Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405]

INCOME TAXES

v3.26.1
INCOME TAXES
 12 Months Ended
Mar. 28, 2026
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
The provision for income taxes was computed based on the following amounts of income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes:
Year Ended March
(In thousands) 2026 2025 2024
Domestic $ (416,404) $ (633,126) $ (948,501)
Foreign 757,622  778,287  663,580 
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 341,218  $ 145,161  $ (284,921)
The provision for income taxes consisted of:
Year Ended March
(In thousands) 2026 2025 2024
Current:
Federal $ 13,048  $ 11,355  $ 235,262 
Foreign 176,140  141,175  747,859 
State (60,641) 11,851  134,351 
128,547  164,381  1,117,472 
Deferred:
Federal and state (80,798) (65,807) (305,058)
Foreign 38,549  (22,737) (78,858)
(42,249) (88,544) (383,916)
Income tax expense $ 86,298  $ 75,837  $ 733,556 
The differences between income taxes computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate and income tax expense reported in the consolidated financial statements were as follows:
Year Ended March 2026
(Dollars in thousands) Amount Percent
U.S. federal statutory tax rate $ 71,656  21.0 %
State and local income taxes, net of federal tax effect (a)
(9,655) (2.8 %)
Foreign tax effects
China
Foreign withholding taxes 8,691  2.5 %
Other 7,835  2.3 %
Singapore
Statutory tax rate difference between Singapore and United States (13,275) (3.9 %)
Other (5,022) (1.5 %)
Switzerland
Changes in valuation allowance 171,541  50.3 %
Investment impairments (163,164) (47.8 %)
Statutory tax rate difference between Switzerland and United States (23,677) (6.9 %)
Cantonal taxes 22,752  6.7 %
Other 5,598  1.6 %
Other foreign jurisdictions 39,409  11.5 %
Effect of cross-border tax laws
Global intangible low-taxed income, net of foreign tax credits 38,719  11.3 %
Foreign tax credits (8,857) (2.6 %)
Other 45  0.0 %
Tax credits (2,987) (0.9 %)
Changes in valuation allowances (31,387) (9.2 %)
Nontaxable or nondeductible items
Share-based payment awards 10,135  3.0 %
Nondeductible excise tax 5,266  1.5 %
Other 1,036  0.3 %
Changes in unrecognized tax benefits (39,302) (11.5 %)
Other adjustments 941  0.3 %
Effective tax rate $ 86,298  25.3 %
(a)State taxes in California, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas represent the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category.
Year Ended March
(In thousands) 2025 2024
Tax at federal statutory rate $ 30,484  $ (59,834)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit (5,075) (27,734)
Foreign rate differences 51,422  64,134 
Tax litigation (7,901) 691,053 
Goodwill impairment 1,154  55,076 
Stock compensation 4,230  3,908 
Interest on tax receivable —  11,972 
Other 1,523  (5,019)
Income tax expense $ 75,837  $ 733,556 
Income tax expense includes tax benefits of $93.9 million, $16.5 million and $34.7 million in the years ended March 2026, 2025 and 2024, respectively, from other favorable audit outcomes on certain tax matters and from expiration of statutes of limitations.
VF was granted a ruling which lowered the effective income tax rate on taxable earnings for years 2010 through 2014 under Belgium’s excess profit tax regime. During 2015, the European Union Commission (“EU”) investigated and announced its decision that these rulings were illegal and ordered the tax benefits to be collected from affected companies, including VF. During 2017 and 2018, VF was assessed and paid €35.0 million in tax and interest, which was recorded as an income tax receivable and was included in the other current assets line item in VF's Consolidated Balance Sheets, based on the expected
success of the requests for annulment. After subsequent annulments and appeals, the General Court confirmed the decision of the EU on September 20, 2023. As a result, VF wrote off the related income tax receivable and recorded a benefit for the associated foreign tax credit, resulting in $26.1 million of net income tax expense in the second quarter of Fiscal 2024.
