

13.	INCOME TAXES

The Company and its subsidiaries are based in the U.S. and file federal and various state income tax returns. The components of the provision for income taxes were as follows:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2020		2019
Current tax expense	$	271	$	22
Deferred tax expense	913		141
Income tax expense	$	1,184	$	163

Cash paid for income taxes	$	44	$	—

The effective income tax rate varied from the 21% federal statutory rate primarily as a result of the change in tax valuation allowance, state income taxes, and net income attributable to noncontrolling interest owners which is taxable to those owners rather than to the Company and other permanent differences. In addition, 2019 included a reduction in the tax valuation allowance that reduced income tax expense by $203 and 2020 includes state taxes related to Plateau of $332.

Due to the net operating loss carryforwards, the Company expects no cash payments for federal income taxes for 2020 or 2019. The Company makes cash payments for state income taxes in states in which the Company does not have net operating loss carry forwards.

At December 31, 2019 the Company had federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $83,270 and $44,857, respectively, which expire at various dates in the next 18 years for U.S. federal income tax and in the next 8 to 18 years for the various state jurisdictions where we operate. Such NOL carryforwards expire beginning in 2028 through 2038.

As a result of the Company’s analysis, management has determined that the Company does not have any material uncertain tax positions.