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INCOME TAXES
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
The provision (benefit) for income taxes consisted of the following:
Year Ended September 30,
 202520242023
Current:
Federal$(5.4)$2.4 $3.7 
State2.5 2.5 0.6 
Foreign2.6 (5.3)1.6 
Total current(0.3)(0.4)5.9 
Deferred:
Federal60.3 11.6 (62.1)
State10.1 (3.8)(5.2)
Foreign6.4 3.9 (11.8)
Total deferred76.8 11.7 (79.1)
Income tax expense (benefit)$76.5 $11.3 $(73.2)
The domestic and foreign components of income (loss) before income taxes were as follows:
 Year Ended September 30,
 202520242023
Domestic$249.1 $(10.8)$(376.2)
Foreign(27.4)(12.8)(77.1)
Income (loss) before income taxes$221.7 $(23.6)$(453.3)
A reconciliation of the federal corporate income tax rate and the effective tax rate on income (loss) before income taxes is summarized below:
 Year Ended September 30,
 202520242023
Statutory income tax rate21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %
Effect of foreign operations0.3 (2.0)0.2 
State taxes, net of federal benefit5.5 8.0 3.2 
Effect of other permanent differences2.2 (32.8)(0.8)
Research and Experimentation and other federal tax credits(0.3)2.9 0.2 
Effect of tax contingencies(0.5)3.7 0.1 
Change in valuation allowances5.4 (57.4)(8.7)
Other0.9 8.7 1.0 
Effective income tax rate34.5 %(47.9)%16.2 %
Deferred income taxes arise from temporary differences between financial reporting and tax reporting bases of assets and liabilities, and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards for tax purposes. The components of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities were as follows:
 September 30,
 20252024
DEFERRED TAX ASSETS
Lease liabilities$69.4 $67.6 
Outside basis difference in equity investments62.7 23.1 
Interest limitation carryforward59.6 55.9 
Accrued liabilities43.8 43.2 
Net operating loss carryovers39.6 56.4 
Foreign tax credit carryovers13.7 15.2 
Intangible assets13.6 62.2 
Inventories13.4 16.1 
Convertible debt investments4.7 43.6 
Other22.2 22.4 
Gross deferred tax assets342.7 405.7 
Valuation allowance(96.8)(96.5)
Total deferred tax assets245.9 309.2 
DEFERRED TAX LIABILITIES
Lease right-of-use assets(65.0)(62.0)
Property, plant and equipment(62.3)(58.5)
Other(5.1)(4.4)
Total deferred tax liabilities(132.4)(124.9)
Net deferred tax asset$113.5 $184.3 
At September 30, 2025 and 2024, after netting by taxing jurisdiction, net deferred tax assets of $121.1 and $191.3, respectively, were recorded in the “Other assets” line in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, and net deferred tax liabilities of $7.6 and $7.0, respectively, were recorded in the “Other liabilities” line in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
GAAP requires that a valuation allowance be recorded against a deferred tax asset if it is more likely than not that the tax benefit associated with the asset will not be realized in the future. As shown in the table above, valuation allowances were recorded against $96.8 and $96.5 of deferred tax assets as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Most of these valuation allowances relate to outside basis differences in equity investments, tax credits and net operating losses (“NOLs”), as explained further below.
Deferred tax assets related to unrealized losses on convertible debt investments were $4.7 and $43.6 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. A full valuation allowance was recorded against these losses at September 30, 2025 and 2024 as the Company does not expect to utilize them prior to their expiration. The decrease was due to the Company’s exchange of its RIV Capital convertible debt investment for non-voting exchangeable shares of FLUENT during fiscal 2025. As a result of this exchange, the deferred tax assets that were previously associated with unrealized losses on the RIV Capital convertible debt investment are now associated with outside basis differences in the FLUENT equity investment. Deferred tax assets related to outside basis differences in equity investments were $62.7 and $23.1 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. A valuation allowance in the amount of $42.3 and $0.0 was recorded against outside basis differences the Company does not expect to utilize at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Deferred tax assets related to foreign tax credits were $13.7 and $15.2 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. A full valuation allowance was recorded against these credits as of September 30, 2025 and 2024 as the Company does not expect to utilize them prior to their expiration. Tax benefits associated with state tax credits will also expire if not utilized and amounted to $1.0 and $1.0 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. A valuation allowance in the amount of $0.8 and $0.8 was recorded at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, related to state credits the Company does not expect to utilize.
