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Income Taxes | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2023
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes by geographic area is summarized in the table below.
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
Domestic | $ | 1,499 |  |  | $ | 1,661 |  |  | $ | 1,144 |
Foreign(a) | 29 |  |  | 30 |  |  | 35 |
Total | $ | 1,528 |  |  | $ | 1,691 |  |  | $ | 1,179 |
(a)Inclusive of income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes from Puerto Rico. The benefit (provision) for income taxes consists of the following:
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
Current: |  |  |  |  |
Federal | $ | (7) |  |  | $ | (6) |  |  | $ | (5) |
Foreign | (9) |  |  | (9) |  |  | (8) |
State | (2) |  |  | 2 |  |  | (4) |
Total current | (18) |  |  | (13) |  |  | (17) |
Deferred: |  |  |  |  |
Foreign | (8) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (4) |
Total deferred | (8) |  |  | (3) |  |  | (4) |
Total tax benefit (provision) | $ | (26) |  |  | $ | (16) |  |  | $ | (21) |
A reconciliation between the benefit (provision) for income taxes and the amount computed by applying the federal statutory income tax rate to the income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes is as follows:
| Years Ended December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022 |  | 2021
Benefit (provision) for income taxes at statutory rate | $ | (321) |  |  | $ | (355) |  |  | $ | (248) |
Tax adjustment related to REIT operations | 313 |  |  | 349 |  |  | 243 |
Valuation allowances | — |  |  | (1) |  |  | — |
State tax (provision) benefit, net of federal | (2) |  |  | 2 |  |  | (4) |
Foreign tax | (16) |  |  | (11) |  |  | (12) |
Total | $ | (26) |  |  | $ | (16) |  |  | $ | (21) |
The components of the net deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
| December 31,
| 2023 |  | 2022
Deferred income tax liabilities: |  |  |
Property and equipment | $ | 10 |  |  | $ | 8 |
Deferred site rental receivables | 9 |  |  | 9 |
Site rental contracts and tenant relationships, net | 29 |  |  | 29 |
Total deferred income tax liabilities | 48 |  |  | 46 |
Deferred income tax assets: |  |  |
Other intangible assets, net | 29 |  |  | 30 |
Net operating loss carryforwards(a) | 5 |  |  | 12 |
Straight-line rent expense liability | 5 |  |  | 4 |
Accrued liabilities | 5 |  |  | 6 |
Other | 5 |  |  | 4 |
Valuation allowances | (2) |  |  | (2) |
Total deferred income tax assets, net | 47 |  |  | 54 |
Net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | 8 |
(a)Balance results from the Company's foreign NOLs. Due to the Company's REIT status, no federal or state NOLs result in the Company recording a deferred income tax asset. See further discussion surrounding the Company's NOL balances below. The Company operates as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The components of the net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) are as follows:
| December 31, 2023 |  | December 31, 2022
Classification | Gross |  | Valuation Allowance |  | Net |  | Gross |  | Valuation Allowance |  | Net
Federal | $ | 26 |  |  | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | 25 |  |  | $ | 26 |  |  | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | 25 |
State | 1 |  |  | — |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 |  |  | — |  |  | 1 |
Foreign | (26) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (27) |  |  | (17) |  |  | (1) |  |  | (18) |
Total | $ | 1 |  |  | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | (1) |  |  | $ | 10 |  |  | $ | (2) |  |  | $ | 8 |
During 2023, the Company maintained previously recorded valuation allowances totaling $2 million related to certain deferred tax assets as management believes that it is not "more likely than not" that the Company will realize the assets. At December 31, 2023, the Company had U.S. federal and state NOLs of approximately $1.5 billion and $0.5 billion, respectively, which are available to offset future taxable income. These amounts include approximately $237 million of losses related to stock-based compensation. The Company also has foreign NOLs of $13 million. If not utilized, the Company's U.S. federal NOLs expire starting in 2025 and ending in 2036, the state NOLs started expiring in 2022 and end in 2036, and the foreign NOLs started expiring in 2023 and end in 2036. The utilization of the NOLs is subject to certain limitations. The Company's U.S. federal and state income tax returns generally remain open to examination by taxing authorities until three years after the applicable NOLs have been used or expired. As of December 31, 2023, there were no unrecognized tax benefits that would impact the effective tax rate, if recognized. From time to time, the Company is subject to examinations by various tax authorities in jurisdictions in which the Company has business operations. At this time, the Company is not subject to an Internal Revenue Service examination. On April 26, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement in principle with the Australian Taxation Office ("ATO") to pay A$83 million to settle the previously disclosed outstanding audit of the Australian tax consequences of the Company's 2015 sale of Crown Castle Australia Holdings Pty Ltd ("CCAL"), formerly a 77.6% owned Australian subsidiary of the Company ("ATO Settlement"). The sale of CCAL generated approximately $1.2 billion in net proceeds to the Company, and resulted in a gain from the disposal of discontinued operations of $979 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. On June 16, 2021, the Company entered into a definitive settlement agreement with the ATO evidencing the ATO Settlement. On July 1, 2021, the Company paid approximately $62 million (A$83 million), based on the exchange rate in effect on that date, pursuant to the ATO Settlement. The Company recognized the ATO Settlement as a charge within discontinued operations in its consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income (loss) for the year ended December 31, 2021, as this amount represented a reduction to the gain from the disposal of discontinued operations previously reported during the year ended December 31, 2015. The Company reflected the payment pursuant to the ATO Settlement within discontinued operations in the Company's consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of additional assessments in each of the tax jurisdictions in which it has business operations. The Company has no uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2023. Additionally, the Company does not believe any such additional assessments arising from examinations or audits will have a material effect on the Company's financial statements. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's deferred tax assets are included in "Other assets, net" and the Company's deferred tax liabilities are included in "Other long-term liabilities" on the Company's consolidated balance sheet.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 946 -SubTopic 20 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 13 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480990/946-20-50-13 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2)) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147480678/235-10-S99-1 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//740/tableOfContent Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 14 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482685/740-10-50-14 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482685/740-10-50-21 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 270 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482526/740-270-50-1 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -Subparagraph (b) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482685/740-10-50-17 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.5.Q1) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479360/740-10-S99-1 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 11.C) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479360/740-10-S99-2 Reference 10: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Topic 740 -SubTopic 30 -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -Publisher FASB -URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147482603/740-30-50-2 + Details
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