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Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
The Company’s tax provision for interim periods is determined by using an estimated annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items arising in that quarter. In each quarter, the Company updates the estimated annual effective tax rate and makes a year-to-date adjustment to the provision. The estimated annual effective tax rate is subject to significant volatility due to several factors, including accurately predicting the Company’s pre-tax and taxable income and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, intercompany transactions, audit-related developments, and changes in statutes, regulations, case law, and administrative actions.

The Company recorded income tax benefit of $2.7 billion for both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. The income tax benefit was primarily due to the release of the valuation allowance of certain U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets during the three months ended September 30, 2023. The Company recorded income tax expense of $367 million and $522 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively, which primarily related to current and deferred tax on U.S. and foreign earnings, net of the income tax benefit from excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation. The increase in tax expense was primarily driven by deferred tax expense on the utilization of U.S. deferred tax assets due to the lack of a valuation allowance in the current period.

The Company regularly assesses the need for a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets each quarter. In making that assessment, the Company considers both positive and negative evidence in the various jurisdictions in which it operates related to the likelihood of realization of the deferred tax assets to determine, based on the weight of available evidence, whether it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of September 30, 2023, based on all available positive and negative evidence, having demonstrated sustained profitability which is objective and verifiable, and taking into account anticipated future earnings, the Company concluded that it is more likely than not that its U.S. federal and state deferred tax assets will be realizable, with the exception of California research and development credits, capital loss carryovers, and certain losses subject to the dual consolidated loss rules. As of September 30, 2024, the Company continues to maintain a valuation allowance against its California research and development credit deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty regarding realizability of these deferred tax assets as they have not met the “more likely than not” realization criteria, particularly as the Company expects research and development tax credit generation to exceed its ability to use the credits in future years. When a change in valuation allowance is recognized during an interim period, the change in valuation allowance resulting from current year income is included in the annual effective tax rate and the release of valuation allowance supported by projections of future taxable income is recorded as a discrete tax benefit in the interim period. The Company will continue to monitor the need for a valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis.

The Company’s significant tax jurisdictions include the United States, California, and Ireland. The Company is currently under examination for income taxes by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018 tax years. The primary issue under examination in the 2013 audit is the valuation of the Company’s international intellectual property which was sold to a subsidiary in 2013. In December 2020, the Company received a Notice of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPA”) from the IRS which proposed an increase to the Company’s U.S. taxable income that could result in additional income tax expense and cash liability of $1.3 billion, plus penalties and interest, which exceeds the reserve recorded in its consolidated financial statements by more than $1.0 billion. The Company strongly disagrees with the proposed adjustment and continues to vigorously contest it. In February 2021, the Company submitted a protest to the IRS describing its disagreement with the proposed adjustment and requesting the case be transferred to the IRS Independent Office of Appeals (“IRS Appeals”). In December 2021, the Company received a rebuttal from the IRS with the same proposed adjustments that were in the NOPA. In January 2022, the Company entered into an administrative dispute process with IRS Appeals. An acceptable outcome was not reached with IRS Appeals, and in May 2024, the Company received a Statutory Notice of Deficiency (“Notice”) from the IRS related to the aforementioned valuation of its international intellectual property. The Notice claims that the Company owes $1.3 billion in tax, plus penalties and interest. The Company will continue to pursue all available remedies to resolve this dispute. In July 2024, the Company petitioned the U.S. Tax Court (“Tax Court”) for redetermination, and if necessary, the Company will appeal the Tax Court’s decision to the appropriate appellate court. The Company believes that adequate amounts have been reserved for any adjustments that may ultimately result from these examinations. If the IRS prevails in the assessment of additional tax due based on its position and such tax and related interest and penalties, if any, exceeds the Company’s current reserves, such outcome could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position and results of operations, and any assessment of additional tax could require a significant cash payment and have a material adverse impact on the Company’s unaudited condensed consolidated statements of cash flow.
On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, with tax provisions primarily focused on implementing a 15% minimum tax known as the Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (“CAMT”) on global adjusted financial statement income and a 1% excise tax on net share repurchases. The Inflation Reduction Act became effective beginning in fiscal year 2023. The Company anticipates paying a material amount of additional federal taxes in 2024 due to the CAMT. The additional CAMT will result in tax credits that are expected to offset the Company’s federal tax in subsequent years, thus there is no impact to the overall tax provision.