material in the period any such changes are enacted.
We are a voluntary participant in the Compliance Assurance Process (“CAP”) program offered by the IRS and are currently under a CAP examination for the tax years ended April 30, 2019 and 2018. Through the contemporaneous exchange of information with the IRS, this program is designed to identify and resolve tax positions with the IRS prior to the filing of a tax return, which allows us to remain current with our IRS examinations. The IRS has completed the CAP examinations for the tax years ended April 30, 2017 and 2016. The tax years prior to 2016 are no longer subject to U.S. federal tax examination. With limited exceptions, we are no longer subject to examination for state and local jurisdictions for the tax years prior to 2015 and for the tax years prior to 2012 for foreign jurisdictions.
Deferred income taxes reflect the tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax reporting. Significant components of our deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
  
April 30,
  
2019
 
2018
Deferred tax liabilities:
 
 
 
Intangible assets
$
1,428.3

 
$
1,393.6

Property, plant, and equipment
120.5

 
98.5

Other
13.4

 
14.2

Total deferred tax liabilities
$
1,562.2

 
$
1,506.3

Deferred tax assets:
 
 
 
Post-employment and other employee benefits
$
84.9

 
$
75.5

Tax credit and loss carryforwards
10.0

 
0.2

Intangible assets
17.2

 
18.8

Inventory
7.6

 
5.9

Property, plant, and equipment
7.0

 
6.4

Hedging transactions
15.6

 
0.9

Other
24.8

 
24.3

Total deferred tax assets
$
167.1

 
$
132.0

Valuation allowance
(3.5
)
 
(2.9
)
Total deferred tax assets, less allowance
$
163.6

 
$
129.1

Net deferred tax liability
$
1,398.6

 
$
1,377.2

 
In accordance with purchase accounting, we recorded a deferred tax asset of $20.9 in respect of a federal net operating loss carryforward acquired as part of the Ainsworth acquisition, of which $10.9 was utilized in 2019. We expect to fully utilize the remaining $10.0 in 2020. We evaluate the realizability of deferred tax assets for each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. The total valuation allowance increased by a net amount of $0.6 during the year.
During 2019, we repatriated $122.9 of international cash in conjunction with the restructuring of our foreign subsidiaries discussed in Note 3: Integration and Restructuring Costs. Applicable foreign withholding taxes and state income taxes, which were not significant, have been included in income tax expense. Deferred income taxes have not been provided on approximately $57.1 of remaining temporary differences related to our investments in foreign subsidiaries since these amounts remain permanently reinvested. It is not practical to estimate the amount of additional taxes that might be payable on these basis differences because of the numerous methods by which these differences could reverse.
Our unrecognized tax benefits were $15.0, $32.3, and $40.4, of which $12.0, $21.5, and $23.1 would affect the effective tax rate, if recognized, as of April 30, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. Our accrual for tax-related net interest and penalties totaled $3.3, $4.0, and $4.1 as of April 30, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively. The amount of tax related to net interest and penalties credited to earnings totaled $0.8 for 2019, and charged to earnings totaled $0.1 and $0.3 during 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Within the next 12 months, it is reasonably possible that we could decrease our unrecognized tax benefits by an estimated $3.1, primarily as a result of the expiration of statute of limitation periods.
A reconciliation of our unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
Balance at May 1,
$
32.3

 
$
40.4

 
$
46.3

Increases:
 
 
 
 
 
Current year tax positions
0.9

 
1.1

 
0.7

Prior year tax positions
0.3

 
0.5

 
1.2

Acquired businesses

 

 

Decreases:
 
 
 
 
 
Prior year tax positions

 

 
0.9

Settlement with tax authorities
9.0

 
3.0

 
1.1

Expiration of statute of limitations periods
9.5

 
6.7

 
5.8

Balance at April 30,
$
15.0

 
$
32.3

 
$
40.4