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Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2021
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Note 13 –Income Taxes

The provisions for income taxes were as follows:

   
For the Years Ended April 30,
  
 
2021
    
2020
    
2019
  
Current Provision
                  
US – Federal
  
$
(6,631
)
  
$
1,145
    
$
2,384
  
International
    
43,269
      
37,494
      
52,518
  
State and local
    
1,359
      
172
      
2,536
  
Total current provision
  
$
37,997
    
$
38,811
    
$
57,438
  
Deferred (benefit) provision
                        
US – Federal
  
$
(11,996
)
  
$
(8,476
)
  
$
335
  
International
    
1,175
      
(15,022
)
    
(7,630
)
State and local
    
480
      
(4,118
)
    
(5,454
)
Total deferred (benefit)
  
$
(10,341
)
  
$
(27,616
)
  
$
(12,749
)
Total provision
  
$
27,656
    
$
11,195
    
$
44,689
  

International and United States pretax income (loss) were as follows:

   
For the Years Ended April 30,
  
 
2021
    
2020
    
2019
  
International
  
$
202,490
    
$
104,185
    
$
204,326
  
United States
    
(26,578
)
    
(167,277
)
    
8,626
  
Total
  
$
175,912
    
$
(63,092
)
  
$
212,952
  

Our effective income tax rate as a percentage of pretax income differed from the US federal statutory rate as shown below:

   
For the Years Ended April 30,
  
 
2021
    
2020
    
2019
  
US federal statutory rate
    
21.0
%
    
21.0
%
    
21.0
%
Cost of higher taxes on non-US income
    
1.1
      
4.8
      
0.9
  
State income taxes, net of US federal tax benefit
    
0.8
      
3.3
      
(1.3
)
US NOL carryback under CARES Act
    
(8.0
)
    
—
      
—
  
Deferred tax (benefit) from US Tax Act
    
—
      
—
      
0.1
  
Tax credits and related benefits
    
(0.5
)
    
(1.1
)
    
(0.8
)
Impairment of goodwill and intangibles
    
—
      
(42.3
)
    
—
  
Other
    
1.3
      
(3.4
)
    
1.1
  
Effective income tax rate
    
15.7
%
    
(17.7
)%
    
21.0
%

The effective tax rate was 15.7% for the year ended April 30, 2021, compared to a tax expense rate of 17.7% on a pretax loss for the year ended April 30, 2020. Our rate for the year ended April 30, 2021 benefitted by $14.0 million (8.0%) from the CARES Act and certain regulations issued in late July 2020, which enabled us to carry back certain US net operating losses (NOLs), reducing our tax for the year ended April 30, 2020 compared to prior estimates. This benefit was partially offset by (a) $3.5 million (2.0%) from an increase in the official UK statutory rate during our three months ended July 31, 2020, resulting in our taxes in non-US income increasing our effective income tax rate and (b) a $3.2 million (1.8%) increase in our state tax expense included in our state income tax expense above, due to increasing our deferred tax liabilities in connection with our expanded presence in additional states resulting from COVID-19 and employees working in additional locations. The 17.7% tax expense rate on a pretax loss for the year ended April 30, 2020 was primarily due to the non-deductible impairment of goodwill.


In connection with the CARES Act and certain regulations, we carried back our April 30, 2020 US NOL to our year ended April 30, 2015 and claimed a $20.7 million refund. The refund plus interest was received in February 2021. The NOL was carried back to fiscal year 2015 when the US corporate tax rate was 35.0%. The carryback to a year with a higher rate, plus certain additional net permanent deductions included in the carryback resulted in a $14.0 million tax benefit. The benefit was partially offset by an increase in the UK statutory rate and an increase in our state tax expense. During the three months ended July 31, 2020, the UK officially enacted legislation that increased its statutory rate from 17% to 19%. This resulted in a $3.5 million noncash deferred tax expense from the re-measurement of our applicable UK net deferred tax liabilities. During the year ended April 30, 2021, as a result of COVID-19, we adjusted our policies to permit employees to work from home, resulting in an increased presence in many states. This resulted in a $3.2 million noncash deferred tax expense from the re-measurement of our applicable US net deferred tax liabilities.

Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes:

As of April 30, 2021 and April 30, 2020, the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits were $9.1 million and $6.2 million, respectively, of which $0.7 million and $0.6 million represented accruals for interest and penalties recorded as additional tax expense in accordance with our accounting policy. We recorded net interest expense on reserves for unrecognized and recognized tax benefits of $0.2 million within each of the years ended April 30, 2021 and 2020. As of April 30, 2021, and April 30, 2020, the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits that would reduce our income tax provision, if recognized, were approximately $7.4 million and $6.2 million, respectively. We do not expect any significant changes to the unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

A reconciliation of the unrecognized tax benefits included within the Other long-term liabilities line item on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position follows:
  
2021
    
2020
  
Balance at May 1
  
$
6,194
    
$
7,659
  
Additions for current year tax positions
    
3,626
      
694
  
Additions for prior year tax positions
    
511
      
—
  
Reductions for prior year tax positions
    
(163
)
    
(655
)
Foreign translation adjustment
    
57
      
(15
)
Payments and settlements
    
(215
)
    
(56
)
Reductions for lapse of statute of limitations
    
(866
)
    
(1,433
)
Balance at April 30
  
$
9,144
    
$
6,194
  

Tax Audits:

We file income tax returns in the US and various states and non-US tax jurisdictions. Our major taxing jurisdictions are the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Except for one immaterial item, we are no longer subject to income tax examinations for years prior to fiscal year 2014 in the major jurisdictions in which we are subject to tax. We received a tax audit notice from the Internal Revenue Service with respect to our loss for our year ended April 30, 2020 and the carryback to the year ended April 30, 2015. We also received tax audit notices for our German entities for the fiscal years 2014-2017. The audit process in Germany has been delayed due to COVID-19. We have also addressed inquiries in other jurisdictions where we maintain a smaller presence.


Deferred Taxes:

Deferred taxes result from temporary differences in the recognition of revenue and expense for tax and financial reporting purposes.

We believe that it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize the net deferred tax assets. The significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities at April 30 were as follows:

  
2021
    
2020
  
Net operating losses
  
$
19,433
    
$
17,966
  
Reserve for sales returns and doubtful accounts
    
3,838
      
2,638
  
Accrued employee compensation
    
32,835
      
20,114
  
Foreign and federal credits
    
5,129
      
31,487
  
Other accrued expenses
    
16,092
      
11,827
  
Retirement and post-employment benefits
    
30,039
      
37,927
  
Total gross deferred tax assets
  
$
107,366
    
$
121,959
  
Less valuation allowance
    
(4,855
)
    
(23,287
)
Total deferred tax assets
  
$
102,511
    
$
98,672
  
                 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
  
$
(459
)
  
$
(1,142
)
Unremitted foreign earnings
    
(2,485
)
    
(1,985
)
Intangible and fixed assets
    
(260,559
)
    
(205,882
)
Total deferred tax liabilities
  
$
(263,503
)
  
$
(209,009
)
Net deferred tax liabilities
  
$
(160,992
)
  
$
(110,337
)
                 
Reported As
                
Deferred tax assets
  
$
11,911
    
$
8,790
  
Deferred tax liabilities
    
(172,903
)
    
(119,127
)
Net Deferred Tax Liabilities
  
$
(160,992
)
  
$
(110,337
)

The increase in net deferred tax liabilities is primarily due to additional deferred tax liabilities relating to non-goodwill intangibles acquired in recent acquisitions, partially offset by amortization of our deferred tax liabilities related to non-goodwill intangibles, primarily from prior acquisitions. Our increase in net deferred tax assets is primarily attributable to an increase in our accrued employee compensation and other expenses, partially offset by a decrease in our foreign and federal credits net of applicable valuation allowances, as well as a decrease in our retirement and post-employment benefits. During our year ended April 30, 2021, we expect to use substantially all of our foreign tax credits resulting in the release of related valuation allowances. We have concluded that after valuation allowances, it is more likely than not that we will realize substantially all of the net deferred tax assets at April 30, 2021. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we take into account related deferred tax liabilities and estimated future reversals of existing temporary differences, future taxable earnings and tax planning strategies to determine which deferred tax assets are more likely than not to be realized in the future. Changes to tax laws, statutory tax rates and future taxable earnings can have an impact on our valuation allowances.

We have provided a $4.9 million valuation allowance based primarily on the uncertainty of utilizing the tax benefits related to our deferred tax assets for state and federal net operating losses and credits. As of April 30, 2021, we have apportioned state net operating loss carryforwards totaling approximately $115.0 million, with a tax effected value of $6.5 million net of federal benefits. Our state and federal NOLs and credits expire in various amounts over 5 to 19 years.

Since April 30, 2018, we no longer intend to permanently reinvest earnings outside the US. We have recorded a $2.5 million liability related to the estimated taxes that would be incurred upon repatriating certain non-US earnings.