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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 26, 2026
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES
The following table summarizes the Company’s effective tax rate:
Three-Month Period EndedSix-Month Period Ended
June 26, 2026June 27, 2025June 26, 2026June 27, 2025
Effective tax rate19.3 %15.3 %17.9 %15.4 %
The Company operates globally, including in certain jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the United States (“U.S.”) federal statutory rate. Therefore, the impact of Danaher’s global operations and benefits from tax credits and incentives contributes to a lower effective tax rate compared to the U.S. federal statutory tax rate. For each period presented, the effective tax rate differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% principally due to the impact of the Company’s global operations, research tax credits, foreign-derived intangible income and aggregate net discrete benefits or charges.
For the three-month period ended June 26, 2026, net discrete tax charges of $21 million increased the effective tax rate by 1.9% and related primarily to changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions, partially offset by benefits from the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions resulting from audit settlements.
For the three-month period ended June 27, 2025, the effective tax rate was reduced by the tax effect from an intangible asset impairment in a jurisdiction with a higher statutory tax rate than the Company’s effective tax rate, partially offset by changes in uncertain tax positions. The net impact reduced the effective tax rate by 1.4%.
For the six-month period ended June 26, 2026, net discrete tax charges of $21 million increased the effective tax rate by 0.9% and related primarily to changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions, partially offset by benefits from the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions resulting from audit settlements and expiration of statutes of limitations.
For the six-month period ended June 27, 2025, the effective tax rate was reduced by the tax effect from an intangible asset impairment in a jurisdiction with a higher statutory tax rate than the Company’s effective tax rate and the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of statutes of limitations, partially offset by changes in uncertain tax positions. The net impact reduced the effective tax rate by 1.1%.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) proposed significant adjustments to the Company’s taxable income for the years 2016 through 2018 with respect to the deferral of tax on certain premium income related to the Company’s self-insurance programs. For income tax purposes, the recognition of premium income has been deferred in accordance with U.S. tax laws related to insurance. The proposed adjustments would have increased the Company’s taxable income over the 2016 through 2018 periods by approximately $2.5 billion. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company settled these proposed adjustments with the IRS, although the audit is still open with respect to other matters for the 2016 through 2018 period. The impact of the settlement with respect to the Company’s self-insurance policies was not material to the Company’s financial statements, including cash flows and the effective tax rate. As the settlement with the IRS was specific to the audit period, the settlement does not preclude the IRS from proposing similar adjustments to the Company’s self-insurance programs with respect to periods after 2018. Management believes the positions the Company has taken in its U.S. tax returns are in accordance with the relevant tax laws.
For a description of the Company’s significant tax matters, reference is made to the financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2025 and Note 7 thereto included in the Company’s 2025 Annual Report.