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Income Taxes (Notes)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
Substantially all of the Company’s operations are held through Charter Holdings and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Charter Holdings and the majority of its subsidiaries are generally limited liability companies that are not subject to income tax. However, certain of these limited liability companies are subject to state income tax. In addition, the subsidiaries that are corporations are subject to income tax. Generally, the taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits of Charter Holdings are passed through to its members, Charter and A/N. Charter is responsible for its share of taxable income or loss of Charter Holdings allocated to it in accordance with the Charter Holdings Limited Liability Company Agreement ("LLC Agreement") and partnership tax rules and regulations. As a result, Charter's primary deferred tax component recorded in the consolidated balance sheets relates to its excess financial reporting outside basis, excluding amounts attributable to nondeductible goodwill, over Charter's tax basis in the investment in Charter Holdings.

Charter Holdings, the indirect owner of the Company’s cable systems, generally allocates its taxable income, gains, losses, deductions and credits proportionately according to the members’ respective ownership interests, except for special allocations required under Section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury Regulations (“Section 704(c)”).  Pursuant to Section 704(c) and the LLC Agreement, each item of income, gain, loss and deduction with respect to any property contributed to the capital of the partnership shall, solely for tax purposes, be allocated among the members so as to take into account any variation between the adjusted basis of such property to the partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and its initial gross asset value using the “traditional method” as described in the Treasury Regulations.
Income Tax Expense

For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the Company recorded deferred income tax expense as shown below. The tax provision in future periods will vary based on current and future temporary differences, as well as future operating results.

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019
Current benefit (expense):
Federal income taxes$(12)$7 $(6)
State income taxes(230)(168)(113)
Current income tax expense(242)(161)(119)
Deferred benefit (expense):
Federal income taxes(1,049)(536)(358)
State income taxes223 71 38 
Deferred income tax expense(826)(465)(320)
Income tax expense$(1,068)$(626)$(439)

The Company’s effective tax rate differs from that derived by applying the applicable federal income tax rate of 21% for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019 as follows:

Year Ended December 31,
202120202019
Statutory federal income taxes$(1,341)$(903)$(510)
Statutory state income taxes, net(193)(122)(57)
Change in uncertain tax positions(79)(57)(64)
Nondeductible expenses(27)(15)(24)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest163 112 80 
Excess stock compensation163 290 63 
Federal tax credits46 35 46 
Tax rate changes191 33 15 
Other9 1 12 
Income tax expense$(1,068)$(626)$(439)
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities)

The tax effects of these temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2021 and 2020 are presented below.
December 31,
20212020
Deferred tax assets:
Loss carryforwards$325 $1,344 
Accrued and other612 581 
Total gross deferred tax assets937 1,925 
Less: valuation allowance(36)(32)
Deferred tax assets901 1,893 
Deferred tax liabilities:
Investment in partnership(19,986)(19,996)
Accrued and other(11)(5)
Deferred tax liabilities(19,997)(20,001)
Net deferred tax liabilities$(19,096)$(18,108)

The deferred tax liabilities on the investment in partnership above includes approximately $57 million and $53 million net deferred tax liabilities relating to certain indirect subsidiaries that file separate state income tax returns at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. 

Valuation Allowance

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. In evaluating the need for a valuation allowance, management takes into account various factors, including the expected level of future taxable income, available tax planning strategies and reversals of existing taxable temporary differences. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, approximately $13 million and $9 million, respectively, of the valuation allowance is associated with federal capital loss carryforwards and $23 million for both time periods is associated with state tax loss carryforwards and other miscellaneous deferred tax assets.

