Skip to content
Non-Current Liabilities

Unrecognized Tax Benefits - Impacting Effective Tax Rate

Morgan Stanley Unrecognized Tax Benefits - Impacting Effective Tax Rate increased by 16.2% to $1.35B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 16.2%, from $1.16B to $1.35B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Unrecognized Tax Benefits - Impacting Effective Tax Rate shows an upward trend with a 11.9% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionNon-Current Liabilities
CategoryRisk
SignalLower is better
VolatilityModerate
First reportedQ4 2013
Last reportedQ4 2025Feb 19, 2026

How to read this metric

A high balance indicates significant tax uncertainty; resolution in the company's favor would provide a one-time boost to net income.

Detailed definition

The portion of tax positions taken by the company that have not been recognized in the financial statements because they...

Peer comparison

Commonly disclosed in tax footnotes; peers with aggressive tax planning strategies often show higher levels of unrecognized benefits.

Metric ID: unrecognized_tax_benefits_impacting_etr

Historical Data

5 periods
 Q4 '21Q4 '22Q4 '23Q4 '24Q4 '25
Value$860M$1.01B$1.09B$1.16B$1.35B
QoQ Change+17.1%+8.2%+6.3%+16.2%
YoY Change+17.1%+8.2%+6.3%+16.2%
Range$860M$1.35B
CAGR+56.6%
Avg YoY Growth+12.0%
Median YoY Growth+12.2%
Current Streak4+ quarters growth

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Morgan Stanley's unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate?
Morgan Stanley (MS) reported unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate of $1.35B in Q4 2025.
How has Morgan Stanley's unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate changed year-over-year?
Morgan Stanley's unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate increased by 16.2% year-over-year, from $1.16B to $1.35B.
What is the long-term trend for Morgan Stanley's unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Morgan Stanley's unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate has grown at a 11.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $860M to $1.35B.
What does unrecognized tax benefits - impacting effective tax rate mean?
Potential tax savings the company has claimed but not yet counted because they are uncertain.