XML 117 R13.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.25.3
INCOME TAXES
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
Moody’s ETR was 25.4% and 24.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The increase of 1.4% primarily reflects tax benefits recognized in the third quarter of 2024, which resulted from the resolutions of uncertain tax positions, coupled with an increase in current year state income taxes.
Moody’s ETR was 24.2% and 23.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The year-to-date ETR as of September 30, 2025 was generally in line with the same period in the prior year. The Company’s provision for income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 differs from the tax computed by applying its estimated annual ETR to the pre-tax earnings primarily due to the excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation of $30 million.
The Company classifies interest related to UTPs in interest expense, net in its consolidated statements of operations. Penalties, if incurred, would be recognized in other non-operating income, net. The Company had an increase in its UTP reserves of $5 million, during the third quarter of 2025 (both on a gross basis and net of federal tax benefits) and an increase of $21 million ($19 million, net of federal tax benefits) during the first nine months of 2025.
Moody’s is subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax in various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The Company's U.S. federal income tax returns for 2021 through 2024 remain open to examination. The Company’s New York City tax returns for 2018 through 2022 are currently under examination, and 2023 is open to examination. The Company's U.K. corporate income tax returns are currently under audit for years 2017 through 2021, while years 2022 through 2023 remain open to examination.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, pursuant to a lapse of a statute of limitations, the Company expects to reverse $64 million in reserves (and $15 million in related interest) for uncertain tax positions that it had assumed as part of a prior year M&A transaction, for which the sellers had indemnified Moody's. This tax benefit and related reduction to Interest expense, net will be offset by the release of the related indemnification asset within Other non-operating income, net, with no impact to net income. For ongoing audits, it is possible the balance of UTPs could decrease in the next twelve months as a result of the settlement of such audits, which might involve the payment of additional taxes, the adjustment of certain deferred taxes and/or the recognition of tax benefits. It is also possible that new issues will be raised by tax authorities which could necessitate increases to the balance of UTPs. As the Company is unable to predict the timing or outcome of these audits, it is unable to estimate the amount of future changes to the balance of UTPs at this time. However, the Company believes that it has adequately provided for its financial exposure relating to all open tax years, by tax jurisdiction, in accordance with the applicable provisions of ASC Topic 740 regarding UTPs.
The following table shows the amount the Company paid for income taxes:
Nine Months Ended September 30,
20252024
Income taxes paid $644 $391 
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was enacted in the U.S. Key provisions of the OBBBA include making permanent certain aspects of the Tax Act, modifying certain international tax rules, and restoring provisions that accelerate deductions for certain business investments and expenditures. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in 2025 and others implemented in subsequent years. The OBBBA did not have material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements for the period ended September 30, 2025, and the Company does not expect the changes to have a material impact on the provision for income taxes or net income in future periods.
Effective in 2024, multiple foreign jurisdictions in which the Company operates enacted legislation to adopt a minimum tax rate described in the Global Anti-Base Erosion tax model rules (referred to as GloBE or Pillar II) issued by the OECD. A minimum ETR of 15% applies to multinational companies with consolidated revenue above €750 million. Under the GloBE rules, a company is required to determine a combined ETR for all entities located in a jurisdiction. If the jurisdictional effective tax rate is less than 15%, an additional tax generally will be due to bring the jurisdictional ETR up to 15%. We have evaluated the impact of the Pillar II global minimum tax rules on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. As of September 30, 2025, the Pillar II minimum tax requirement is not expected to have a material impact on our full-year results of operations or financial position.