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INCOME TAXES | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2022
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
INCOME TAXES | INCOME TAXES The Company's effective income tax rates were 14.3% and 13.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The increase in the effective rate between the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 is primarily due to the estimated impact of U.S. foreign tax credit regulations published by the U.S. Treasury on January 4, 2022. These regulations limit the amount of foreign taxes that are creditable against U.S. income taxes. In addition, the effective rates for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 were lower than the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to (1) foreign earnings taxed at lower rates, (2) Federal and California research and development credits, and (3) the tax benefit from employee share-based compensation. The effective rates include a tax benefit from employee share-based compensation of $13.4 million and $11.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. In the normal course of business, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and other taxing authorities are in different stages of examining various years of the Company's tax filings. During these audits the Company may receive proposed audit adjustments that could be material. Therefore, there is a possibility that an adverse outcome in these audits could have a material effect on the Company's results of operations and financial condition. The Company strives to resolve open matters with each tax authority at the examination level and could reach agreement with a tax authority at any time. While the Company has accrued for matters it believes are more likely than not to require settlement, the final outcome with a tax authority may result in a tax liability that is more or less than that reflected in the consolidated condensed financial statements. Furthermore, the Company may later decide to challenge any assessments, if made, and may exercise its right to appeal. The uncertain tax positions are reviewed quarterly and adjusted as events occur that affect potential liabilities for additional taxes, such as lapsing of applicable statutes of limitations, proposed assessments by tax authorities, negotiations between tax authorities, identification of new issues, and issuance of new legislation, regulations, or case law. As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the gross liability recorded for income taxes associated with uncertain tax positions was $379.9 million and $358.4 million, respectively. The Company estimates that these liabilities would be reduced by $147.7 million and $135.1 million, respectively, from offsetting tax benefits associated with the correlative effects of potential transfer pricing adjustments, state income taxes, and timing adjustments. The net amounts of $232.2 million and $223.3 million, respectively, if not required, would favorably affect the Company's effective tax rate. The Company executed an Advance Pricing Agreement ("APA") in 2018 between the United States and Switzerland governments for tax years 2009 through 2020 covering various, but not all, transfer pricing matters. The unagreed transfer pricing matters, namely Surgical Structural Heart and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (collectively “Surgical/TAVR”) intercompany royalty transactions, then reverted to IRS Examination for further consideration as part of the respective years' regular tax audits. In addition, the Company executed other bilateral APAs as follows: during 2017, an APA between the United States and Japan covering tax years 2015 through 2019; and during 2018, APAs between Japan and Singapore and between Switzerland and Japan covering tax years 2015 through 2019. The Company has filed to renew all of the APAs which cover transactions with Japan for the years 2020 and forward. The execution of some or all of these APA renewals depends on many variables outside of the Company's control. As of March 31, 2022, all material state, local, and foreign income tax matters have been concluded for years through 2015. While not material, the Company continues to address matters in India for years from 2010. The audits of the Company’s United States federal income tax returns through 2014 have been closed. The IRS audit field work for the 2015-2017 tax years was substantially completed during the fourth quarter of 2020, except for transfer pricing and related matters. The IRS began its examination of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 tax years during the first quarter of 2022. During 2021, the Company received a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPA”) from the IRS for the 2015-2017 tax years relating to transfer pricing involving certain Surgical/TAVR intercompany royalty transactions between the Company's United States and Switzerland subsidiaries. The NOPA proposes an increase to the Company's United States taxable income which could result in additional tax expense for this period of approximately $180 million and represents a significant change to previously agreed upon transfer pricing methodologies for these types of transactions. The Company has formally disagreed with the NOPA and submitted a formal protest on the matter to the IRS Independent Office of Appeals during the fourth quarter of 2021. The Company also has received the final Revenue Agent's Report for these tax years. The Company continues to evaluate all possible remedies available to it, which could take several years to resolve. No payment of any amount related to the NOPA is required to be made, if at all, until all applicable proceedings have been completed. The Company believes the amounts previously accrued related to this uncertain tax position are sufficient and, accordingly, has not accrued any additional amount based on the NOPA received. Certain Surgical/TAVR intercompany royalty transactions covering tax years 2015-2022 that were not resolved under the APA program remain subject to IRS examination, and those transactions and related tax positions remain uncertain as of March 31, 2022. The Company has considered this information, as well as information regarding the NOPA described above, in its evaluation of its uncertain tax positions. The impact of these unresolved transfer pricing matters, net of any correlative repatriation tax adjustment, may be significant to the Company’s consolidated condensed financial statements. Based on the information currently available and numerous possible outcomes, the Company cannot reasonably estimate what, if any, changes in its existing uncertain tax positions may occur in the next 12 months and, therefore, has continued to record the uncertain tax positions as a long-term liability.

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