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Income Taxes | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2017
Income Taxes [Abstract] |
Income Taxes |
3. | Income Taxes
Our operations are conducted through our various subsidiaries in a number of countries throughout the world. We have provided for income taxes based upon the tax laws and rates in the countries in which operations are conducted and income is earned.
|  | Three Months Ended March 31, |
|  | 2017 |  |  | 2016 |
Income tax provision |  | $ | (2 | ) |  | $ | (12 | )
Loss before income taxes |  | $ | (36 | ) |  | $ | (82 | )
Effective tax rate |  |  | (6 | )% |  |  | (15 | )%
During the fourth quarter of 2016, we implemented various steps of an internal corporate restructuring plan to simplify our corporate, finance and legal structure and thereby improve operational, administrative, and commercial synergies within each of our operating segments (the “Corporate Reorganization”). As a result of this Corporate Reorganization, we reduced our cross jurisdictional financing arrangements during 2016; therefore, the period ended March 31,2017 is not impacted by withholding tax accruals on interest income. In connection with the Corporate Reorganization during the period ended March 31, 2017, Tronox Limited became managed and controlled in the United Kingdom (“U.K”), with no additional impacts to the consolidated provision for income taxes due to the valuation allowances in various jurisdictions. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, Tronox Limited, the public parent which is registered under the laws of the State of Western Australia, became managed and controlled in the U.K. The statutory tax rate in the U.K. at March 31, 2017 was 20%. During 2016, Tronox Limited was taxable only in Australia with a statutory tax rate of 30%. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017 differs from the U.K. statutory rate of 20% primarily due to valuation allowances and income in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates lower than 20%. The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 differs from the Australian statutory rate of 30% primarily due to valuation allowances, income in foreign jurisdictions taxed at rates lower than 30%, and withholding tax accruals on interest income. The income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2017 differs from the income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2016 primarily due to withholding tax accruals on interest income which were made during 2016. The statutory tax rates in various countries where subsidiaries of Tronox Limited have operations are different than both the U.K. and the Australian tax rates. Tax rates in the U.S. (35% for corporations), South Africa (28% for limited liability companies), the Netherlands (25% for corporations), Switzerland (8.5% for corporations) and Jersey, U.K. (0% for corporations) all impact our effective tax rate. We continue to maintain full valuation allowances related to the total net deferred tax assets in Australia, the Netherlands, and the U.S., as we cannot objectively assert that these deferred tax assets are more likely than not to be realized. Future provisions for income taxes will include no tax benefits with respect to losses incurred and tax expense only to the extent of current state tax payments until the valuation allowances are eliminated. Additionally, we have valuation allowances against specific tax assets in South Africa, and we have now established a valuation allowance against an immaterial deferred tax asset from a tax loss in the U.K. which we do not expect to utilize. These conclusions were reached by the application of ASC 740, Income Taxes, which require all available positive and negative evidence be weighted to determine whether a valuation allowance should be recorded. The more significant evidential matter in Australia, the U.S., and The Netherlands, and the U.K. relates to recent book losses and the lack of sufficient projected taxable income. The more significant evidential matter for South Africa relates to assets that cannot be depleted or depreciated for tax purposes and capital gains tax losses which we do not expect to utilize. Anadarko Litigation On January 23, 2015, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (“Anadarko”) paid $5.2 billion, including approximately $65 million of accrued interest, pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement with Tronox Incorporated. We did not receive any portion of the settlement amount. Instead, 88% of the $5.2 billion went to trusts and other governmental entities for the remediation of polluted sites by Kerr-McGee Corporation (“Kerr-McGee”). The remaining 12% was distributed to a tort trust to compensate individuals injured as a result of Kerr-McGee’s environmental failures. We received a private letter ruling from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service confirming that the trusts that held the claims against Anadarko are grantor trusts of Tronox Incorporated solely for federal income tax purposes. As a result, we believe we are entitled to tax deductions equal to the amount spent by the trusts to remediate environmental matters and to compensate the injured individuals. These deductions will accrue over the life of the trusts as the $5.2 billion is spent. We believe that these expenditures and the accompanying tax deductions may continue for years. At December 31, 2014, we had recorded deferred tax assets of $2.0 billion related to the $5.2 billion of expected future tax deductions from trust expenditures. These deferred tax assets were fully offset by valuation allowances. At March 31, 2017, approximately $2.8 billion of the trust expenditures expected from the litigation proceeds have been incurred.

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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 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32559-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65882285&loc=d3e32537-109319 + Details
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