9. Taxes

Audited information

in CHF m

 

2018

 

2017

Current income taxes

 

–133

 

–96

Deferred income taxes

 

24

 

–39

Total taxes

 

–109

 

–135

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

 

 

2018
in CHF m

 

in %

 

2017
in CHF m

 

in %

1

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

Income before taxes total

 

465

 

 

 

437

 

 

Expected tax expense/rate1

 

–113

 

24.3

 

–117

 

26.8

Effect of taxes on items not tax-deductible

 

–34

 

7.3

 

–66

 

15.1

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

 

1

 

–0.2

 

23

 

–5.3

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

 

–6

 

1.3

 

–10

 

2.3

Effect of adjustments to taxes recognized in prior periods

 

–3

 

0.6

 

25

 

–5.7

Effect of tax exempt income

 

50

 

–10.8

 

62

 

–14.2

Effect of other items

 

–4

 

0.9

 

–52

 

11.9

Effective tax expense/rate

 

–109

 

23.4

 

–135

 

30.9

The 2018 tax rate was helped by transactions with shareholdings of non-consolidated companies and by the recognition of deferred tax assets on losses generated in previous years in France. Additionally the tax rate compares favorably to the one of the prior year, where part of the US tax asset had to be written down as a result of the US tax reform.

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 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 1 January 2017

 

–7

 

163

 

111

 

–2

 

265

 

 

265

Charged/credited to income

 

27

 

–13

 

5

 

–58

 

–39

 

 

 

 

Total charged/credited to income statement

 

27

 

–13

 

5

 

–58

 

–39

 

 

 

 

Charged/credited to other comprehensive income

 

 

–36

 

 

 

–36

 

 

 

 

Effect of business combinations

 

–8

 

 

9

 

5

 

6

 

 

 

 

Exchange rate differences

 

11

 

6

 

–2

 

–9

 

6

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2017

 

23

 

120

 

123

 

–64

 

202

 

 

202

Deferred tax assets at 31 December 2017

 

192

 

131

 

123

 

108

 

554

 

–287

 

267

Deferred tax liabilities at 31 December 2017

 

–169

 

–11

 

 

–172

 

–352

 

287

 

–65

Net deferred tax balance at 1 January 2018

 

23

 

120

 

123

 

–64

 

202

 

 

202

Change in accounting policies (IFRS 9)

 

 

 

 

1

 

1

 

 

1

Net deferred tax balance at 1 January 2018 (adjusted)

 

23

 

120

 

123

 

–63

 

203

 

 

203

Charged/credited to income statement

 

–35

 

–1

 

-13

 

62

 

13

 

 

 

 

Effect of disposals

 

11

 

 

 

 

11

 

 

 

 

Total charged/credited to income statement

 

–24

 

–1

 

-13

 

62

 

24

 

 

 

 

Charged/credited to other comprehensive income

 

 

 

 

–1

 

–1

 

 

 

 

Exchange rate differences

 

 

–4

 

–2

 

2

 

–4

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2018

 

–1

 

115

 

108

 

 

222

 

 

222

Deferred tax assets at 31 December 2018

 

187

 

118

 

108

 

20

 

433

 

–164

 

269

Deferred tax liabilities at 31 December 2018

 

–188

 

–3

 

 

–20

 

–211

 

164

 

–47

Net deferred tax balance at 31 December 2018

 

–1

 

115

 

108

 

 

222

 

 

222

Of the deferred tax assets capitalized on tax losses, CHF 53 million refer to tax losses of the US-subsidiaries (2017: CHF 68 million), CHF 7 million to tax losses of the Spanish subsidiaries (2017: CHF 9 million), CHF 6 million to tax losses of the Canadian subsidiaries (2017: CHF 6 million), CHF 10 million to tax losses of the Indian subsidiaries (2017: CHF 7 million), and CHF 3 million to tax losses of the Italian subsidiaries (2017: CHF 6 million). Clariant considers it 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 2 559 million at the end of 2018 (2017: CHF 2 193 million).

The change compared to the prior year is primarily 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 France (with a tax rate of 33.3%), in China (with a tax rate of 25%) and in Luxembourg (with a tax rate of 26.3%). At present their recoverability is not considered probable.

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

in CHF m

 

31.12.2018

 

31.12.2017

Expiry by:

 

 

 

 

2018

 

 

27

2019

 

9

 

18

2020

 

25

 

31

2021

 

26

 

33

2022

 

14

 

after 2022 (2017: after 2021)

 

333

 

308

Total

 

407

 

417

Tax credits amounting to CHF 10 million were recognized in 2018. They expire in and after 2023.

Temporary differences on which no deferred tax was recognized amount to CHF 672 million in 2018 (2017: CHF 1 005 million).

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