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Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rates were as follows:
 Three Months Ended
September 30,		Nine Months Ended
September 30,
 2024202320242023
Effective income tax rate22.7 %26.8 %23.4 %23.2 %
Our effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, benefited from discrete items, which decreased our effective tax rate in those periods. During the three months ended September 30, 2024, we recognized a $40 million deferred tax asset related to foreign tax credits. Additionally, during the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we recognized a discrete benefit related to U.S. state income taxes.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, we reached a settlement related to U.S. state income taxes, and reached an agreement with the IRS, settling tax years 2017 and 2018, both of which decreased our effective tax rate in that period.
We are involved in two separate ongoing disputes with the ITD in connection with previously disclosed share repurchase transactions undertaken by CTS India in 2013 and 2016 to repurchase shares from its shareholders (non-Indian Cognizant entities) valued at $523 million and $2.8 billion, respectively.
The 2016 transaction was undertaken pursuant to a plan approved by the High Court in Chennai, India, and resulted in the payment of $135 million in Indian income taxes - an amount we believe includes all the applicable taxes owed for this transaction under Indian law. In March 2018, the ITD asserted that it is owed an additional 33 billion Indian rupees ($394 million at the September 30, 2024 exchange rate) on the 2016 transaction. We deposited 5 billion Indian rupees, representing 15% of the disputed tax amount related to the 2016 transaction, with the ITD. Additionally, certain time deposits of CTS India were placed under lien in favor of the ITD, representing the remainder of the disputed tax amount. As of December 31, 2023, the balance of deposits under lien was 30 billion Indian rupees, including previously earned interest, or $355 million, was presented in "Long-term investments".

In April 2020, we received a formal assessment from the ITD on the 2016 transaction, which is consistent with the ITD's previous assertions. Our appeal was ruled unfavorably by the CITA in March 2022 and by the ITAT in September 2023. We filed an appeal against the order of the ITAT with the High Court. On January 8, 2024, the SCI ruled that, in order to proceed with the appeal, we must deposit 30 billion Indian rupees ($355 million at the December 31, 2023 exchange rate), representing the time deposits of CTS India under lien, on the condition that, if CTS India prevails at the High Court, the amount deposited will be returned to CTS India, along with interest accrued, within four weeks of the judgment. We made the required deposit in January 2024 and, in April 2024, the case commenced before the High Court.

As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the deposit with the ITD was $412 million and $60 million, respectively at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 exchange rates, respectively presented in "Other noncurrent assets". As of December 31, 2023, $96 million of the $355 million in deposits under lien were held in time deposits with a maturity of less than 30 days qualifying as cash equivalent instruments and thus were considered restricted cash equivalents as of December 31, 2023.
The dispute in relation to the 2013 share repurchase transaction is also in litigation. At this time, the ITD has not made specific demands with regards to the 2013 transaction.
 
We continue to believe we have paid all applicable taxes owed on both the 2016 and the 2013 transactions and we continue to defend our positions with respect to both matters. Accordingly, we have not recorded any reserves for these matters as of September 30, 2024.