LyondellBasell Industries NV

9. Income Taxes

For interim tax reporting, we estimate an annual effective tax rate which is applied to the year-to-date ordinary income. Tax effects of significant, unusual, or infrequently occurring items are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate calculation and recognized in the interim period in which they occur. Our effective income tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, changes in pre-tax income in countries with varying statutory tax rates, changes in valuation allowances, changes in foreign exchange gains or losses, the amount of exempt income, changes in unrecognized tax benefits associated with uncertain tax positions and changes in tax laws.

Our exempt income primarily includes interest income, export incentives, and equity earnings of joint ventures. Interest income earned by certain of our subsidiaries through intercompany financings is taxed at rates substantially lower than the U.S. statutory rate. Export incentives relate to tax benefits derived from elections and structures available for U.S. exports. Equity earnings attributable to the earnings of our joint ventures, when paid through dividends to certain European subsidiaries, are exempt from all or portions of normal statutory income tax rates. We currently anticipate the favorable treatment for interest income, dividends, and export incentives to continue in the near term; however, this treatment is based on current law. The United Kingdom, as well as certain other jurisdictions in which we operate, enacted legislation implementing the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Pillar Two Model Rules effective as of January 1, 2024. We do not expect the impact to be material based on the legislation enacted at this stage.

Our effective income tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 was 20.4% compared to 26.0% for the first quarter of 2023. The lower effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 was primarily due to the first quarter 2023 goodwill impairment, for which there was no tax benefit, of 6.6% coupled with a 2.1% decrease in our effective income tax rate related to changes in pre-tax income in countries with varying statutory tax rates. These decreases were partially offset by a 3.0% increase in our effective income tax rate due to a decrease in exempt income.