PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA Income Taxes Disclosure
The following is an analysis of the components of the consolidated income tax provision (dollars in millions):
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
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|||||||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
Income before income tax expense - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
U.S. |
|
$ |
1,027.8 |
|
|
$ |
1,064.4 |
|
|
$ |
1,014.1 |
|
Total |
|
|
1,027.8 |
|
|
|
1,064.4 |
|
|
|
1,014.1 |
|
Current income tax provision - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
U.S. federal |
|
|
113.0 |
|
|
|
218.9 |
|
|
|
199.4 |
|
State and local |
|
|
43.4 |
|
|
|
44.6 |
|
|
|
44.3 |
|
Total current provision for taxes |
|
|
156.4 |
|
|
|
263.5 |
|
|
|
243.7 |
|
Deferred income tax provision (benefit) - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
U.S. federal |
|
|
91.4 |
|
|
|
(5.5 |
) |
|
|
3.6 |
|
State and local |
|
|
5.9 |
|
|
|
1.3 |
|
|
|
1.6 |
|
Total deferred provision (benefit) for taxes |
|
|
97.3 |
|
|
|
(4.2 |
) |
|
|
5.2 |
|
Total income tax provision - |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
U.S. federal |
|
|
204.4 |
|
|
|
213.4 |
|
|
|
203.0 |
|
State and local |
|
|
49.3 |
|
|
|
45.9 |
|
|
|
45.9 |
|
Total provision for income taxes |
|
$ |
253.7 |
|
|
$ |
259.3 |
|
|
$ |
248.9 |
|
The effective tax rate varies from the U.S. federal statutory tax rate principally due to the following (dollars in millions):
|
|
Year Ended |
|
|
Year Ended |
|
|
Year Ended |
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
December 31, 2025 |
|
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
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|
|
Amount |
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Percentage |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Percentage |
|
||||||
Provision computed at U.S. federal statutory tax rate of 21% |
|
$ |
215.8 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
|
$ |
223.5 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
|
$ |
213.0 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
Domestic state and local income taxes, net of federal effect (a) |
|
|
39.0 |
|
|
|
3.8 |
% |
|
|
36.3 |
|
|
|
3.4 |
% |
|
|
36.3 |
|
|
|
3.6 |
% |
Foreign tax effects |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Effect of changes in tax laws or rates enacted in current period |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Effect of cross-border tax laws |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
|
|
(0.1 |
)% |
|
|
(0.8 |
) |
|
|
(0.1 |
)% |
Tax Credits |
|
|
(3.5 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
)% |
|
|
(4.5 |
) |
|
|
(0.4 |
)% |
|
|
(3.5 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
)% |
Changes in valuation allowance |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
— |
% |
Nontaxable and nondeductible items |
|
|
6.0 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
% |
|
|
4.4 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
% |
|
|
5.2 |
|
|
|
0.5 |
% |
Changes in unrecognized tax benefits |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
1.0 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
% |
|
|
0.7 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
% |
Other Adjustments |
|
|
(3.1 |
) |
|
|
(0.4 |
)% |
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
(1.9 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
)% |
Total |
|
$ |
253.7 |
|
|
|
24.7 |
% |
|
$ |
259.3 |
|
|
|
24.4 |
% |
|
$ |
248.9 |
|
|
|
24.5 |
% |
The following details the scheduled expiration dates of our tax effected net operating loss (NOL) and other tax carryforwards at December 31, 2025 (dollars in millions):
|
|
2026 Through |
|
|
2036 Through |
|
|
Indefinite |
|
|
Total |
|
||||
U.S. federal NOLs |
|
$ |
8.7 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
8.7 |
|
State taxing jurisdiction NOLs |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
U.S. federal and non-U.S. capital loss carryforwards |
|
|
0.3 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.3 |
|
U.S. federal tax credit carryforwards |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
9.3 |
|
|
$ |
0.2 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
9.5 |
|
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts for income tax purposes. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities at December 31 are summarized as follows (dollars in millions):
|
|
December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Lease obligations |
|
$ |
97.3 |
|
|
$ |
71.9 |
|
Employee benefits and compensation |
|
|
54.0 |
|
|
|
53.3 |
|
Accrued liabilities |
|
|
15.9 |
|
|
|
31.6 |
|
Inventories |
|
|
11.5 |
|
|
|
8.8 |
|
Restricted stock and performance units |
|
|
10.8 |
|
|
|
10.4 |
|
Net operating loss carryforwards |
|
|
9.1 |
|
|
|
12.6 |
|
Capital loss and general business credit carryforwards |
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
Derivatives |
|
|
0.1 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
Pension and postretirement benefits |
|
|
0.3 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Gross deferred tax assets |
|
|
199.4 |
|
|
|
189.1 |
|
Valuation allowance (b) |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
|
|
(0.3 |
) |
Net deferred tax assets |
|
$ |
199.1 |
|
|
$ |
188.8 |
|
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Property, plant and equipment |
|
$ |
(683.2 |
) |
|
$ |
(598.8 |
) |
Right-of-use assets |
|
|
(93.6 |
) |
|
|
(68.9 |
) |
Goodwill and intangible assets |
|
|
(82.4 |
) |
|
|
(81.8 |
) |
Pension and postretirement benefits |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(1.2 |
) |
Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
$ |
(859.2 |
) |
|
$ |
(750.7 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net deferred tax liabilities |
|
$ |
(660.1 |
) |
|
$ |
(561.9 |
) |
Cash payments for federal, state, and foreign income taxes for the years ended are summarized as follows (dollars in millions):
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
U.S. federal |
|
$ |
126.6 |
|
|
$ |
223.0 |
|
|
$ |
171.0 |
|
U.S. state and local (c) |
|
|
47.8 |
|
|
|
46.4 |
|
|
|
41.3 |
|
Total |
|
$ |
174.4 |
|
|
$ |
269.4 |
|
|
$ |
212.3 |
|
The following table summarizes the changes related to PCA’s gross unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties (dollars in millions):
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
Balance as of January 1 |
|
$ |
(3.2 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.4 |
) |
|
$ |
(1.7 |
) |
Increases related to prior years’ tax positions |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(0.1 |
) |
|
|
(0.4 |
) |
Increases related to current year tax positions |
|
|
(0.6 |
) |
|
|
(0.9 |
) |
|
|
(0.7 |
) |
Decreases related to prior years' tax positions |
|
|
0.4 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Settlements with taxing authorities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Expiration of the statute of limitations |
|
|
0.5 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
Balance at December 31 |
|
$ |
(2.9 |
) |
|
$ |
(3.2 |
) |
|
$ |
(2.4 |
) |
At December 31, 2025, PCA had recorded a $2.9 million gross reserve for unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties. Of the total, $2.9 million (net of the federal benefit for state taxes) would impact the effective tax rate if recognized.
PCA recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties as income tax expense. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we had $0.3 million and $0.2 million of interest and penalties recorded for unrecognized tax benefits, respectively.
PCA is subject to income taxation in the United States, various state and local jurisdictions, and Hong Kong. The tax years 2022-2025 remain open to federal examination. The tax years remain open to state examinations. Some foreign tax jurisdictions are open to examination for the 2019 tax year forward. Through the Boise acquisition, PCA recorded net operating losses and credit carryforwards from that are subject to examinations and adjustments for at least three years following the year in which utilized.
On July 4, 2025, the President signed into law H.R.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”). The OBBBA includes significant tax law changes such as providing for the full expensing of certain depreciable property as well as full expensing of domestic research and development expenditures. The provisions of the OBBBA have various effective dates, with certain provisions effective in 2025 and others through 2027. In accordance with ASC 740, we have recognized the effects of the OBBBA in the period of enactment. The provisions of the OBBBA did not have a material impact on our income tax expense or effective tax rate. However, the provisions of the OBBBA did reduce our 2025 cash tax payments.
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Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 27, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 29, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 23, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 24, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 24, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 26, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 26, 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.