FLEX LTD.FLEX
FLEX LTD. Commitments Disclosure
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Commitments
As of March 31, 2026 and 2025, the gross carrying amount and associated accumulated depreciation of the Company's property and equipment financed under finance leases, and the related obligations was not material. The Company also leases certain of its facilities and equipment under non-cancelable operating leases. These operating leases expire in various years through 2044. Refer to note 3 for additional details on the minimum lease payments.
Litigation and other legal matters
In connection with the matters described below, the Company has accrued for loss contingencies where it believes that losses are probable and estimable. Although it is reasonably possible that actual losses could be in excess of the Company’s accrual, the Company is unable to estimate a reasonably possible loss or range of loss in excess of its accrual, due to various reasons, including, among others, that: (i) the proceedings are in early stages or no claims have been asserted, (ii) specific damages have not been sought in all of these matters, (iii) damages, if asserted, are considered unsupported and/or exaggerated, (iv) there is uncertainty as to the outcome of pending appeals, motions, or settlements, (v) there are significant factual issues to be resolved, and/or (vi) there are novel legal issues or unsettled legal theories presented. Any such excess loss could have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations or cash flows for a particular period or on the Company’s financial condition.
One of the Company's Brazilian subsidiaries received six assessments for certain sales and import taxes. Four of the assessments have been successfully definitively defeated. The Company was unsuccessful at the administrative level in two of the remaining assessments and filed annulment actions in federal court in Brasilia, Brazil. The first annulment action was filed on March 23, 2020; the updated value of that assessment inclusive of interest and penalties is 37 million Brazilian reals (approximately USD $7 million). The Brazilian court ruled in favor of the Company on the first annulment action on March 7, 2025 and the assessment obligation has been canceled, although it remains subject to appeal. The second annulment action was filed on September 19, 2023; the updated value of that assessment inclusive of interest and penalties is 60 million Brazilian reals (approximately USD $12 million). The Company is still awaiting a resolution of the second annulment action. The Company believes that it has meritorious defenses to these assessments and will continue to vigorously oppose them, as well as any future assessments. The Company does not expect final judicial determination on the remaining assessments and annulment actions in the near future.
A foreign Tax Authority (“Tax Authority”) had assessed a cumulative total of approximately $167 million in taxes owed for multiple Flex legal entities within its jurisdiction for various fiscal years ranging from fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year 2020. The assessed amounts related to the denial of certain deductible intercompany payments and taxability of income earned outside such jurisdiction. The Company disagreed with the Tax Authority’s assessments and was actively contesting the assessments through the administrative and judicial processes. During the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026, the Company and the Tax Authority agreed to a $50 million settlement covering all open fiscal years and all assessed amounts. The Company had previously expensed $31 million and paid $30 million to the Tax Authority in prior fiscal years and agreed to make an additional $20 million cash payment to the Tax Authority subsequent to the execution of a definitive settlement agreement, which resulted in a charge to income tax expense of $19 million in the third quarter of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. The definitive settlement agreement was executed on February 3, 2026 and the $20 million cash payment was made in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026.
In addition to the matters discussed above, from time to time, the Company is subject to legal proceedings, claims, and litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company defends itself vigorously against any such claims. Although the outcome of these matters is currently not determinable, management expects that any losses that are probable or reasonably possible of being incurred as a result of these matters, which are in excess of amounts already accrued in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, would not be material to the financial statements as a whole.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May 20, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2025 | May 21, 2025 | |
| 2024 | May 17, 2024 | |
| 2023 | May 19, 2023 | |
| 2022 | May 20, 2022 | |
| 2021 | May 19, 2021 | |
| 2020 | May 28, 2020 | |
| 2019 | May 21, 2019 | |
| 2018 | Jun 14, 2018 | |
| 2017 | May 16, 2017 | |
| 2016 | May 20, 2016 | |
About Commitments Disclosures
Commitments and contingencies disclosures catalog a company's off-balance-sheet obligations and legal exposures — purchase commitments, guarantee arrangements, pending litigation, and regulatory proceedings. These items represent potential future cash outflows that may not appear as liabilities on the balance sheet until they become probable and estimable.
Key signals: litigation reserves and disclosed loss ranges quantify management's estimate of legal exposure, but unquantified "reasonably possible" losses often represent the larger risk. Watch for changes in language around pending cases — shifts from "remote" to "reasonably possible" or increases in estimated loss ranges signal deteriorating outcomes. Unconditional purchase obligations and take-or-pay contracts create fixed cost structures that reduce operational flexibility. Guarantee arrangements for subsidiaries or joint ventures can create cascading obligations. Compare the total commitment schedule against projected free cash flow to assess whether the company can meet its obligations without additional financing.