International Tax - Accounting Methods Considerations

One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) makes several law changes that will impact the international tax regime, including GILTI (now "Net CFC Tested Income"), BEAT, and FDII. From an accounting methods perspective, the computation of the earnings and profits (E&P) of a controlled foreign corporation will continue to be important for its U.S. shareholders for both federal income tax planning and compliance purposes. For example, the calculation of GILTI (now "Net CFC Tested Income") and “subpart F” income require a foreign corporation to determine E&P using U.S. tax principles, including proper methods of accounting and tax elections. A change to a foreign corporation's accounting methods requires E&P to be adjusted by the “catch up” adjustment under section 481, in the same manner that a method change and section 481 adjustment impacts a domestic corporation's taxable income. Thus, a foreign corporation may file a method change to reduce E&P thereby reducing a subpart F income or GILTI inclusion' in a particular year and/or to increase foreign tax credits associated with a distribution or inclusion.

Under the OBBBA, accounting methods planning will continue to help minimize the impact of the base erosion anti-avoidance tax (BEAT). The BEAT tax is a 10 percent minimum tax (increasing to 10.5% in 2026) that is meant to prevent foreign and domestic corporations operating in the United States from avoiding domestic tax liability by shifting profits out of the United States. The BEAT tax prevents large U.S. corporations (including U.S. affiliates of foreign multinational corporations) from deducting certain payments, such as interest, royalties, and certain service payments, to related foreign parties. Corporations subject to BEAT should carefully model the OBBBA's full R&E expensing compared to capitalization. In addition, the impact of BEAT may be reduced by filing accounting method changes to allocate more costs to inventory and cost of goods sold (COGS).

National Tax

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