In addition, VF was granted a lower effective income tax rate on taxable earnings in one foreign jurisdiction that expired at the end of March 2025. This lower rate, when compared with the jurisdiction's statutory rate, resulted in income tax reductions of $48.5 million ($0.12 per diluted share) in the year ended March 2025 and $44.2 million ($0.11 per diluted share) in the year ended March 2024.
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities consisted of the following:
(In thousands) March 2026 March 2025
Deferred income tax assets:
Inventories $ 25,777  $ 46,180 
Depreciation and capitalized research and development 55,504  31,539 
Deferred compensation 14,786  16,985 
Other employee benefits 37,758  — 
Stock compensation 24,121  25,403 
Operating lease liabilities 341,537  332,825 
Other accrued expenses 138,994  125,387 
Interest expense limitation carryforward 184,692  186,258 
Capital loss carryforwards 216,016  266,865 
Operating loss and credit carryforwards 719,275  432,049 
Gross deferred income tax assets 1,758,460  1,463,491 
Valuation allowances (771,253) (531,028)
Net deferred income tax assets 987,207  932,463 
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Intangible assets 28,985  27,456 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 310,222  301,672 
Other employee benefits —  5,691 
Outside basis difference in subsidiaries 39,257  35,432 
Other deferred tax liabilities 3,480  1,217 
Deferred income tax liabilities 381,944  371,468 
Net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) $ 605,263  $ 560,995 
Amounts included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
Other assets (Note 11)
 $ 626,320  $ 575,546 
Other liabilities (Note 16)
 (21,057) (14,551)
$ 605,263  $ 560,995 
At the end of Fiscal 2026, the Company is not asserting indefinite reinvestment with regards to short-term liquid assets of its foreign subsidiaries. All other foreign earnings, including basis differences of certain foreign subsidiaries, continue to be considered indefinitely reinvested. The Company has not determined the deferred tax liability associated with these undistributed earnings and basis differences, as such determination is not practicable.
VF has potential tax benefits totaling $567.6 million for foreign operating loss carryforwards, of which $85.1 million have an unlimited carryforward life. There are $216.0 million of potential tax benefits for capital loss carryforwards that begin to expire in 2027 and $64.8 million of foreign tax credit carryforwards that begin to expire in 2030 and $12.6 million of general business credit carryforwards that begin to expire in 2044. Additionally, there are $74.3 million of potential tax benefits for state operating loss and credit carryforwards that expire between 2027 and 2056.
A valuation allowance has been provided where it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets related to those operating loss carryforwards will not be realized. Valuation allowances totaled $489.9 million for available foreign operating loss carryforwards, $188.6 million for available capital loss carryforwards, $64.8 million for foreign tax credit carryforwards, and $27.8 million for available state operating loss and credit carryforwards. During Fiscal 2026, VF had a net decrease in valuation allowances of $49.6 million related to capital loss carryforwards, a net increase of $9.7 million related to foreign tax credit carryforwards, a net increase of $5.5 million related to state operating loss and credit carryforwards and an increase of $274.6 million related to foreign operating loss carryforwards and other foreign deferred tax assets, inclusive of foreign currency effects.
A summary of cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds, in the year ended March 2026 was as follows:
(In thousands) Year Ended March 2026
Federal $ — 
State 5,400 
Foreign:
Switzerland 40,540 
China 20,742 
Singapore 20,712 
Mexico 11,363 
Czech Republic 9,225 
Other foreign jurisdictions 63,793 
Income taxes paid $ 171,775 
A reconciliation of the change in the accrual for unrecognized income tax benefits was as follows:
(In thousands) Unrecognized
Income Tax
Benefits		 Accrued
Interest
and Penalties		 Unrecognized
Income Tax
Benefits
Including Interest
and Penalties
Balance, March 2023 $ 348,170  $ 84,607  $ 432,777 
Additions for current year tax positions 15,982  —  15,982 
Additions for prior year tax positions (a)
165,426  78,133  243,559 
Reductions for prior year tax positions (36,943) (3,809) (40,752)
Reductions due to statute expirations (1,436) (383) (1,819)
Payments in settlement (b)
(210,874) (74,659) (285,533)
Currency translation (11) (4) (15)
Balance, March 2024 280,314  83,885  364,199 
Additions for current year tax positions 17,978  —  17,978 
Additions for prior year tax positions 36,190  27,372  63,562 
Reductions for prior year tax positions (15,135) (755) (15,890)
Reductions due to statute expirations (530) (520) (1,050)
Payments in settlement (914) (91) (1,005)
Decrease due to divestiture (472) (72) (544)
Currency translation (21) (16) (37)
Balance, March 2025 317,410  109,803  427,213 
Additions for current year tax positions 5,119  —  5,119 
Additions for prior year tax positions 54,502  12,946  67,448 
Reductions for prior year tax positions (77,531) (37,706) (115,237)
Payments in settlement (17,261) (344) (17,605)
Currency translation (9) 42  33 
Balance, March 2026 $ 282,230  $ 84,741  $ 366,971 
(a)The year ended March 2024 includes an increase due to uncertainty in the application of court decisions upheld upon appeal.
(b)The year ended March 2024 includes a settlement with the tax authorities related to intellectual property transfers completed in a prior period.
(In thousands) March 2026 March 2025
Amounts included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets (a):
Unrecognized income tax benefits, including interest and penalties $ 366,971  $ 427,213 
Less deferred tax benefits 98,250  101,618 
Total unrecognized tax benefits $ 268,721  $ 325,595 
(a)Included in the accrued liabilities and other liabilities line items in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
The unrecognized tax benefits of $268.7 million at the end of Fiscal 2026, if recognized, would reduce the annual effective tax rate.
VF files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return, as well as separate and combined income tax returns in numerous state and international jurisdictions. In the U.S., the IRS examinations for tax years through 2018 have been effectively settled.
As previously reported, VF petitioned the U.S. Tax Court (the "Tax Court") to resolve an IRS dispute regarding the timing of income inclusion associated with VF’s acquisition of The Timberland Company in September 2011. While the IRS argued that all such income should have been immediately included in 2011, VF reported periodic income inclusions in subsequent tax years. In Fiscal 2023, the Tax Court issued its final decision in favor of the IRS, which was appealed by VF. On October 19, 2022, VF paid $875.7 million related to the 2011 taxes and interest being disputed, which was recorded as an income tax receivable and began to accrue interest income. These amounts were included in the other assets line item in VF's Consolidated Balance Sheet, based on our assessment of the position under the more-likely-than-not standard of the accounting literature. On September 8, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (“Appeals Court”) upheld the Tax Court’s decision in favor of the IRS. As a result of the Appeals Court decision, VF determined that its position no longer met the more-likely-than-not threshold, and thus wrote off the related income tax receivable and associated interest and recorded $690.0 million of income tax expense in
the second quarter of Fiscal 2024. This amount included the reversal of $19.6 million of interest income, of which $7.5 million was recorded in the first quarter of Fiscal 2024. This amount reflects the total estimated net impact to VF’s tax expense, which includes the expected reduction in taxes paid on the periodic inclusions that VF has reported, release of related deferred tax liabilities, and consideration of indirect tax effects resulting from the decision. The estimated impact is subject to future adjustments based on finalization with tax authorities.
On July 4, 2025, the U.S. signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included various provisions specific to businesses. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions effective in Fiscal 2026 and others implemented in subsequent years. The Company has reflected the impact of the enacted provisions in its financial statements for the year ended March 2026, which were determined to be immaterial.
In addition, VF is currently subject to examination by various state and international tax authorities. Management regularly assesses the potential outcomes of both ongoing and future examinations for the current and prior years and has concluded that VF’s provision for income taxes is adequate. The outcome of any one examination is not expected to have a material impact on VF’s consolidated financial statements. Management believes that some of these audits and negotiations will conclude during the next 12 months.