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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
During the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2018, the Company recorded a provision for income tax on continuing operations of $12 million and $33 million, respectively, which reflects income tax expense in countries where the Company is profitable; accrued withholding taxes; ongoing assessments related to the recognition and measurement of uncertain tax benefits; the inability to record a tax benefit for pretax losses and/or recognize expense for pretax income in certain jurisdictions (including the U.S.) due to valuation allowances; and other non-recurring tax items. Pretax losses from continuing operations in jurisdictions where valuation allowances are maintained and no income tax benefits are recognized totaled $8 million and $9 million for the six month periods ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, resulting in an increase in the Company's effective tax rate in those years.
The reduction of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate from 35% to 21% under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”) enacted in December 2017, did not have a significant impact to income tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018 due to the U.S. valuation allowance. The Company ’s income tax expense reflects the estimated impacts of other provisions of the Act including the global minimum income tax and base erosion tax provisions related to offshore activities and affiliated party payments neither of which had a significant impact to income tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 2018.
The Company provides for U.S. and non-U.S. income taxes and non-U.S. withholding taxes on the projected future repatriations of the earnings from its non-U.S. operations that are not considered permanently reinvested at each tier of the legal entity structure. During the six month periods ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recognized expense primarily related to non-U.S. withholding taxes, including exchange impacts, of $4 million in both years, reflecting the Company's forecasts which contemplate numerous financial and operational considerations that impact future repatriations.
The Company's provision for income taxes in interim periods is computed by applying an estimated annual effective tax rate against income before income taxes, excluding equity in net income of non-consolidated affiliates for the period. Effective tax rates vary from period to period as separate calculations are performed for those countries where the Company's operations are profitable and whose results continue to be tax-effected and for those countries where full deferred tax valuation allowances exist and are maintained. In determining the estimated annual effective tax rate, the Company analyzes various factors, including but not limited to, forecasts of projected annual earnings, taxing jurisdictions in which the pretax income and/or pretax losses will be generated and available tax planning strategies. The Company’s estimated annual effective tax rate is updated each quarter and may be significantly impacted by changes to the mix of forecasted earnings by tax jurisdiction. The tax impact of adjustments to the estimated annual effective tax rate are recorded in the period such estimates are revised. The Company is also required to record the tax impact of certain other non-recurring tax items, including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and uncertain tax positions, and changes in tax laws or rates, in the interim period in which they occur, rather than include them in the estimated annual effective tax rate.
The need to maintain valuation allowances against deferred tax assets in the U.S. and other affected countries will cause variability in the Company’s quarterly and annual effective tax rates. Full valuation allowances against deferred tax assets in the U.S. and applicable foreign countries will be maintained until sufficient positive evidence exists to reduce or eliminate them. The factors considered by management in its determination of the probability of the realization of the deferred tax assets include, but are not limited to, recent historical financial results, historical taxable income, projected future taxable income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary differences and tax planning strategies. If, based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will not be realized, a valuation allowance is recorded. The weight given to the positive and negative evidence is commensurate with the extent to which the evidence may be objectively verified. As such, it is generally difficult for positive evidence regarding projected future taxable income exclusive of reversing taxable temporary differences to outweigh objective negative evidence of recent financial reporting losses, in particular, when there is a cumulative loss incurred over a three-year period. In regards to the full valuation allowance recorded against the U.S. net deferred tax assets, the cumulative U.S. pretax book loss adjusted for significant permanent items incurred over the three-year period ended December 31, 2017 limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence such as the Company’s plans to improve U.S. profits, and as such, the Company continues to maintain a full valuation allowance against the U.S. net deferred tax assets. Based on the Company’s current assessment, it is possible that within the next 6 to 18 months, the existing valuation allowance against the U.S. net deferred tax assets could be partially released. Any such release is dependent upon the sustained improvement in U.S. operating results, and, if such a release of the valuation allowance were to occur, it could have a significant impact on net income in the quarter in which it is deemed appropriate to partially release the reserve.
Due to the timing of the Act and the substantial changes it brings, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ("SAB 118"), which provides registrants a measurement period to report the impact of the new U.S. tax law. During the measurement period, provisional amounts for the effects of the law are recorded to the extent a reasonable estimate can be made. To the extent that all information necessary is not available, prepared or analyzed, companies may recognize provisional estimated amounts for a period of up to one year following enactment of the Act.
For year-end 2017, the Company recorded provisional amounts for impacts of the Act in accordance with the guidance as of the date of the year-end filing, including the one-time transition tax on the mandatory deemed repatriation of foreign earnings, gross foreign tax credit carryforwards, the remeasurement of deferred taxes, and related valuation allowances. The Company will continue to refine provisional amounts surrounding the remeasurement of deferred taxes and information related to unremitted earnings from foreign affiliates to more precisely analyze and compute the remeasurement of deferred taxes and the impact of the transition tax under the Act, as well as other provisions of the Act, such as the global minimum income tax and base erosion tax provisions related to offshore activities and affiliated party payments, as more information and further guidance become available.
Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Gross unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, including amounts attributable to discontinued operations, were $18 million in both years. Of these amounts approximately $11 million and $9 million as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively, represent the amount of unrecognized benefits that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate. The gross unrecognized tax benefit differs from that which would impact the effective tax rate due to uncertain tax positions embedded in other deferred tax attributes carrying a full valuation allowance. If the uncertainty is resolved while a full valuation allowance is maintained, these uncertain tax positions should not impact the effective tax rate in current or future periods. The Company records interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense and related amounts accrued at June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 was $2 million and $3 million, respectively.
With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal tax examinations for years before 2014, or state, local or non-U.S. income tax examinations for years before 2003, although U.S. net operating losses carried forward into open tax years technically remain open to adjustment. During the first quarter of 2018, the IRS informed the Company that the 2016 tax year would be added to the ongoing examination of the Company’s U.S. tax returns for 2014 and 2015. Although it is not possible to predict the timing of the resolution of all ongoing tax audits with accuracy, it is reasonably possible that certain tax proceedings in Europe, Asia and Mexico could conclude within the next twelve months and result in a significant increase or decrease in the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits. Given the number of years, jurisdictions and positions subject to examination, the Company is unable to estimate the full range of possible adjustments to the balance of unrecognized tax benefits. The long-term portion of uncertain income tax positions (including interest) in the amount of $11 million is included in "Other non-current liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheet, while the current portion in the amount of $2 million, is included in "Other current liabilities" on the consolidated balance sheet.
During 2012, Brazil tax authorities issued tax assessment notices to Visteon Sistemas Automotivos (“Sistemas”) related to the sale of its chassis business to a third party, which required a deposit in the amount of $15 million during 2013 necessary to open a judicial proceeding against the government in order to suspend the debt and allow Sistemas to operate regularly before the tax authorities after attempts to reopen an appeal of the administrative decision failed. Adjusted for currency impacts and accrued interest, the deposit amount is approximately $14 million, as of June 30, 2018. The Company believes that the risk of a negative outcome is remote once the matter is fully litigated at the highest judicial level. These appeal payments, as well as income tax refund claims associated with other jurisdictions, total $17 million as of June 30, 2018, and are included in "Other non-current assets" on the consolidated balance sheet.