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Income Taxes | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was 14.7% compared to 25.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2017. The lower rate for the quarter was primarily due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) which was enacted on December 22, 2017, favorable changes in the forecasted mix of pre-tax earnings, the 2017 biodiesel tax credit, and certain tax discrete items. The Act includes numerous significant tax law changes and modifications with varying effective dates, such as reducing the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, creating a territorial tax system (with a one-time transition tax on previously deferred foreign earnings), broadening the tax base, and allowing for immediate capital expensing of certain qualified property. As of March 31, 2018, the Company has not yet completed the accounting for the tax effects of the Act; however, the Company has recorded a $14 million reduction to the 2017 provisional transition tax based on interpretive guidance issued during the quarter on how to allocate taxes in the earnings and profits calculation. The Company has one year from the date of enactment to adjust the 2017 provisional tax. The Act also contains new provisions related to Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) and Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) which are effective for fiscal 2018. The Company has estimated GILTI and FDII impacts and will update the estimates each quarter as needed. The Company has made an accounting policy election to treat GILTI as a period cost. It is likely that additional guidance will be issued providing further clarification on the application of the Act. It is also reasonable to expect that global taxing authorities will be reviewing their current legislation for potential modifications in reaction to the implementation of the Act. This additional guidance, along with the potential for additional global tax legislation changes, may affect significant deductions and income inclusions and could have a material adverse effect on the Company's net income or cash flow. The Company is subject to income taxation and routine examinations in many jurisdictions around the world and frequently faces challenges regarding the amount of taxes due. These challenges include positions taken by the Company related to the timing, nature and amount of deductions and the allocation of income among various tax jurisdictions. In its routine evaluations of the exposure associated with various tax filing positions, the Company recognizes a liability, when necessary, for estimated potential tax owed by the Company in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Resolution of the related tax positions, through negotiations with relevant tax authorities or through litigation, may take years to complete. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the timing for resolution of tax positions and the Company cannot predict or provide assurance as to the ultimate outcome of these ongoing or future examinations. However, the Company does not anticipate that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will increase or decrease significantly in the next twelve months. Given the long periods of time involved in resolving tax positions, the Company does not expect that the recognition of unrecognized tax benefits will have a material impact on the Company’s effective income tax rate in any given period. In December 2009 and June 2010, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, ADM do Brasil Ltda. (ADM do Brasil), received three separate tax assessments from the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (BFRS) challenging the tax deductibility of commodity hedging losses and related expenses for the tax years 2004, 2006, and 2007. As of March 31, 2018, these assessments totaled approximately $127 million in tax and $348 million in interest and penalties (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). The statute of limitations for tax years 2005 and 2008 to 2011 has expired. The Company does not expect to receive any additional tax assessments. ADM do Brasil enters into commodity hedging transactions that can result in gains, which are included in ADM do Brasil’s calculation of taxable income in Brazil, and losses, which ADM do Brasil deducts from its taxable income in Brazil. The Company has evaluated its tax position regarding these hedging transactions and concluded, based upon advice from Brazilian legal counsel, that it was appropriate to recognize both gains and losses resulting from hedging transactions when determining its Brazilian income tax expense. Therefore, the Company has continued to recognize the tax benefit from hedging losses in its financial statements and has not recorded any tax liability for the amounts assessed by the BFRS. ADM do Brasil filed an administrative appeal for each of the assessments. The appeal panel found in favor of the BFRS on these assessments and ADM do Brasil filed a second level administrative appeal. The second administrative appeal panel continues to conduct customary procedural activities, including ongoing dialogue with the BFRS auditor. If ADM do Brasil continues to be unsuccessful in the administrative appellate process, the Company intends to file appeals in the Brazilian federal courts. While the Company believes its consolidated financial statements properly reflect the tax deductibility of these hedging losses, the ultimate resolution of this matter could result in the future recognition of additional payments of, and expense for, income tax and the associated interest and penalties. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2011. During the quarter ended March 31, 2012, the Company’s subsidiaries in Argentina, ADM Argentina and Alfred Toepfer Argentina, received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for the tax years 2004 through 2010. As of March 31, 2018, these assessments totaled $30 million in tax and $92 million in interest and penalties (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). The Argentine tax authorities conducted a review of income and other taxes paid by large exporters and processors of cereals and other agricultural commodities resulting in allegations of income tax evasion. The Company strongly believes that it has complied with all Argentine tax laws. To date, the Company has not received assessments for tax years 2011 to 2017. However, it cannot not rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for these years, and estimates that these potential assessments could be approximately $95 million in tax and $79 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates as of March 31, 2018). The Company believes that it has appropriately evaluated the transactions underlying these assessments, and has concluded, based on Argentine tax law, that its tax position would be sustained, and accordingly, has not recorded a tax liability for these assessments. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2010. In accordance with the accounting requirements for uncertain tax positions, the Company has not recorded an uncertain tax liability for these assessments because it has concluded that it is more likely than not to prevail on the Brazil and Argentina matters based upon their technical merits and because the taxing jurisdictions’ processes do not provide a mechanism for settling at less than the full amount of the assessment. The Company’s consideration of these tax assessments requires judgments about the application of income tax regulations to specific facts and circumstances. The final outcome of these matters cannot reliably be predicted, may take many years to resolve, and could result in financial impacts of up to the entire amount of these assessments. During the quarter ended September 30, 2016, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in the Netherlands, ADM Europe B.V., received a tax assessment from the Netherlands tax authority challenging the transfer pricing aspects of a 2009 business reorganization which involved two of its subsidiary companies in the Netherlands. As of March 31, 2018, this assessment was $100 million in tax and $30 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). The Company has appealed the assessment and carefully evaluated the underlying transactions and has concluded that the amount of the gain recognized on the reorganization for tax purposes was appropriate. While the Company plans to vigorously defend its position against the assessment, it has accrued an amount it believes would be the likely outcome of the litigation. The Company’s defense of the judicial appeal may take an extended period of time, and could result in additional financial impacts of up to the entire amount of this assessment.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2144680 + Details
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