XML 79 R20.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.4

Deferred tax assets and liabilities | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020
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, 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) |
At December 31, 2019 | (159) |  |  | (1,707) |  |  | 141 |  |  | 348 |  |  | 110 |  |  | 235 |  |  | (1,032) |
(Charged)/credited to income | (32) |  |  | 193 |  |  | (33) |  |  | 10 |  |  | 59 |  |  | 26 |  |  | 223 |
Credited/(charged) to equity | — |  |  | — |  |  | 7 |  |  | — |  |  | 5 |  |  | (16) |  |  | (4) |
Credited to other comprehensive income | — |  |  | — |  |  | 13 |  |  | — |  |  | — |  |  | 3 |  |  | 16 |
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2020 | (191) |  |  | (1,514) |  |  | 128 |  |  | 358 |  |  | 174 |  |  | 248 |  |  | (797) |
Gross deferred tax assets at December 31, 2020 | 24 |  |  | 5 |  |  | 128 |  |  | 381 |  |  | 174 |  |  | 314 |  |  | 1,026 |
Gross deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2020 | (215) |  |  | (1,519) |  |  | — |  |  | (23) |  |  | — |  |  | (66) |  |  | (1,823) |
Net deferred tax balance at December 31, 2020 | (191) |  |  | (1,514) |  |  | 128 |  |  | 358 |  |  | 174 |  |  | 248 |  |  | (797) |
The below table presents the Net deferred tax balance as of December 31, 2020 after offsetting $627 million of deferred tax assets and liabilities within the same tax jurisdiction.
($ millions) | At December 31, 2020 |  |
Deferred tax assets | 399 |  |  |
Deferred tax liabilities | (1,196) |  |  |
Net deferred tax balance | (797) |  |  |
($ 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) |  |  |
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, 2020 |  | At December 31, 2019 |  |
Deferred tax assets | 0.6 |  |  | 0.6 |  |  |
Deferred tax liabilities | 1.8 |  |  | 1.8 |  |  |
For foreign unremitted earnings retained by consolidated entities for reinvestment, which amounted to $7 billion as of December 31, 2020, 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. IFRS exceptions to recognizing taxable temporary differences include an exception to recognizing a deferred tax liability arising on the initial recognition of goodwill from acquisitions. As such, we have not provided a deferred tax for goodwill from acquisitions which amounted to $9 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The gross value of tax loss carryforwards capitalized as deferred tax assets amount to $921 million (2019: $521 million), of which $5 million will expire in five years. Of the remaining $916 million, approximately $559 million have an indefinite carryforward period, and approximately $357 million have a carryforward period that ranges from six to 20 years. All tax loss carryforwards have been capitalized as deferred tax assets in 2020 as it is probable that sufficient taxable income will be available for the foreseeable future. No tax losses carried forward have expired in 2020, 2019 or 2018. 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 increased 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.

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 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_10_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DisclosureOfDeferredTaxesExplanatory
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration