Waste Connections, Inc. Income Taxes Disclosure
16. INCOME TAXES
The Company’s operations are conducted through its various subsidiaries in countries throughout the world. The Company has provided for income taxes based upon the tax laws and rates in the countries in which operations are conducted and income is earned.
Income before provision for income taxes consists of the following:
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||
| 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | ||||
U.S. | $ | 898,743 | $ | 343,255 | $ | 622,041 | |||
Non – U.S. |
| 519,173 |
| 419,678 |
| 361,460 | |||
Income before income taxes | $ | 1,417,916 | $ | 762,933 | $ | 983,501 | |||
The provision for income taxes consists of the following:
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||
| 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | ||||
Current: | |||||||||
U.S. federal | $ | 101,857 | $ | 95,007 | $ | 120,420 | |||
State and local |
| 40,333 |
| 42,725 |
| 50,713 | |||
Non – U.S. |
| 82,515 |
| 65,916 |
| 43,213 | |||
| 224,705 |
| 203,648 |
| 214,346 | ||||
Deferred: |
| |
| |
| | |||
U.S. federal |
| 90,822 |
| (33,507) |
| 14,130 | |||
State and local |
| 19,148 |
| (5,833) |
| (1,931) | |||
Non – U.S. |
| 6,684 |
| (17,945) |
| (5,870) | |||
| 116,654 |
| (57,285) |
| 6,329 | ||||
Provision for income taxes | $ | 341,359 | $ | 146,363 | $ | 220,675 | |||
The Company is organized under the laws of Ontario, Canada; however, since the proportion of U.S. revenues, assets, operating income and associated tax provisions is significantly greater than any other single taxing jurisdiction within the worldwide group, the reconciliation of the differences between the Company’s income tax provision as presented in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Net Income and income tax provision computed at the federal statutory rate is presented on the basis of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate, as opposed to the Canadian statutory rate to provide a more meaningful insight into those differences.
The following table presents the reconciliation of the provision for income taxes based on the U.S. federal statutory rate to the actual effective rate by amount and percent of pre-tax income for the year ended December 31, 2025:
Year Ended | |||||
December 31, 2025 | |||||
| Amount | | Percent | | |
U.S. federal statutory tax rate | $ | 297,762 | 21.0 | % | |
| 54,689 |
| 3.9 |
| |
Foreign tax effects |
|
|
| ||
Canada |
|
|
| ||
Statutory tax rate difference between Canada and U.S. |
| (31,588) |
| (2.2) |
|
Provincial taxes |
| 37,867 |
| 2.7 |
|
Nontaxable or nondeductible items |
| (29,578) |
| (2.1) |
|
Other |
| 5,089 |
| 0.3 |
|
Other adjustments | 7,118 | 0.5 |
| ||
Effective tax rate | $ | 341,359 | 24.1 | % | |
| (a) | The states that contribute to the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in the category include Oregon, New York, California, Illinois, Texas, and Tennessee for 2025. |
The items shown in the following table are a percentage of pre-tax income in accordance with the guidance prior to the adoption of ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures:
Years Ended December 31, | |||||
| 2024 | | 2023 |
| |
U.S. federal statutory rate | 21.0 | % | 21.0 | % | |
State taxes, net of federal benefit |
| 4.1 |
| 4.3 | |
Deferred income tax liability adjustments |
| 0.7 |
| 0.3 | |
Effect of international operations |
| (3.8) |
| (3.9) | |
Federal tax credits |
| (1.5) |
| — | |
Share-based compensation |
| (0.7) |
| (0.3) | |
Other |
| (0.6) |
| 1.0 | |
Effective tax rate |
| 19.2 | % | 22.4 | % |
The effects of international operations are primarily due to a portion of the Company’s income from internal financing that is taxed at effective rates substantially lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate.
Income taxes paid consists of the following:
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||
| 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | ||||
U.S. federal | $ | 81,000 | $ | 94,500 | $ | 114,000 | |||
State and local | 42,356 | 54,907 | 47,764 | ||||||
Foreign | |||||||||
Canada |
| 97,666 |
| 66,247 | 38,474 | ||||
Other |
| — |
| 343 | 6,782 | ||||
Total income taxes paid | $ | 221,022 | $ | 215,997 | $ | 207,020 | |||
The significant components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities, reduced by valuation allowances as applicable, are presented below:
| December 31, | |||||
2025 | | 2024 | ||||
Deferred income tax assets: |
| |
| | ||
Accrued expenses | $ | 51,354 | $ | 38,674 | ||
Compensation |
| 29,493 |
| 26,589 | ||
Contingent liabilities |
| 13,144 |
| 16,237 | ||
Tax credits and loss carryforwards |
| 15,287 |
| 15,477 | ||
Landfill closure and post-closure | 26,409 | 90,240 | ||||
Finance costs |
| — |
| 4,032 | ||
Other | 3,759 | 13,306 | ||||
Gross deferred income tax assets |
| 139,446 |
| 204,555 | ||
Less: Valuation allowance |
|
| ||||
Total deferred income tax assets |
| 139,446 |
| 204,555 | ||
Deferred income tax liabilities: | ||||||
Goodwill and other intangibles |
| (527,975) |
| (472,608) | ||
Property and equipment |
| (601,843) |
| (595,156) | ||
Prepaid expenses |
| (22,496) |
| (19,737) | ||
Investment in subsidiaries |
| (69,096) |
| (71,703) | ||
Interest rate swaps |
| (455) |
| (3,691) | ||
Finance costs | (3,194) | — | ||||
Total deferred income tax liabilities |
| (1,225,059) |
| (1,162,895) | ||
Net deferred income tax liability | $ | (1,085,613) | $ | (958,340) | ||
The Company has $19,892 of Canadian tax loss carryforwards with a 20-year carryforward period which will begin to expire in 2036, as well as various U.S. state tax losses with carryforward periods up to 20 years.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had undistributed earnings of approximately $4,725,126 for which income taxes have not been provided on permanently reinvested earnings of approximately $3,550,126. Additionally, the Company has not recorded deferred taxes on the amount of financial reporting basis in excess of tax basis of approximately $426,505 attributable to the Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries which are permanently reinvested. It is not practical to estimate the additional tax that may become payable upon the eventual repatriation of these amounts; however, the tax impacts could result in a material increase to the Company’s effective tax rate.
The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal and Canadian income tax, which are its principal operating jurisdictions. The Company has concluded all U.S. federal income tax matters for years through 2021. Additionally, the normal reassessment period for the Company has expired for all Canadian federal income tax matters for years through 2020.
The Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits recorded at December 31, 2025, 2024 or 2023. The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 12, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 13, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 14, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 16, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 17, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 18, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 13, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 14, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 15, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 27, 2017 | |
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.