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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 25, 2026
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES
The following table summarizes the Company’s effective tax rate:
Three-Month Period EndedNine-Month Period Ended
September 25, 2026September 26, 2025September 25, 2026September 26, 2025
Effective tax rate(6.6)%15.6 %9.8 %15.5 %
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 September 25, 2026, net discrete tax benefits of $263 million decreased the effective tax rate by 23.2% and related primarily to the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions resulting from audit settlements.
For the three-month period ended September 26, 2025, the effective tax rate was reduced by the tax effect from intangible asset impairments in jurisdictions with higher statutory tax rates than the Company’s effective tax rate, which reduced the effective tax rate by 1.3%. There was no net discrete tax charge in the three-month period, as a valuation allowance recorded on certain foreign operating losses was offset by benefits from the remeasurement of deferred taxes in a jurisdiction which enacted a tax rate change.
For the nine-month period ended September 25, 2026, net discrete tax benefits of $242 million decreased the effective tax rate by 7.0% and related primarily to the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions resulting from audit settlements and expiration of statutes of limitations, partially offset by changes in estimates associated with prior period uncertain tax positions.
For the nine-month period ended September 26, 2025, the effective tax rate was reduced by the tax effect from intangible asset impairments in jurisdictions with higher statutory tax rates than the Company’s effective tax rate, the remeasurement of deferred taxes in a jurisdiction which enacted a tax rate change and the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions due to the expiration of statutes of limitations, partially offset by a valuation allowance recorded on certain foreign operating losses and changes in uncertain tax positions. The net impact reduced the effective tax rate by 1.2%.
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.