Deferred tax assets related to certain federal NOLs subject to limitation under IRC §382 from current and prior ownership changes were $8.6 and $9.9 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. These NOLs will be subject to expiration gradually from fiscal year end 2025 through fiscal year end 2032. The Company determined that a portion of these deferred tax assets will expire unutilized due to the closing of statutes of limitation and has recorded a valuation allowance of $8.4 and $9.7 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The Company had deferred tax assets related to federal NOLs not subject to limitation of $10.8 at September 30, 2025, which can be utilized to reduce future years’ tax liabilities.
Deferred tax assets related to foreign NOLs of certain controlled foreign corporations were $2.9 and $6.8 as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. Due to a history of losses, a valuation allowance of $2.9 and $4.6 has been recorded against these deferred tax assets as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. A valuation allowance has also been recorded against deferred tax assets related to other foreign items of $13.4 and $13.0 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Deferred tax assets related to state NOLs were $17.3 and $19.1 as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, with carryforward periods ranging from 5 to unlimited years. Any losses not utilized within a specific state’s carryforward period will expire. A valuation allowance was recorded against $7.7 and $7.0 of these deferred tax assets as of September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, for state NOLs that the Company does not expect to realize within their respective carryforward periods. A valuation allowance has also been recorded against deferred tax assets related to other state items of $2.9 and $2.6 at September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
As of September 30, 2025, the Company maintains its assertions of indefinite reinvestment of the earnings of all material foreign subsidiaries.
The Company had $22.8, $25.7 and $34.6 of gross unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions at September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Included in the September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023 balances were $21.4, $23.1 and $31.1, respectively, of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would have an impact on the effective tax rate.
A reconciliation of the unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
Year Ended September 30,
202520242023
Balance at beginning of year$25.7 $34.6 $35.8 
Additions for tax positions of the current year0.2 0.2 0.2 
Additions for tax positions of prior years— 0.1 3.8 
Reductions for tax positions of prior years— (3.7)(0.2)
Settlements with tax authorities— (0.7)(0.1)
Expiration of statutes of limitation(3.1)(4.8)(4.9)
Balance at end of year$22.8 $25.7 $34.6 

The Company continues to recognize accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of the provision for income taxes. As of September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company had $6.7, $5.8 and $3.9, respectively, accrued for the payment of interest that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate. The Company had $1.1, $1.1 and $1.3 accrued for the payment of penalties as of September 30, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Scotts Miracle-Gro or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. Subject to the following exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to examination by these tax authorities for fiscal years prior to 2022. There are currently no ongoing audits with respect to the U.S. federal jurisdiction. With respect to foreign jurisdictions, a Canadian audit covering fiscal years 2020 through 2021 and a United Kingdom audit covering fiscal year 2023 are in process. The Company is currently under examination by certain U.S. state and local tax authorities covering various periods from fiscal years 2018 through 2023. In addition to the aforementioned audits, certain other tax deficiency notices and refund claims for previous years remain unresolved.
The Company currently anticipates that few of its open and active audits will be resolved within the next twelve months. The Company is unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate as to when or if cash settlements with taxing authorities may occur. Although the outcomes of such examinations and the timing of any payments required upon the conclusion of such examinations are subject to significant uncertainty, the Company does not anticipate that the resolution of these tax matters or any events related thereto will result in a material change to its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”). The OBBBA makes permanent key elements of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including 100% bonus depreciation, domestic research cost expensing and the business interest expense limitations. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in fiscal year 2025 and others implemented through fiscal year 2027. The corporate tax changes included in OBBBA did not have a material impact on the effective tax rate during fiscal 2025 and the Company does not anticipate a material impact on the effective tax rate in future periods.