Non-Current Liabilities

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

Western Digital Unrecognized Tax Benefits decreased by 0.7% to $603.00M in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 7.5%, from $561.00M to $603.00M. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Unrecognized Tax Benefits shows a downward trend with a -6.6% CAGR. This is a positive signal — lower values indicate better performance for this metric.

Analysis

StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionNon-Current Liabilities
CategoryRisk
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ2 2016
Last reportedQ3 2026Apr 30, 2026

How to read this metric

A decrease generally signals the resolution of tax audits or the expiration of statutes of limitations, while an increase suggests new tax planning risks.

Detailed definition

This represents the cumulative amount of tax benefits from uncertain tax positions that have not been recognized in the...

Peer comparison

Standard for multinational corporations; peers with complex global tax structures often carry significant balances in this category.

Metric ID: unrecognized_tax_benefits

Historical Data

21 periods
 Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26Q2 '26Q3 '26
Value$750.00M$748.00M$762.00M$772.00M$907.00M$1.05B$1.03B$1.04B$1.02B$1.02B$672.00M$677.00M$708.00M$721.00M$692.00M$688.00M$561.00M$569.00M$598.00M$607.00M$603.00M
QoQ Change-0.3%+1.9%+1.3%+17.5%+15.4%-2.0%+1.6%-1.8%-0.2%-34.2%+0.7%+4.6%+1.8%-4.0%-0.6%-18.5%+1.4%+5.1%+1.5%-0.7%
YoY Change+20.9%+40.0%+34.6%+35.0%+12.8%-2.5%-34.5%-35.0%-30.8%-29.4%+3.0%+1.6%-20.8%-21.1%-13.6%-11.8%+7.5%
Range$561.00M$1.05B
CAGR-4.3%
Avg YoY Growth-2.6%
Median YoY Growth-2.5%

Unrecognized Tax Benefits at Other Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Western Digital's unrecognized tax benefits?
Western Digital (WDC) reported unrecognized tax benefits of $603.00M in Q1 2026.
How has Western Digital's unrecognized tax benefits changed year-over-year?
Western Digital's unrecognized tax benefits increased by 7.5% year-over-year, from $561.00M to $603.00M.
What is the long-term trend for Western Digital's unrecognized tax benefits?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Western Digital's unrecognized tax benefits has grown at a -6.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $748.00M to $569.00M.
What does unrecognized tax benefits mean?
The amount of potential tax savings that the company has not yet claimed because the outcome is uncertain.