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Income Taxes | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes The Company’s effective tax rate was 15.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2021 compared to a tax benefit of 4.3% for the three months ended March 31, 2020. The favorable 2020 tax rate was primarily due to the impact of U.S. tax credits signed into law in December 2019, including a $73 million discrete tax benefit related to 45G railroad maintenance expenses. 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. The Company’s subsidiary in Argentina, ADM Agro SRL (formerly ADM Argentina SA and Alfred C. Toepfer Argentina SRL), received tax assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for the tax years 1999 through 2011. As of March 31, 2021, these assessments totaled $9 million in tax and $39 million in interest (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 believes that it has complied with all Argentine tax laws. To date, the Company has not received assessments for closed years subsequent to 2011. While the statute of limitations has expired for tax years 2012 and 2013, the Company cannot rule out receiving additional assessments challenging transfer prices used to price grain exports for years subsequent to 2013, and estimates that these potential assessments could be approximately $66 million in tax and $28 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates as of March 31, 2021). 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. In accordance with the accounting requirements for uncertain tax positions, the Company has not recorded an uncertain tax liability for this assessment because it has concluded that it is more likely than not to prevail on the matter based upon its technical merits and because the taxing jurisdiction’s process does not provide a mechanism for settling at less than the full amount of the assessment. The Company intends to vigorously defend its position against the current assessments and any similar assessments that may be issued for years subsequent to 2013. In 2014, 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, 2021, this assessment was $95 million in tax and $34 million in interest (adjusted for variation in currency exchange rates). In September 2019, the Company received an interim decision on its appeal which directed the parties to work toward a settlement. On April 23, 2020, the court issued an unfavorable ruling and in October 2020, assigned a third party expert to establish a valuation by early 2021. During the first quarter of 2021, the third party expert issued a preliminary valuation that is likely to be finalized by the second quarter of this year, after which the court will review the valuation and issue a ruling. Subsequent appeals may take an extended period of time and could result in additional financial impacts of up to the entire amount of the assessment. The Company has carefully reviewed the preliminary valuation and evaluated the underlying transactions and has concluded that the amount of gain recognized on the reorganization for tax purposes was appropriate. As of March 31, 2021, the Company has accrued its best estimate of what it believes will be the likely outcome of the litigation and will vigorously defend its position against the 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/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32857-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 11.C) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330215-122817 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32809-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.5.Q1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116825942&loc=d3e330036-122817 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 14 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84230637&loc=d3e32705-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 270 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6424409&loc=d3e44925-109338 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2144680 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6424122&loc=d3e41874-109331 + Details
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