Note I: Income Taxes

The components of the Company’s income tax expense from continuing operations are as follows:

 

years ended December 31
(in millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Federal income taxes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

$

138

 

 

$

539

 

 

$

209

 

Deferred

 

 

56

 

 

 

(60

)

 

 

(9

)

Total federal income taxes

 

 

194

 

 

 

479

 

 

 

200

 

State income taxes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

 

31

 

 

 

77

 

 

 

37

 

Deferred

 

 

8

 

 

 

(6

)

 

 

(3

)

Total state income taxes

 

 

39

 

 

 

71

 

 

 

34

 

Foreign income taxes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total current foreign income taxes

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

 

$

236

 

 

$

550

 

 

$

234

 

The domestic and foreign components of pretax earnings from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 are as follows:

 

years ended December 31
(in millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Domestic

 

$

1,207

 

 

$

2,353

 

 

$

1,218

 

Foreign

 

 

19

 

 

 

13

 

 

 

8

 

Earnings from continuing operations before income tax expense

 

$

1,226

 

 

$

2,366

 

 

$

1,226

 

 

The Company’s effective income tax rate on continuing operations varied from the statutory United States income tax rate due to the following tax differences:

 

years ended December 31

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

(in millions, except percentages)

 

Amount

 

Percent

 

 

Amount

 

Percent

 

 

Amount

 

Percent

 

U.S. federal statutory tax rate

 

$

258

 

 

21.0

%

 

$

497

 

 

21.0

%

 

$

257

 

 

21.0

%

State and local income taxes, net of federal income
   tax effect
 (a)

 

 

30

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

57

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

27

 

 

2.2

 

Foreign tax effects

 

 

(1

)

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(2

)

 

(0.1

)

 

 

(5

)

 

(0.4

)

Tax credits:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Railroad maintenance credits

 

 

(13

)

 

(1.0

)

 

 

(10

)

 

(0.4

)

 

 

(9

)

 

(0.7

)

Other

 

 

(6

)

 

(0.5

)

 

 

(10

)

 

(0.4

)

 

 

(6

)

 

(0.5

)

Nontaxable or nondeductible items:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodwill write-off for divestiture

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

48

 

 

2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other

 

 

6

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

5

 

 

0.2

 

 

 

2

 

 

0.2

 

Other adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effects of statutory depletion

 

 

(38

)

 

(3.1

)

 

 

(35

)

 

(1.5

)

 

 

(32

)

 

(2.7

)

Effective income tax rate

 

$

236

 

 

19.2

%

 

$

550

 

 

23.2

%

 

$

234

 

 

19.1

%

 

a) State taxes in California, Minnesota, Colorado, Texas, Georgia, and Florida made up the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the tax effect in this category in 2025; state taxes in California, Texas, and Colorado made up the majority of the tax effect in this category in 2024; and state taxes in Texas, California, Colorado, and Minnesota made up the majority of the tax effect in this category in 2023.

The effect of changes in tax laws or rates enacted in the current period and changes in valuation allowances are immaterial.

The higher 2024 effective income tax rate versus 2025 and 2023 was driven by the impact of the February 2024 divestiture of the South Texas cement business and certain related ready mixed concrete operations, which included the write-off of certain nondeductible goodwill.

The statutory depletion deduction for all years is calculated as a percentage of revenues, subject to certain limitations. Due to these limitations, changes in the sales volumes and pretax earnings may not proportionately affect the Company’s statutory depletion deduction and the corresponding impact on the effective income tax rate.

The Company invests in renewable energy investment entities which qualify for tax credits and other tax benefits and are accounted for under the proportional amortization method. For the year ended December 31, 2025, amortization of these investments plus income recapture, which are included in the line item Income tax expense in the consolidated statements of earnings, were $128 million and $5 million, respectively, and offset by $125 million of tax credits and $15 million of other tax benefits. For the year ended December 31, 2024, amortization plus income recapture of similar investments were $148 million and $16 million, respectively, offset by $153 million of tax credits and $17 million of other tax benefits. For the year ended December 31, 2023, amortization plus income recapture of similar investments were $26 million and $1 million, respectively, offset by $24 million of tax credits and $2 million of other tax benefits. As of December 31, 2025, the Company has committed to additional equity contributions of $51 million for tax equity investments related to RETC projects, which are expected to be paid in 2026. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had committed to additional equity contributions of $44 million for tax equity investments related to RETC projects, which were paid in 2025. Unfunded commitments as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 are recorded in the line item Unpaid commitments to limited liability companies on the consolidated balance sheets.

The amounts of income taxes paid (refunded) by the Company are as follows:

 

years ended December 31
(in millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

 

2023

 

Federal

 

$

141

 

 

$

319

 

 

$

249

 

State:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas

 

 

14

 

 

*

 

 

*

 

Other

 

 

37

 

 

 

64

 

 

 

41

 

Foreign

 

 

 

 

 

(1

)

 

 

2

 

Income taxes paid, net of amounts refunded

 

$

192

 

 

$

382

 

 

$

292

 

* Jurisdiction below the threshold for the period presented.

The Internal Revenue Service provided certain disaster tax relief for North Carolina businesses affected by Hurricanes Debby and Helene, which allowed the Company to defer estimated federal and certain state income, payroll and excise tax payments for the period from August 2024 through September 2025. The deferred obligation was paid on September 25, 2025.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) that, among other provisions, makes 100% bonus depreciation permanent, restores the ability to expense domestic research expenditures, and modifies the taxation of foreign earnings. The OBBBA is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's annual estimated income tax rate, but results in a reclassification between current taxes payable and deferred tax liabilities which is reflected in the year ended December 31, 2025.

The principal components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

December 31

 

Deferred Assets (Liabilities)

 

(in millions)

 

2025

 

 

2024

 

Deferred tax assets related to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventories

 

$

163

 

 

$

147

 

Valuation and other reserves

 

 

65

 

 

 

65

 

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

 

3

 

 

 

2

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

 

18

 

 

 

41

 

Lease liabilities

 

 

171

 

 

 

147

 

Other items, net

 

 

2

 

 

 

13

 

Gross deferred tax assets

 

 

422

 

 

 

415

 

Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(2

)

Total net deferred tax assets

 

 

421

 

 

 

413

 

Deferred tax liabilities related to:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

(1,203

)

 

 

(1,158

)

Goodwill and other intangibles

 

 

(212

)

 

 

(171

)

Right-of-use assets

 

 

(167

)

 

 

(144

)

Partnerships and joint ventures

 

 

(51

)

 

 

(47

)

Employee benefits

 

 

(54

)

 

 

(62

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

(1,687

)

 

 

(1,582

)

Deferred income taxes, net

 

$

(1,266

)

 

$

(1,169

)

The Company had immaterial gross domestic federal net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards at both December 31, 2025 and 2024. The Company had gross domestic state NOL carryforwards of $42 million and $24 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The domestic federal and state carryforwards have various expiration dates through 2045. The Company also had immaterial domestic state tax credit carryforwards at December 31, 2025 and 2024, which have various expiration dates through 2045.

The Company expects to reinvest the earnings from its wholly-owned Canadian and Bahamian subsidiaries indefinitely, and accordingly, has not provided deferred taxes on the subsidiaries’ undistributed net earnings or basis differences. The Company believes that the tax liability that would be incurred upon repatriation of the foreign earnings was immaterial at December 31, 2025 and 2024.

The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits are immaterial for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. Unrecognized tax benefits are reversed as a discrete event if an examination of applicable tax returns is not initiated by a federal or state tax authority within the statute of limitations or upon effective settlement with federal or state tax authorities. Management believes its accrual for unrecognized tax benefits is sufficient to cover uncertain tax positions reviewed during audits by taxing authorities.

The Company’s tax years subject to federal, state or foreign examinations are 2021 through 2025.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 19, 2026Showing above
2024Feb 21, 2025
2023Feb 23, 2024
2022Feb 24, 2023
2021Feb 22, 2022
2020Feb 19, 2021
2019Feb 21, 2020
2018Feb 25, 2019
2017Feb 23, 2018
2016Feb 24, 2017
2015Feb 23, 2016

About Income Taxes Disclosures

The income tax disclosure reveals how much a company actually pays in taxes versus what the statutory rate would predict. Analysts focus on the effective tax rate (ETR) reconciliation, which breaks down every item driving the gap between the 21% federal rate and the company's reported ETR — including R&D credits, foreign rate differentials, and state taxes. Deferred tax assets (DTAs) and their valuation allowances signal management's confidence in future profitability: a rising allowance suggests the company doubts it can use accumulated tax benefits. Uncertain tax benefit (UTB) reserves quantify exposure to IRS challenges on aggressive positions.

Key signals to watch: sudden ETR drops without clear operational reasons, large increases in valuation allowances, growing UTB balances, and significant unremitted foreign earnings. Post-TCJA, pay attention to GILTI and BEAT provisions that affect multinational tax structures. Compare the cash taxes paid (from the cash flow statement) against the income tax provision to gauge earnings quality.