18. INCOME TAXES

 

We use the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial and tax reporting purposes. We evaluate deferred tax assets to determine whether it is more likely than not that they will be realized. Valuation allowances are reviewed on an individual tax jurisdiction basis to analyze whether there is sufficient positive or negative evidence to support a change in judgment about the realizability of the related deferred tax assets. These conclusions require significant judgment. In evaluating the objective evidence that historical results provide, we consider the cyclicality of our businesses and cumulative income or losses during the applicable period. Cumulative losses incurred over the applicable period limits our ability to consider other subjective evidence such as our projections for the future. Changes in expected future income in applicable jurisdictions could affect the realization of deferred tax assets in those jurisdictions.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, based upon the increased and sustained profitability in our Advanced Materials and Textile Effects businesses in Switzerland, we released valuation allowances on certain net deferred tax assets in Switzerland. Given Switzerland’s limited seven year carryover of net operating losses (“NOLs”), we expect that some of our NOLs will expire unused. Therefore, we recorded a partial release of valuation allowance of $80 million. In addition, based upon the separation of our P&A Business from our U.K. combined group and the increased and sustained profitability in our Polyurethanes business in the U.K., we released valuation allowances on certain net deferred tax assets in the U.K. Because there will be limitations on utilization of certain NOLs and limitations on other deferred tax assets, we recorded a partial valuation allowance release of $15 million. During the three months ended September 30, 2018, we also released $24 million of valuation allowance on certain net deferred tax assets in Luxembourg as a result of changes in estimated future taxable income resulting from increased intercompany receivables and, therefore, increased income in Luxembourg, our primary treasury center outside of the U.S.

 

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, we recognized a discrete tax benefit of $13 million related to excess tax benefits from share-based compensation.

The U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “U.S. Tax Reform Act”) established new tax laws that affect 2018, including, but not limited to, (1) a reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate; (2) the creation of the base erosion anti-abuse tax; (3) a general elimination of U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; (4) a new provision designed to tax global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”); (5) a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and (6) the repeal of the domestic production activity deduction. We have included the effects of these provisions in our estimated annual effective tax rate for 2018.

Our accounting for the U.S. Tax Reform Act is incomplete as noted in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. We have, so far, been able to reasonably estimate certain effects and, therefore, recorded provisional adjustments associated with the deemed repatriation transition tax and reduction of the net deferred tax liability for the reduction in tax rate. There are also certain items where we made no provisional estimates, including, but not limited to, the impacts on multistate taxes and need for, or changes in, valuation allowances and unrecognized tax positions. On the basis of certain revised earnings and profit computations that were calculated during the reporting period, we have made an additional provisional measurement-period adjustment of $49 million related to the deemed repatriation transition tax during the second quarter of 2018. Our computations and analysis are still in process. We are continuing to gather additional information and expect to complete our accounting within the prescribed measurement period.

Because of the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, we are continuing to evaluate this provision of the U.S. Tax Reform Act and the application of ASC 740. Under U.S. GAAP, we are allowed to make an accounting policy choice of either (1) treating taxes due on future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred (the “period cost method”) or (2) factoring such amounts into our measurement of deferred taxes (the “deferred method”). Our selection of an accounting policy related to the new GILTI tax rules will depend, in part, on analyzing our global income to determine whether we expect to have future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI and, if so, what the impact is expected to be. As our expectation to have future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI depends on a number of different aspects of our estimated future results of global operations, we have not recorded any potential deferred tax effects related to GILTI in our financial statements and have not made a policy decision regarding whether to record deferred taxes on GILTI or use the period cost method. We have, however, included an estimated 2018 current GILTI impact in our estimated annual effective tax rate for 2018. We expect to complete our accounting within the prescribed measurement period.

Huntsman Corporation

 

We recorded income tax expense from continuing operations of $84 million and $78 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our tax expense is significantly affected by the mix of income and losses in the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, as impacted by the presence of valuation allowances in certain tax jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate was 10% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The release of valuation allowances in Switzerland,  the U.K. and Luxembourg, in addition to the stock compensation excess benefits, exceeded the additional provisional deemed repatriation transition tax, which resulted in a lower effective tax rate through the first nine months of 2018.

 

Huntsman International

 

Huntsman International recorded income tax expense from continuing operations of $81 million and $77 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Our tax expense is significantly affected by the mix of income and losses in the tax jurisdictions in which we operate, as impacted by the presence of valuation allowances in certain tax jurisdictions. Our effective tax rate was 10% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The release of valuation allowances in Switzerland,  the U.K. and Luxembourg, in addition to the stock compensation excess benefits, exceeded the additional provisional deemed repatriation transition tax, which resulted in a lower effective tax rate through the first nine months of 2018.