Net Operating Loss Carryforwards

As of December 31, 2021, Charter had approximately $714 million of federal tax net operating loss carryforwards resulting in a gross deferred tax asset of approximately $150 million. Federal tax net operating loss carryforwards expire in the years 2034 through 2035. These losses resulted from the operations of Charter Communications Holdings Company, LLC ("Charter Holdco") and its subsidiaries and from loss carryforwards received as a result of the merger with TWC. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, Charter had state tax net operating loss carryforwards, resulting in a gross deferred tax asset (net of federal tax benefit) of approximately $175 million. State tax net operating loss carryforwards generally expire in the years 2022 through 2041. After December 31, 2021, $714 million of Charter's federal tax loss carryforwards are subject to Section 382 and other restrictions. Pursuant to these restrictions, Charter estimates that approximately $229 million annually over each of the next three years of federal tax loss carryforwards should become unrestricted and available for Charter’s use. Charter’s state loss carryforwards are subject to similar, but varying, limitations on their future use.

Tax Receivable Agreement

Under the LLC Agreement, A/N has the right to exchange at any time some or all of its common units in Charter Holdings for Charter’s Class A common stock or cash, at Charter’s option. Pursuant to a Tax Receivable Agreement ("TRA") between Charter and A/N, Charter must pay to A/N 50% of the tax benefit when realized by Charter from the step-up in tax basis resulting from any future exchange or sale of the preferred and common units. Charter did not record a liability for this obligation as of the acquisition date since the tax benefit is dependent on uncertain future events that are outside of Charter’s
control, such as the timing of a conversion or exchange. A future exchange or sale is not based on a fixed and determinable date and the exchange or sale is not certain to occur. If all of A/N's partnership units were to be exchanged or sold in the future, the undiscounted value of the obligation is currently estimated to be in the range of zero to $3.5 billion depending on measurement of the tax step-up in the future and Charter’s ability to realize the tax benefit in the periods following the exchange or sale. Factors impacting these calculations include, but are not limited to, the fair value of the equity at the time of the exchange and the effective tax rates when the benefits are realized.

Uncertain Tax Positions

The net amount of the unrecognized tax benefits recorded as of December 31, 2021 that could impact the effective tax rate is $318 million. The Company has determined that it is reasonably possible that its existing reserve for uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2021 could decrease by approximately $35 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 related to various ongoing audits, settlement discussions and expiration of statute of limitations with various state and local agencies; however, various events could cause the Company’s current expectations to change in the future. These uncertain tax positions, if ever recognized in the financial statements, would be recorded in the consolidated statements of operations as part of the income tax provision. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits, exclusive of interest and penalties, included in other long-term liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of the Company is as follows:

BALANCE, December 31, 2019$230 
Additions on prior year tax positions28 
Additions on current year tax positions51 
Reductions on settlements and expirations with taxing authorities(11)
BALANCE, December 31, 2020298 
Activity on prior year tax positions(5)
Additions on current year tax positions94 
Reductions on settlements and expirations with taxing authorities(10)
BALANCE, December 31, 2021$377 

The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued on uncertain income tax positions as part of the income tax provision. Interest and penalties included in other long-term liabilities on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of the Company were $76 million and $63 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Charter is currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") for income tax purposes for 2019. Charter's 2016, 2018 and 2020 tax years remain open for examination and assessment. Charter’s 2017 tax year remains open solely for purposes of loss and credit carryforwards. Charter’s short period return dated May 17, 2016 (prior to the merger with TWC and acquisition of Bright House Networks, LLC ("Bright House")) and prior years remain open solely for purposes of examination of Charter’s loss and credit carryforwards. The IRS is currently examining Charter Holdings’ income tax return for 2016 and 2019. Charter Holdings’ 2018 and 2020 tax years remain open for examination and assessment, while 2017 remains open solely for purposes of credit carryforwards. The IRS is currently examining TWC’s income tax returns for 2011 through 2014. TWC’s tax year 2015 remains subject to examination and assessment. Prior to TWC’s separation from Time Warner Inc. (“Time Warner”) in March 2009, TWC was included in the consolidated U.S. federal and certain state income tax returns of Time Warner. The IRS has examined Time Warner’s 2008 through 2010 income tax returns and the results are under appeal. The Company does not anticipate that these examinations will have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. In addition, the Company is also subject to ongoing examinations of the Company’s tax returns by state and local tax authorities for various periods. Activity related to these state and local examinations did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2021, nor does the Company anticipate a material impact in the future.