XML 99 R21.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.19.3.a.u2

Deferred tax assets and liabilities | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019
Income Taxes [Abstract] |
Deferred tax assets and liabilities | Deferred tax assets and liabilities
($ millions) | Property, plant & equipment |  |  | Intangible assets |  |  | Pensions and other benefit obligations of associates |  |  | Inventories |  |  | Tax loss carry- forwards |  |  | Other assets, provision and accruals |  |  | Total |
Gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2018 | 12 |  |  |  |  |  | 125 |  |  | 262 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 235 |  |  | 673 |
Gross deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2018 | (94 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | (2 | ) |  | (14 | ) |  |  |  |  | (18 | ) |  | (1,531 | )
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2018 | (82 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | 123 |  |  | 248 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 217 |  |  | (858 | )
At December 31, 2018 | (82 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | 123 |  |  | 248 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 217 |  |  | (858 | )
(Charged)/credited to income | (71 | ) |  | (194 | ) |  | 18 |  |  | 111 |  |  | 50 |  |  | (36 | ) |  | (122 | )
Credited to equity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 25 |  |  | 25 |
Credited to other comprehensive income |  |  |  |  | 11 |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |  | 16 |
Impact of business combinations |  |  | (121 | ) |  |  |  |  |  | 28 |  |  |  |  | (93 | )
Other movements | (6 | ) |  | 11 |  |  | (11 | ) |  | (11 | ) |  | (7 | ) |  | 24 |  |  | — |
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2019 | (159 | ) |  | (1,707 | ) |  | 141 |  |  | 348 |  |  | 110 |  |  | 235 |  |  | (1,032 | )
Gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2019 | 13 |  |  | 6 |  |  | 151 |  |  | 371 |  |  | 110 |  |  | 281 |  |  | 932 |
Gross deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2019 | (172 | ) |  | (1,713 | ) |  | (10 | ) |  | (23 | ) |  | — |  |  | (46 | ) |  | (1,964 | )
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2019 | (159 | ) |  | (1,707 | ) |  | 141 |  |  | 348 |  |  | 110 |  |  | 235 |  |  | (1,032 | )
The below table presents the Net deferred tax balance as of December 31, 2019 after offsetting $578 million of deferred tax assets and liabilities within the same tax jurisdiction.
($ millions) | At December 31, 2019 |
Deferred tax assets | 354 |
Deferred tax liabilities | (1,386 | )
Net deferred tax balance | (1,032 | )
($ millions) | Property, plant & equipment |  |  | Intangible assets |  |  | Pensions and other benefit obligations of associates |  |  | Inventories |  |  | Tax loss carry- forwards |  |  | Other assets, provisions and accruals |  |  | Total |
Gross deferred tax assets at January 1, 2018 | 10 |  |  |  |  | 121 |  |  | 169 |  |  | 18 |  |  | 232 |  |  | 550 |
Gross deferred tax liabilities at January 1, 2018 | (69 | ) |  | (1,531 | ) |  | (7 | ) |  | (32 | ) |  |  |  | (25 | ) |  | (1,664 | )
Net deferred tax balance at January 1, 2018 | (59 | ) |  | (1,531 | ) |  | 114 |  |  | 137 |  |  | 18 |  |  | 207 |  |  | (1,114 | )
At January 1, 2018 | (59 | ) |  | (1,531 | ) |  | 114 |  |  | 137 |  |  | 18 |  |  | 207 |  |  | (1,114 | )
Credited/(charged) to income | (23 | ) |  | 212 |  |  | 13 |  |  | 82 |  |  | 9 |  |  | 14 |  |  | 307 |
Charged to equity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (2 | ) |  | (2 | )
Charged to other comprehensive income |  |  |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (2 | )
Impact of business combinations |  |  | (78 | ) |  |  |  |  |  | 12 |  |  |  |  | (66 | )
Other movements |  |  | (6 | ) |  | (2 | ) |  | 29 |  |  |  |  | (2 | ) |  | 19 |
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2018 | (82 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | 123 |  |  | 248 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 217 |  |  | (858 | )
Gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2018 | 12 |  |  |  |  | 125 |  |  | 262 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 235 |  |  | 673 |
Gross deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2018 | (94 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | (2 | ) |  | (14 | ) |  |  |  |  | (18 | ) |  | (1,531 | )
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2018 | (82 | ) |  | (1,403 | ) |  | 123 |  |  | 248 |  |  | 39 |  |  | 217 |  |  | (858 | )
The below table presents the Net deferred tax balance as of December 31, 2018 after offsetting $3 million of deferred tax assets and liabilities within the same tax jurisdiction.
($ millions) | At December 31, 2018 |
Deferred tax assets | 670 |
Deferred tax liabilities | (1,528 | )
Net deferred tax balance | (858 | )
The below table presents deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities expected to have an impact on current taxes payable after more than twelve months.
($ billions) | At December 31, 2019 |  |  | At December 31, 2018 |
Deferred tax assets | 0.6 |  |  | 0.3 |
Deferred tax liabilities | 1.8 |  |  | 1.5 |
For foreign unremitted earnings retained by consolidated entities for reinvestment, which amounted to $7 billion as of December 31, 2019, no provision is made for income taxes that would be payable upon the distribution of these earnings. If these earnings were remitted, an income tax charge could result based on the tax statutes currently in effect. Temporary differences on which no deferred tax has been provided as they are permanent in nature relate to goodwill from acquisitions and amounted to $9 billion as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. The gross value of tax loss carry forwards capitalized as deferred tax assets amount to $521 million (2018: $146 million), of which $33 million expire in five years and $488 million expire in more than five years. All tax loss carry forwards have been capitalized as deferred tax assets in 2019 as it is probable that sufficient taxable income will be available for the foreseeable future. No tax losses carried forward have expired in 2019, 2018 or 2017. Swiss tax reform On June 30, 2019, Swiss voters approved the Swiss Tax Reform and Old Age Insurance financing bill ("Swiss tax reform"). As a result, the corporate income tax rate applicable to Alcon’s Swiss profits as of January 1, 2020 will increase from approximately 9.4% in 2019 to approximately 14.2% beginning in 2020. This change resulted in a non-cash increase in tax expense of $304 million related to the re-measurement of Swiss deferred tax assets and liabilities in 2019. US tax reform On December 22, 2017, the US enacted tax reform legislation (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act), which among other provisions, reduced the US corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. This required a revaluation of the deferred tax assets and liabilities and a portion of current tax payables to the newly enacted tax rates at the date of enactment. This resulted in the recognition of a $413 million credit to income and an $18 million charge to equity in 2017.

X
- Definition Income Taxes [Abstract] + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | alc_IncomeTaxesAbstract
Namespace Prefix: | alc_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The disclosure of deferred taxes. [Refer: Deferred tax liabilities; Deferred tax assets] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_10_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DisclosureOfDeferredTaxesExplanatory
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration