QUALCOMM Incorporated Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Sep. 29, 2019

The components of the income tax provision were as follows (in millions):



	2019			2018			2017
Current provision (benefit):
Federal	$	1,563		$	2,559		$	72
State	2			(1		)	3
Foreign	(407		)	777			1,256
	1,158			3,335			1,331
Deferred provision (benefit):
Federal	2,037			1,846			(598		)
State	17			1			4
Foreign	(117		)	174			(194		)
	1,937			2,021			(788		)
	$	3,095		$	5,356		$	543

The foreign component of the income tax provision (benefit) included foreign withholding taxes on royalty revenues included in U.S. earnings.

The components of income before income taxes by U.S. and foreign jurisdictions were as follows (in millions):



	2019		2018			2017
United States	$	7,042	$	(1,834	)	$	(795	)
Foreign	439		2,226			3,782
	$	7,481	$	392		$	2,987

In fiscal 2018 and 2017, the foreign component of income before income taxes in foreign jurisdictions consisted primarily of income earned in Singapore.

The following is a reconciliation of the expected statutory federal income tax provision to our actual income tax provision (in millions):



	2019			2018			2017
Expected income tax provision at federal statutory tax rate	$	1,571		$	97		$	1,045
State income tax provision, net of federal benefit	10			2			8
Derecognition of deferred tax asset on distributed intellectual property	2,472			—			—
Benefits from establishing new U.S. net deferred tax assets	(570		)	—			—
Benefits from foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) deduction	(419		)	—			—
Benefits related to research and development tax credits	(110		)	(136		)	(81		)
Benefits from foreign income taxed at other than U.S. rates	(54		)	(834		)	(963		)
Nondeductible charges (reversals) related to the EC, KFTC and TFTC investigations	51			(119		)	363
Impact of changes in tax reserves and audit settlements for prior year tax positions	20			—			111
Taxes on undistributed foreign earnings	8			87			—
Toll Charge from U.S. tax reform	—			5,236			—
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets related to NXP termination fee	—			494			—
Remeasurement of deferred taxes due to changes in statutory rate due to U.S. tax reform	—			443			—
Other	116			86			60
	$	3,095		$	5,356		$	543

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Legislation), which was enacted during the first quarter of fiscal 2018, significantly revised the United States corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering the corporate income tax rate to 21% and imposing a one-time repatriation tax on deemed repatriated earnings and profits of U.S.-owned foreign subsidiaries (the Toll Charge). The Tax Legislation fundamentally changed the taxation of multinational entities, including a shift from a system of worldwide taxation with deferral to a hybrid territorial system, featuring a participation exemption regime with current taxation of certain foreign income, a minimum tax on low-taxed foreign earnings and new measures to deter base erosion and promote U.S. production. As a fiscal-year taxpayer, certain provisions of the Tax Legislation became effective starting at the beginning of fiscal 2019, including GILTI (global intangible low-taxed income), a new tax on income of foreign corporations, BEAT (base-erosion and anti-abuse tax) and FDII (foreign-derived intangible income). In response to the Tax Legislation and to better align our profits with our activities, we implemented certain tax restructuring in fiscal 2018 and 2019. As a result, beginning in fiscal 2019, substantially all of our income is in the U.S., of which a significant portion qualifies for preferential treatment as FDII at a 13% effective tax rate. The impact of GILTI and BEAT is negligible. Accordingly, our annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2019 reflected the effects of these provisions of the Tax Legislation. Our annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2018 reflected a blended federal statutory rate of approximately 25%.

As a result of the Tax Legislation, in fiscal 2019, several of our foreign subsidiaries made tax elections to be treated as U.S. branches for federal income tax purposes (commonly referred to as “check-the-box” elections) effective beginning in fiscal 2018 and 2019. Although beginning in fiscal 2019 the income of these entities will be included in our consolidated U.S. tax return, we believe that by treating these foreign subsidiaries as U.S. branches for federal income taxes, rather than controlled foreign corporations, we will significantly reduce the risk of being subject to GILTI and BEAT taxes. As a result of making these check-the-box elections, we recorded a tax benefit of $570 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 due to establishing new U.S. net deferred tax assets resulting from the difference between the GAAP basis and the U.S. federal tax carryover basis of the existing assets and liabilities of those foreign subsidiaries, primarily related to customer incentive liabilities that have not been deducted for tax purposes. Additionally, during fiscal 2018, one of our foreign subsidiaries distributed certain intellectual property to a U.S. subsidiary resulting in a difference between the GAAP basis and the U.S. federal tax basis of the distributed intellectual property. Upon adoption of new accounting guidance in the first quarter of fiscal 2019, we recorded a deferred tax asset of approximately $2.6 billion primarily related to the distributed intellectual property, with an adjustment to opening retained earnings (Note 1). During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, the United States Treasury Department issued new temporary regulations that resulted in a change to the deductibility of dividend income

received by a U.S. stockholder from a foreign corporation. As a result of this change, pursuant to an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, we relinquished the federal tax basis step-up of intellectual property that was distributed in fiscal 2018 by one of our foreign subsidiaries to a U.S. subsidiary. Therefore, the related deferred tax asset was derecognized, resulting in a $2.5 billion charge to income tax expense in fiscal 2019.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, as a result of recent court rulings in Korea, among other factors, we decided to apply for a partial refund claim for taxes previously withheld from licensees in Korea on payments due under their license agreements to which we have claimed a foreign tax credit in the United States. As a result, we established a noncurrent income taxes receivable of $1.4 billion (recorded in other assets and included as foreign current benefit in the components of the income tax provision) and a noncurrent liability for uncertain tax benefits of $1.4 billion (recorded in other liabilities and included as federal current provision in the components of the income tax provision).

Income tax expense for fiscal 2019 also reflected benefits from our FDII deduction (including the impact of the Apple settlement) and research and development credits, as well as the impact of the 2019 EC fine, which is not deductible for tax purposes.

In fiscal 2018, as a result of the Tax Legislation, we recorded a charge of $5.7 billion to income tax expense, comprised of $5.2 billion related to the estimated Toll Charge and $438 million resulting from the remeasurement of U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities that existed at the end of fiscal 2017 at a lower enacted corporate income tax rate, which included a $135 million tax benefit recorded in fiscal 2018 related to the remeasurement of a U.S. deferred tax liability that was established as a result of a change in one of our tax positions due to Tax Legislation. After application of certain tax credits, the total cash payment is expected to be $2.5 billion. The first payment was made on January 15, 2019. At September 29, 2019, we estimated remaining future payments of $2.3 billion for the Toll Charge, after application of certain tax credits (including excess tax credits generated in fiscal 2019), which is payable in installments over the next seven years. At September 29, 2019, $209 million was included in other current liabilities, reflecting the next installment due in January 2020.

Income tax expense for fiscal 2018 was also impacted by the charge recorded in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018 related to the termination fee paid to NXP, which did not result in a tax benefit after the consideration of realizability of such loss. Fiscal 2018 and 2017 income tax expense was impacted by the EC, KFTC and TFTC fines, and settlement with the TFTC, which were not deductible for tax purposes (or taxable in the case of the settlement) and portions of which were attributable to foreign jurisdictions and to the United States. These impacts were partially offset in fiscal 2018 and 2017 by lower U.S. revenues primarily related to decreased royalty revenues from Apple’s contract manufacturers and, for fiscal 2017, a payment to BlackBerry in connection with an arbitration decision.

Income tax expense for fiscal 2017 reflected an increase in our Singapore tax rate as a result of the expiration of certain of our tax incentives in March 2017, which was substantially offset by tax benefits resulting from the increase in our Singapore tax rate in effect when certain deferred tax assets reversed. During the third quarter of fiscal 2018, we entered into a new tax incentive agreement in Singapore that results in a reduced tax rate from March 2017 through March 2022, provided that we meet specified employment and investment criteria in Singapore. Our Singapore tax rate will increase in March 2022 as a result of expiration of these incentives and again in March 2027 upon the expiration of tax incentives under a prior agreement. During fiscal 2018, one of our Singapore subsidiaries distributed certain intellectual property to a U.S. subsidiary reducing the benefit of these tax incentives almost entirely going forward. Without these tax incentives, our income tax expense would have been higher and impacted earnings (loss) per share attributable to Qualcomm as follows (in millions, except per share amounts):



	2019		2018		2017
Additional income tax expense	$	—	$	652	$	493
Reduction to diluted earnings (loss) per share	—		0.45		0.33

We continue to assert that substantially all of our foreign earnings are not indefinitely reinvested. We recorded a charge of $8 million and $87 million to income tax expense in fiscal 2019 and 2018, respectively, related to outside basis differences that are not permanently reinvested. Income tax expense in fiscal 2018 reflected a one-time charge resulting from a change in our assertion as a result of the Tax Legislation, which eliminated certain material tax effects on the repatriation of cash to the United States. At September 29, 2019, we had not recorded a deferred tax liability of approximately $25 million related to foreign withholding taxes on approximately $225 million of undistributed earnings of certain subsidiaries that we continue to consider to be indefinitely reinvested outside the United States. Should we decide to no longer indefinitely reinvest such

earnings outside the United States, we would have to adjust the income tax provision in the period we make such determination.

We had deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as follows (in millions):



	September 29, 2019			September 30, 2018
Unused tax credits	$	1,137		$	1,044
Accrued liabilities and reserves	648			396
Unused net operating losses	619			696
Unearned revenues	376			478
Unrealized losses on other investments and marketable securities	164			126
Share-based compensation	115			97
Other	144			26
Total gross deferred tax assets	3,203			2,863
Valuation allowance	(1,672		)	(1,529		)
Total net deferred tax assets	1,531			1,334
Intangible assets	(216		)	(322		)
Property, plant and equipment	(102		)	(49		)
Unrealized gains on other investments and marketable securities	(99		)	(26		)
Accrued withholding taxes	(19		)	(90		)
Accrued revenues	—			(202		)
Other	(2		)	—
Total deferred tax liabilities	(438		)	(689		)
Net deferred tax assets	$	1,093		$	645
Reported as:
Non-current deferred tax assets	$	1,196		$	936
Non-current deferred tax liabilities (1)	(103		)	(291		)
	$	1,093		$	645


(1)	Non-current deferred tax liabilities were included in other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

At September 29, 2019, we had unused federal net operating loss carryforwards of $188 million expiring from 2021 through 2035, unused state net operating loss carryforwards of $740 million expiring from 2020 through 2039 and unused foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $2.1 billion, of which $1.8 billion expire in 2027. At September 29, 2019, we had unused state tax credits of $1.0 billion, of which substantially all may be carried forward indefinitely, unused federal tax credits of $169 million expiring from 2026 through 2030 and unused tax credits of $34 million in foreign jurisdictions expiring from 2033 through 2039. We do not expect our federal net operating loss carryforwards to expire unused.

At September 29, 2019, we have provided a valuation allowance on certain state tax credits, foreign deferred tax assets, federal capital losses, state net operating losses and federal foreign tax credits of $1.0 billion, $536 million, $83 million, $26 million and $20 million, respectively. The valuation allowances reflect the uncertainties surrounding our ability to generate sufficient future taxable income in certain foreign and state tax jurisdictions to utilize our net operating losses and our ability to generate sufficient capital gains to utilize all capital losses. We believe, more likely than not, that we will have sufficient taxable income after deductions related to share-based awards to utilize our remaining deferred tax assets.

A summary of the changes in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017 follows (in millions):



	2019			2018			2017
Beginning balance of unrecognized tax benefits	$	217		$	372		$	271
Additions based on prior year tax positions	1,238			7			92
Reductions for prior year tax positions and lapse in statute of limitations	(3		)	(11		)	(11		)
Additions for current year tax positions	253			18			23
Settlements with taxing authorities	—			(169		)	(3		)
Ending balance of unrecognized tax benefits	$	1,705		$	217		$	372

Of the $1.7 billion of unrecognized tax benefits, $1.6 billion has been recorded to other noncurrent liabilities. We believe that it is reasonably possible that certain unrecognized tax benefits recorded at September 29, 2019 may result in a cash payment in fiscal 2020. Unrecognized tax benefits at September 29, 2019 included $125 million for tax positions that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate. The unrecognized tax benefits differ from the amount that would affect our effective tax rate primarily because the unrecognized tax benefits were included on a gross basis and did not reflect related receivables or secondary impacts such as the federal deduction for state taxes, adjustments to deferred tax assets and the valuation allowance that might be required if our tax positions are sustained. The increase in unrecognized tax benefits in fiscal 2019 was primarily due to our plan to apply for a refund of Korean withholding tax (which had an insignificant impact to our income tax provision). If successful, the refund will result in a corresponding reduction in U.S. foreign tax credits. The decrease in unrecognized tax benefits in fiscal 2018 was primarily due to an agreement reached with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) related to tax positions on the classification of income in our fiscal 2016 federal income tax return. The increase in unrecognized tax benefits in fiscal 2017 was primarily due to tax positions related to transfer pricing. We believe that it is likely that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits at September 29, 2019 will increase in fiscal 2020 as licensees in Korea continue to withhold taxes on future payments due under their licensing agreements at a rate higher than we believe is owed; such increase is not expected to have a significant impact on our income tax provision.

We file income tax returns in the United States federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. We are currently a participant in the IRS Compliance Assurance Process, whereby we and the IRS endeavor to agree on the treatment of all tax issues prior to the tax return being filed. We are no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for years prior to fiscal 2015. We are subject to examination by the California Franchise Tax Board for fiscal years after 2014. We are also subject to examination in other taxing jurisdictions in the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. These examinations are at various stages with respect to assessments, claims, deficiencies and refunds, many of which are open for periods after fiscal 2000. We continually assess the likelihood and amount of potential adjustments and adjust the income tax provision, income taxes payable and deferred taxes in the period in which the facts give rise to a revision become known. At September 29, 2019, we believe that adequate amounts have been reserved for based on facts known. However, the final determination of tax audits and any related legal proceedings could materially differ from amounts reflected in our income tax provision and the related accruals.

Cash amounts paid for income taxes, net of refunds received, were $1.1 billion, $877 million and $1.0 billion for fiscal 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.