v3.26.3
Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Aug. 29, 2026
Income Taxes  
Income Taxes

Note E – Income Taxes

The Company adopted ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740) on a prospective basis for the fiscal year ended August 29, 2026. Prior-period rate reconciliations and income taxes paid disclosures have not been recast.

The components of operating income before income taxes are as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Year Ended

​

​

August 29,

​

August 30,

​

August 31,

(in thousands)

​

2026

​

2025

​

2024

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Domestic

​

$

2,673,124

​

$

2,499,120

​

$

2,663,148

International

​

 

577,576

​

 

635,212

​

 

673,982

​

​

$

3,250,700

​

$

3,134,332

 

$

3,337,130

​

The provision for income tax expense consisted of the following:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Year Ended

​

​

August 29,

​

August 30,

​

August 31,

(in thousands)

  ​ ​ ​

2026

​

2025

​

2024

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Current tax provision (benefit):

 

​

  ​

 

​

  ​

 

​

  ​

Federal

​

$

418,793

​

$

610,076

​

$

846,176

State

​

 

84,535

​

 

68,312

​

 

54,837

International

​

 

205,015

​

 

182,148

​

 

193,794

Purchased tax credits

​

​

(155,359)

​

​

(250,698)

​

​

(368,870)

​

​

 

552,984

​

 

609,838

​

 

725,937

Deferred tax provision (benefit):

​

 

  ​

​

 

  ​

​

 

  ​

Federal

​

 

369,908

​

 

77,770

​

 

(163,775)

State

​

 

965

​

 

(4,463)

​

 

12,264

International

​

 

(50,415)

​

 

(28,217)

​

 

(10,616)

Purchased tax credits

​

​

(195,519)

​

​

(18,843)

​

​

110,893

​

​

 

124,939

​

 

26,247

​

 

(51,234)

Income tax expense

​

$

677,923

​

$

636,085

​

$

674,703

​

A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the federal statutory tax rate to income before income taxes is as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  ​ ​ ​

Year Ended August 29, 2026

(in thousands, except rate data)

​

Provision

​

Rate

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

U.S. Federal statutory income tax rate

 

$

682,647

​

21.0

%  

State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effect(1)

 

​

67,810

​

2.1

%  

Foreign tax effects:

 

​

​

​

​

​

Statutory tax rate difference - Mexico and United States

​

​

53,100

​

1.6

%  

Other

​

​

2,237

​

0.1

%

Other foreign jurisdictions

​

​

(20,961)

​

(0.6)

%  

Effect of changes in tax laws or rates

​

​

​

​

​

​

Effect of cross-border tax laws (GILTI, Subpart F, FDII-net):

​

​

​

​

​

​

Foreign Tax Credits

​

​

(40,738)

​

(1.2)

%  

Other

​

​

7,607

​

0.2

%

Nontaxable or nondeductible items:

​

​

​

​

​

​

Share-based compensation

​

​

(29,289)

​

(0.9)

%  

Other

​

​

(9,540)

​

(0.3)

%  

Tax credits:

​

​

​

​

​

​

Transferable tax credits

​

​

(34,722)

​

(1.1)

%  

Other

​

​

(8,869)

​

(0.3)

%  

Changes in valuation allowances (U.S. federal only)

​

​

12,383

​

0.4

%  

Other

​

​

899

​

—

%

Worldwide change in unrecognized tax benefits

 

​

(4,641)

​

(0.1)

%  

Total provision for income taxes

 

$

677,923

​

20.9

%  

(1)State taxes in California, Illinois, New York and New Jersey represent the majority of the tax effect in this category.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Year Ended

​

  ​ ​ ​

August 30,

​

August 31,

​

​

​

2025

​

2024

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

Federal tax at statutory U.S. income tax rate

 

21.0

%  

21.0

%

State income taxes, net

 

1.6

%  

1.6

%

Share-based compensation

 

(1.5)

%  

(1.9)

%  

U.S. Tax on Non-U.S. Income (Subpart F)

​

2.0

%  

2.9

%  

U.S. Tax on Non-U.S. Income (NCTI)

​

1.0

%  

1.2

%  

Non-U.S. Permanent Differences

​

(0.8)

%  

(1.3)

%  

Non-U.S. Rate Differences

​

1.1

%  

1.1

%  

Foreign Tax Credits

​

(2.8)

%  

(2.9)

%  

Other

 

(1.3)

%  

(1.5)

%  

Effective tax rate

 

20.3

%  

20.2

%

​

For the year ended August 29, 2026, August 30, 2025, and August 31, 2024, the Company recognized excess tax benefits from stock option exercises of $30.7 million, $58.2 million, and $81.4 million, respectively.

The Company is subject to a tax on net CFC tested income (“NCTI”), formerly known as global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) which is imposed on foreign earnings. The Company has made the election to record this tax as a period cost, thus has not adjusted the deferred tax assets or liabilities of its foreign subsidiaries for this tax.

