FOLLOW US

PepsiCo Inc. is making a last-ditch effort to overturn a $2.1 million tax penalty, urging the Illinois Supreme Court to reverse a string of lower court decisions that accused the food and beverage titan of misclassifying expatriate compensation to avoid paying millions in state income taxes.

In a petition filed Wednesday, the company argued that a trio of lower rulings — from the Illinois Tax Tribunal, a trial court, and an appellate panel — misinterpreted its use of a global employment company and set dangerous precedent for how multinational corporations structure global workforce mobility.

At the heart of the dispute: PepsiCo’s use of PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC (PGM), which the courts labeled a “shell company”, in an effort to exclude Frito-Lay’s profits from combined state tax returns using the 80/20 rule — a provision that allows exclusion of subsidiaries with 80% or more of their business abroad.

The $10.9M Twist Behind a $2.1M Penalty

The Illinois Department of Revenue concluded that PepsiCo’s setup wrongly excluded millions in payroll tied to expatriates — workers temporarily assigned abroad — under the guise of foreign employment. As a result, the courts said the company underreported its Illinois tax burden by $10.9 million, triggering the $2.1 million in penalties.

PepsiCo’s counter? This wasn’t a tax dodge but a legitimate business structure. The company insisted the courts ignored the fact that PGM manages real employees performing real work, and that the employment model is commonly used by corporations with international footprints.

“This case presents far more than a niche tax squabble,” PepsiCo wrote. “It opens a front on whether multinational employers can reasonably structure expatriate programs without being penalized.”

Why the 80/20 Rule Is Crucial

Under the 80/20 rule, a parent company can exclude a domestic subsidiary from its state tax return if that unit has 80% of its property and payroll overseas. PepsiCo leaned on this rule to exclude Frito-Lay, arguing that expatriate wages paid through PGM should count toward the 80%.

But the courts rejected that, agreeing with the Department of Revenue that the expatriates were not truly employees of PGM, and therefore couldn’t be used to satisfy the foreign payroll requirement. The economic substance doctrine — which invalidates tax arrangements lacking genuine business purpose — was applied to deny the deduction.

PepsiCo insists this was the wrong test and a dangerous overreach, warning that the ruling “has the potential to dismantle long-standing, globally accepted employment models.”

A Clash of Legal Standards

PepsiCo also blasted the appellate court’s reliance on what it called a “clearly erroneous standard,” arguing that it contradicts Illinois Supreme Court precedent and misaligns with decisions from other appellate districts. The company contends the court failed to give weight to the functional and contractual roles of PGM, oversimplifying a complex corporate structure.

“This isn’t a tax trick — it’s a mechanism for global talent mobility,” PepsiCo said.

The company also warned that prospective expatriates may be dissuaded from participating in international assignments if their employment status is suddenly uncertain in the eyes of tax regulators.

What Comes Next

If the Illinois Supreme Court grants the appeal, it could reshape how state tax law treats global employment models used by multinationals. A reversal would also relieve PepsiCo of multi-million-dollar liabilities and reset expectations on how companies use employment entities like PGM.

David Harris, director of the Illinois Department of Revenue, stood by the agency’s approach, stating Friday, “The department is confident in its position on this issue, and that position has been sustained up to now after thorough judicial review.”

PepsiCo is represented by Catherine Battin and Jane Wells May of McDermott Will & Emery LLP.
The state is represented by Jane Notz and Leigh Jahnig of the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.