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INCOME TAXES | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
INCOME TAXES | INCOME TAXES The Company's effective income tax rates attributable to continuing operations were 10.1% and 13.6% for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively and 9.2% and 11.8% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease in the effective rate between the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 is primarily due to an increase in tax benefits from foreign earnings taxed at lower rates and favorable global income tax audit settlements. In addition, the effective rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 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 attributable to continuing operations of $0.6 million and $1.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $10.1 million and $12.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. 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. 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 taxing 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 materially different from that reflected in the consolidated 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 September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the gross liability recorded for income taxes associated with uncertain tax positions was $656.5 million and $583.9 million, respectively. The Company estimates that these liabilities would be reduced by $326.1 million and $250.7 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 $330.4 million and $333.2 million, respectively, if not required, would favorably affect the Company's effective tax rate. Management believes that adequate amounts of tax and related penalty and interest have been provided for any adjustments that may result from these uncertain tax positions. 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 Singapore and Japan and between Switzerland and Japan covering tax years 2015 through 2019. The Company has filed to renew all three of the APAs with Japan for the years 2020 and forward. An APA between Switzerland and Japan covering tax years 2020 through 2024 was executed in 2021. An APA between the United States and Japan covering tax years 2020 through 2024 was executed in 2023. The APA renewal between Singapore and Japan covering tax years 2020 through 2026 is pending. 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 through 2017 tax years was completed during the second quarter of 2021, except for transfer pricing and related matters. The IRS is currently examining the 2018 through 2020 tax years. The audits of the Company's material state, local, and foreign income tax matters have been concluded for years through 2015. During 2021, the Company received a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPA”) from the IRS for the 2015 through 2017 tax years relating to transfer pricing involving Surgical/TAVR intercompany royalty transactions between the Company's United States and Switzerland subsidiaries. The NOPA proposed a substantial increase to the Company's United States taxable income, which could result in additional tax expense for the 2015 through 2017 period of approximately $250 million and reflects a departure from a transfer pricing method the Company had previously agreed upon with the IRS. The Company disagreed with the NOPA and pursued an administrative appeal with the IRS Independent Office of Appeals ("Appeals"). The Appeals process culminated in the third quarter of 2023 when the Company and Appeals concluded that a satisfactory resolution of the matter at the administrative level was not possible. During the fourth quarter of 2023, Appeals issued a notice of deficiency ("NOD") increasing the Company's 2015 through 2017 United States federal income tax in amounts resulting from the income adjustments previously reflected in the NOPA. The additional tax sought in excess of the Company's filing position is $269.3 million before consideration of interest and a repatriation tax offset. The Company plans to vigorously contest the additional tax claimed by the IRS through the judicial process. Final resolution of this matter is not likely within the next 12 months. The Company believes the amounts previously accrued related to this uncertain tax position are appropriate for a number of reasons, including the interpretation and application of relevant tax law and accounting standards to the Company's facts and, accordingly, has not accrued any additional amount based on the NOD and other proceedings to date. Nonetheless, the outcome of the judicial process cannot be predicted with certainty, and it is possible that the outcome of that process could have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. As noted below, similar material tax disputes may arise for the 2018 through 2024 tax years. While no payment of any amount related to the NOPA or NOD has yet been required, the Company made a partial deposit with the IRS of $75 million in November 2022 to prevent the further accrual of interest on that portion of any additional tax the Company may ultimately be found to owe. In March 2024, the Company made an additional deposit with the IRS of $305 million to further mitigate interest on potential tax liabilities and interest thereon while the Company prepares to contest through the judicial process the IRS's entitlement to any of the additional tax claimed by the IRS. Surgical/TAVR intercompany royalty transactions covering tax years 2018 through 2024 remain subject to IRS examination, and those transactions and related tax positions remain uncertain as of September 30, 2024. The Company has considered this information, as well as information regarding the NOD and other proceedings described above in its evaluation of its uncertain tax positions. The impact of these unresolved transfer pricing matters, net of any correlative tax adjustments, may be significant to the Company’s consolidated 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. During the first quarter of 2024, the Company received a notice of assessment from the Israel Tax Authority (“ITA”) wherein the ITA claimed that the Company owes approximately $110 million of tax excluding interest and penalties in connection with a claimed 2017 transfer of intellectual property. The Company maintains that it did not transfer intellectual property outside of Israel and intends to vigorously defend that position through administrative proceedings including a formal appeal of the assessment that was filed during the third quarter of 2024. If necessary, the Company will defend that position through judicial proceedings. There can be no assurance that this matter will be resolved in the Company's favor and an adverse outcome could have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

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