​

Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  ​ ​ ​

August 29,

  ​ ​ ​

August 30,

(in thousands)

​

2026

​

2025

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Deferred tax assets:

 

​

  ​

 

​

  ​

Net operating loss and state credit carryforwards

​

$

62,468

​

$

44,815

Accrued benefits

​

 

118,188

​

 

99,628

Operating lease liabilities

​

​

785,737

​

​

753,928

Federal credit carryforwards

​

​

20,044

​

​

123,465

Other

​

 

83,776

​

 

79,399

Total deferred tax assets

​

 

1,070,213

​

 

1,101,235

Valuation allowances

​

 

(21,762)

​

 

(11,331)

Net deferred tax assets

​

 

1,048,451

​

 

1,089,904

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Deferred tax liabilities:

​

 

  ​

​

 

  ​

Property and equipment

​

 

(396,852)

​

 

(257,900)

Inventory

​

 

(466,924)

​

 

(510,242)

Operating lease assets

​

​

(713,698)

​

​

(682,685)

Other

​

 

(17,770)

​

 

(41,154)

Deferred tax liabilities

​

 

(1,595,244)

​

 

(1,491,981)

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Net deferred tax liabilities

​

$

(546,793)

​

$

(402,077)

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

At August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, the Company had net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards available to reduce future taxable income totaling approximately $377.7 million ($50.5 million tax effected) and $338.6 million ($33.2 million tax effected), respectively. Certain NOLs have no expiration date and others will expire, if not utilized, in various years from fiscal 2027 through 2045. At August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, the Company had deferred tax assets for federal and state income tax credit carryforwards of $31.5 million and $135.1 million, respectively. Income tax credit carryforwards will expire, if not utilized, in various years from fiscal 2027 through 2052.

​

At August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, the Company had a valuation allowance of $21.8 million and $11.3 million, respectively, on deferred tax assets associated with NOL and tax credit carryforwards for which management has determined it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. Management believes it is more likely than not that the remaining deferred tax assets will be fully realized given the extended carryforward periods referenced and the Company’s growing earnings forecasts.

​

For the year ended August 29, 2026, the Company asserts indefinite reinvestment for basis differences and accumulated earnings through fiscal 2020 with respect to its foreign subsidiaries. The Company does not assert permanent reinvestment of fiscal 2021 through current year earnings with respect to its Mexican subsidiaries while maintaining its assertion of indefinite reinvestment of fiscal 2021 through current year earnings of other foreign subsidiaries. Where necessary, taxes resulting from foreign distributions of current and accumulated earnings (e.g., withholding taxes) have been considered in the Company’s provision for income taxes.

​

As of August 29, 2026, we have not recorded incremental income taxes for outside basis differences of $389.6 million in our investments in foreign subsidiaries, as these amounts are indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations. Determining the amount of unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the outside basis differences in these entities is not practicable.

​

Several countries where the Company operates have adopted the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ("OECD") framework implementing a 15% global minimum tax. This OECD framework, commonly referred to as Pillar Two, did not have a material impact on the Company’s income tax provision for the year ended August 29, 2026.

​

Pursuant to provisions under the Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in August of 2022, the Company purchased transferable federal tax credits from various counterparties during fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026. Such federal tax credits were purchased at negotiated discounts, resulting in an income tax benefit recorded during the year ended August 29, 2026. Receivables associated with transferable federal tax credits are recorded (netted) within Income taxes payable and Other long-term assets.

​

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “OBBBA”) was signed into law. The OBBBA created new provisions that are applicable to the Company, including 100% bonus depreciation for qualifying assets placed in service after January 19, 2025, and full expensing of domestic research and experimental expenditures incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024. The Company does not expect material effective tax rate impacts from these provisions.

​

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  ​ ​ ​

August 29,

  ​ ​ ​

August 30,

(in thousands)

​

2026

​

2025

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Beginning balance

​

$

22,789

​

$

37,986

Additions based on tax positions related to the current year

​

 

3,952

​

 

4,482

Additions for tax positions of prior years

​

 

1,197

​

 

3,643

Reductions for tax positions of prior years

​

 

(2,412)

​

 

(5,118)

Reductions due to settlements

​

 

(1,086)

​

 

(13,150)

Reductions due to statute of limitations

​

 

(6,332)

​

 

(5,054)

Ending balance

​

$

18,108

​

$

22,789

​

Included in the August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, balances are $14.3 million and $17.5 million, respectively, of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate. The balances above also include amounts of $2.2 million and $4.3 million for August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, respectively, that are accounted for as reductions to deferred tax assets for NOL carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards. It is anticipated that in the event the associated uncertain tax positions are disallowed, the NOL carryforwards and tax credit carryforwards would be utilized to settle the liability.

​

The Company accrues interest on unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. Penalties, if incurred, would be recognized as a component of income tax expense. The Company had $0.9 million and $3.8 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties associated with unrecognized tax benefits at August 29, 2026, and August 30, 2025, respectively.

​

The Company files U.S. federal, U.S. state and local, and international income tax returns. The Company is currently under examination by the IRS for fiscal years 2021 and 2024. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, U.S. state and local, or Non-U.S. examinations by tax authorities for fiscal year 2020 and prior. While the Company believes that it is adequately accrued for possible audit adjustments, the final resolution of these examinations cannot be determined at this time and could result in final settlements that differ from current estimates.

The following table represents cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received:

​

​

​

​

​

  ​ ​ ​

Year Ended

(in thousands)

​

August 29, 2026

​

​

​

​

U.S. Federal

​

$

25,624

U.S. State and Local:

​

 

​

California

​

 

21,686

Other

​

 

47,225

Total U.S.

​

​

94,535

​

​

 

​

Foreign:

​

​

​

Mexico

​

​

210,466

Other

​

​

7,248

Total Foreign

​

​

217,714

​

​

​

​

Total

​

$

312,249

​