US oil company filings put 'spotlight' on taxes

Data showing some US-headquartered oil and gas firms paid less in taxes to the US than to foreign governments could be a focus in an upcoming Congress tax policy debate. ExxonMobil reported paying nearly $1.2bn to the US in 2023, and $5.6bn to the UAE, according to a first-time ‘Form SD' report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In its own report, Chevron says it paid nearly $1.2bn in the US, against $4bn to Australia. Independent Hess paid $190,000 in the US and $50mn to Malaysia. Industry officials say the data do not provide a comprehensive view of obligations, which can vary from country to country depending on the tax code and their operations. The payment disclosures also do not cover payroll taxes or state and local taxes, for example, and do not say if a company had carryover net operating losses or tax credits that reduced its overall tax bill in the US.