Fiscal Year 2025 Compared with Fiscal Year 2024
Interest and dividends income decreased primarily due to lower portfolio balances. Interest expense decreased primarily due to maturities of commercial paper and higher capitalization of debt interest expense, offset in part by higher finance lease interest expense. Net recognized losses on investments increased primarily due to higher impairments, offset in part by higher gains on equity investments in the current period. Net losses on derivatives increased primarily due to higher losses on equity derivatives in the current period. Other, net primarily reflects net recognized losses on equity method investments, including OpenAI.
INCOME TAXES
Effective Tax Rate
Our effective tax rate for both fiscal years 2025 and 2024 was 18%. Our effective tax rate for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025 was primarily impacted by changes in the mix of our earnings and tax expenses between the U.S. and foreign countries.
Our effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate, primarily due to earnings taxed at lower rates in foreign jurisdictions resulting from producing and distributing our products and services through our foreign regional operations center in Ireland.
The mix of income before income taxes between the U.S. and foreign countries impacted our effective tax rate as a result of the geographic distribution of, and customer demand for, our products and services. In fiscal year 2025, our U.S. income before income taxes was $69.2 billion and our foreign income before income taxes was $54.4 billion. In fiscal year 2024, our U.S. income before income taxes was $62.9 billion and our foreign income before income taxes was $44.9 billion.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”) published its model rules “Tax Challenges Arising From the Digitalisation of the Economy - Global Anti-Base Erosion Model Rules (Pillar Two)” which established a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for certain multinational enterprises. Many countries have implemented or are in the process of implementing the Pillar Two legislation, which applies to Microsoft beginning in fiscal year 2025. While we do not currently estimate a material impact to our consolidated financial statements, we continue to monitor the impact as countries implement legislation and the OECD provides additional guidance.
We are currently assessing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) which was enacted on July 4, 2025. The OBBBA provides a U.S. global intangible low-taxed income effective tax rate of 14% effective fiscal year 2027 for Microsoft. It also provides bonus depreciation for certain assets placed into service after January 19, 2025 and an election to expense U.S. incurred research or experimental expenditures.
Uncertain Tax Positions
We remain under audit by the IRS for tax years 2014 to 2017. With respect to the audit for tax years 2004 to 2013, on September 26, 2023, we received Notices of Proposed Adjustment (“NOPAs”) from the IRS. The primary issues in the NOPAs relate to intercompany transfer pricing. In the NOPAs, the IRS is seeking an additional tax payment of $28.9 billion plus penalties and interest. As of June 30, 2025, we believe our allowances for income tax contingencies are adequate. We disagree with the proposed adjustments and will vigorously contest the NOPAs through the IRS’s administrative appeals office and, if necessary, judicial proceedings. We do not expect a final resolution of these issues in the next 12 months. Based on the information currently available, we do not anticipate a significant increase or decrease to our income tax contingencies for these issues within the next 12 months.
We are subject to income tax in many jurisdictions outside the U.S., some of which are currently under audit by local tax authorities. The resolution of these audits is not expected to be material to our consolidated financial statements. Our operations in Ireland remain subject to examination for tax years 2020 and thereafter.
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PART II