Audited information

in CHF m

 

2016

 

2015

Current income taxes

 

–119

 

–76

Deferred income taxes

 

44

 

2

Total taxes

 

–75

 

–74

Thereof reported under discontinued operations

 

 

1

Total continuing operations

 

–75

 

–73

The main elements contributing to the difference between the Group’s overall expected tax expense/rate and the effective tax expense/rate are:

 

 

2016 in CHF m

 

in %

 

2015 in CHF m

 

in %

1

Calculated based on the income before tax of each subsidiary (weighted average).

Income before taxes from continuing operations

 

338

 

 

 

300

 

 

Income before taxes from discontinued operations

 

 

 

 

13

 

 

Income before taxes total

 

338

 

 

 

313

 

 

Expected tax expense/rate1

 

–55

 

16.3

 

–62

 

19.8

Effect of taxes on items not tax-deductible

 

–35

 

10.4

 

–24

 

7.7

Effect of utilization and changes in recognition of tax losses and tax credits

 

3

 

–0.9

 

13

 

–4.2

Effect of tax losses and tax credits of current year not recognized

 

–10

 

3.0

 

–8

 

2.6

Effect of adjustments to taxes recognized in prior periods

 

–13

 

3.8

 

–2

 

0.6

Effect of tax-exempt income

 

32

 

–9.5

 

14

 

–4.5

Effect of other items

 

3

 

–0.9

 

–5

 

1.6

Effective tax expense/rate

 

–75

 

22.2

 

–74

 

23.6

Thereof reported under discontinued operations

 

 

 

1

 

–0.3

Effective tax expense/rate continuing operations

 

–75

 

22.2

 

–73

 

23.3

In 2016, the effective tax rate compared to the expected tax rate was adversely impacted by the non-recognition of deferred tax asset on tax losses incurred by subsidiaries mainly in China and Canada and more expenses being considered as not tax deductible due to changes in legislation. On the other hand, the effective tax rate was positively influenced by the utilization of previously unrecognized tax losses/tax credits by subsidiaries in particular in Switzerland and newly recognized tax losses/tax credits in the United States.

The movement of the net deferred income tax balance is as follows:

in CHF m

 

PPE and intangible assets

 

Retirement benefit obligations

 

Tax losses and tax credits

 

Other accruals and provisions

 

Total

 

Thereof offset within the same jurisdiction

 

Total

Deferred tax assets at 31 December 2014

 

50

 

173

 

135

 

112

 

470

 

–199

 

271

Deferred tax liabilities at 31 December 2014

 

–253

 

 

 

–18

 

–271

 

199

 

–72

Net deferred tax balance at 1 January 2015

 

–203

 

173

 

135

 

94

 

199

 

 

199

Charged/credited to income from continuing operations

 

101

 

–11

 

–3

 

–86

 

1

 

 

 

 

Effect of disposals

 

1

 

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

Total charged/credited to income statement

 

102

 

–11

 

–3

 

–86

 

2

 

 

 

 

Charged/credited to other comprehensive income

 

 

–6

 

 

 

–6

 

 

 

 

Exchange rate differences

 

16

 

–10

 

–5

 

–11

 

–10

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2015

 

–85

 

146

 

127

 

–3

 

185

 

 

185

Deferred tax assets at 31 December 2015

 

88

 

148

 

128

 

 

364

 

–108

 

256

Deferred tax liabilities at 31 December 2015

 

–173

 

–2

 

–1

 

–3

 

–179

 

108

 

–71

At 1 January 2016

 

–85

 

146

 

127

 

–3

 

185

 

 

185

Charged/credited to income statement

 

77

 

–2

 

–16

 

–5

 

54

 

 

 

 

Effect of disposals

 

2

 

–8

 

 

–4

 

–10

 

 

 

 

Total charged/credited to income statement

 

79

 

–10

 

–16

 

–9

 

44

 

 

 

 

Charged/credited to other comprehensive income

 

 

26

 

 

 

26

 

 

 

 

Effect of business combinations

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

 

 

 

Exchange rate differences

 

–1

 

1

 

 

9

 

9

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2016

 

–7

 

163

 

111

 

–2

 

265

 

 

265

Deferred tax assets at 31 December 2016

 

156

 

163

 

111

 

6

 

436

 

–138

 

298

Deferred tax liabilities at 31 December 2016

 

–163

 

 

 

 

–8

 

–171

 

138

 

–33

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2016

 

–7

 

163

 

111

 

–2

 

265

 

 

265

Of the deferred tax assets capitalized on tax losses, CHF 68 million refer to tax losses of the US subsidiaries (2015: CHF 76 million), CHF 8 million to tax losses of the Spanish subsidiaries (2015: CHF 10 million), CHF 6 million to tax losses of the Italian subsidiaries (2015: CHF 8 million). The capitalized tax losses of the Swiss subsidiaries (2015: CHF 4 million) were utilized in 2016. Clariant considers it is highly probable that these tax losses can be recovered.

Deferred income tax liabilities have not been established for withholding tax and other taxes that would be payable on the unremitted earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries, as such amounts are currently regarded as permanently reinvested. These unremitted earnings totaled CHF 2 317 million at the end of 2016 (2015: CHF 1 734 million). The change compared to the prior year is essentially the result of Group-internal transactions.

The tax losses on which no deferred tax assets are recognized are reviewed for recoverability at each balance sheet date. The largest part of these tax losses arose in Switzerland (with a weighted average tax rate of 20.7%), in France (with a tax rate of 33.3%), in China (with a tax rate of 25%) and in Luxembourg (with a tax rate of 27.1%). At present their recoverability is not considered probable.

Tax losses on which no deferred tax assets were recognized are as follows:

in CHF m

 

31.12.2016

 

31.12.2015

Expiry by:

 

 

 

 

2016

 

 

71

2017

 

56

 

60

2018

 

25

 

22

2019

 

32

 

32

2020

 

47

 

after 2020 (2015: after 2019)

 

291

 

260

Total

 

451

 

445

Tax credits amounting to CHF 16 million were entirely recognized in 2016. They expire in and after 2021.

Temporary differences on which no deferred tax was recognized amount to CHF 1 038 million in 2016 (2015: CHF 953 million).

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