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Note 7 - Income and Mining Taxes | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2023
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income and Mining Taxes | Note 7: Income and Mining Taxes Major components of our income and mining tax benefit (provision) for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):
|  | 2023 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Current: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Domestic |  | $ | (3,846 | ) |  | $ | (3,915 | ) |  | $ | (7,073 | )
Foreign |  |  | (3,322 | ) |  |  | (5,119 | ) |  |  | (6,316 | )
Total current income and mining tax provision |  |  | (7,168 | ) |  |  | (9,034 | ) |  |  | (13,389 | )
Deferred: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Domestic |  |  | (17,058 | ) |  |  | 2,064 |  |  |  | 43,708 |
Foreign |  |  | 23,004 |  |  |  | 14,536 |  |  |  | (750 | )
Total deferred income and mining tax benefit |  |  | 5,946 |  |  |  | 16,600 |  |  |  | 42,958 |
Total income and mining tax (provision) benefit |  | $ | (1,222 | ) |  | $ | 7,566 |  |  | $ | 29,569 |
Domestic and foreign components of income (loss) before income and mining taxes for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 are as follows (in thousands):
|  | 2023 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Domestic |  | $ | 43,745 |  |  | $ | (6,343 | ) |  | $ | 38,003 |
Foreign |  |  | (126,740 | ) |  |  | (38,571 | ) |  |  | (32,477 | )
Total |  | $ | (82,995 | ) |  | $ | (44,914 | ) |  | $ | 5,526 |
The annual tax benefit (provision) is different from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory federal income tax rate to our pretax income (loss). The reasons for the difference are (in thousands):
|  | 2023 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Computed “statutory” benefit (provision) |  | $ | 17,429 |  |  |  | 21 | % |  | $ | 9,432 |  |  |  | 21 | % |  | $ | (1,161 | ) |  |  | 21 | %
Percentage depletion |  |  | 4,205 |  |  |  | 5 |  |  |  | 8,542 |  |  |  | 19 |  |  |  | 8,076 |  |  |  | (146 | )
Change in valuation allowance |  |  | (20,016 | ) |  |  | (24 | ) |  |  | (8,113 | ) |  |  | (18 | ) |  |  | 38,058 |  |  |  | (689 | )
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit |  |  | (2,731 | ) |  |  | (3 | ) |  |  | (158 | ) |  |  | — |  |  |  | 965 |  |  |  | (17 | )
Foreign currency remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities |  |  | (4,155 | ) |  |  | (5 | ) |  |  | 4,559 |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  | (3,625 | ) |  |  | 66 |
Rate differential on foreign earnings |  |  | 6,553 |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 1,515 |  |  |  | 3 |  |  |  | 2,445 |  |  |  | (44 | )
Compensation |  |  | (1,636 | ) |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | 173 |  |  |  | 0 |  |  |  | 1,094 |  |  |  | (20 | )
Mining and other taxes |  |  | (1,359 | ) |  |  | (2 | ) |  |  | (6,609 | ) |  |  | (15 | ) |  |  | (13,799 | ) |  |  | 250 |
Other |  |  | 488 |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  | (1,775 | ) |  |  | (3 | ) |  |  | (2,484 | ) |  |  | 45 |
Total (provision) benefit |  | $ | (1,222 | ) |  |  | (1 | )% |  | $ | 7,566 |  |  |  | 17 | % |  | $ | 29,569 |  |  |  | (535 | )%
At December 31, 2023 and 2022, the net deferred tax liability was $102.0 million and $104.7 million, respectively. The individual components of our net deferred tax assets and liabilities are reflected in the table below (in thousands).
|  | December 31, |
|  | 2023 |  |  | 2022 |
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued reclamation costs |  | $ | 33,451 |  |  | $ | 33,007 |
Deferred exploration |  |  | 22,341 |  |  |  | 22,584 |
Foreign net operating losses |  |  | 52,091 |  |  |  | 71,391 |
Domestic net operating losses |  |  | 214,137 |  |  |  | 211,381 |
Foreign exchange loss |  |  | 22,247 |  |  |  | 24,235 |
Foreign tax credit carryforward |  |  | 2,026 |  |  |  | 2,493 |
Miscellaneous |  |  | 35,060 |  |  |  | 39,628 |
Total deferred tax assets |  |  | 381,353 |  |  |  | 404,719 |
Valuation allowance |  |  | (100,910 | ) |  |  | (72,856 | )
Total deferred tax assets |  |  | 280,443 |  |  |  | 331,863 |
Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Miscellaneous |  |  | (12,950 | ) |  |  | (9,020 | )
Properties, plants and equipment |  |  | (369,445 | ) |  |  | (427,584 | )
Total deferred tax liabilities |  |  | (382,395 | ) |  |  | (436,604 | )
Net deferred tax liability |  | $ | (101,952 | ) |  | $ | (104,741 | )
We evaluated the positive and negative evidence available to determine the amount of valuation allowance required on our deferred tax assets. At December 31, 2023, the balance of our valuation allowances was $100.9 million compared to $72.9 million at December 31, 2022. We retained a balance of valuation allowance on Hecla US operations at December 31, 2023 of $4.3 million for state loss carryforwards and foreign tax credits. In the Nevada U.S. Group, the scheduling of reversing deferred tax assets and liabilities determined that existing tax loss carryforwards subject to the limitation of eighty percent reduction of taxable income may be limited in the future. A valuation allowance is recorded for $35.1 million. Due to cessation of operations in Mexico at the end of 2020, we are uncertain when a source of taxable income will be available in that jurisdiction. Therefore, a valuation allowance of $13.2 million was retained on deferred tax assets in Mexico. As of December 31, 2023, a $48.3 million valuation allowance is recorded for Canadian jurisdictions, primarily related to the Alexco acquisition in 2022. The changes in the valuation allowance for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, are as follows (in thousands):
|  | 2023 |  |  | 2022 |  |  | 2021 |
Balance at beginning of year |  | $ | (72,856 | ) |  | $ | (39,152 | ) |  | $ | (77,210 | )
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets acquired with the ATAC (2023) and Alexco (2022) acquisitions |  |  | (8,077 | ) |  |  | (25,591 | ) |  |  | — |
Increase related to non-recognition of deferred tax assets due to uncertainty of recovery and increase related to non-utilization of net operating loss carryforwards |  |  | (21,114 | ) |  |  | (13,256 | ) |  |  | (20,304 | )
Decrease related to either or a combination of (i) utilization, (ii) release due to future benefit, and (iii) expiration of deferred tax assets as applicable |  |  | 1,137 |  |  |  | 5,143 |  |  |  | 58,362 |
Balance at end of year |  | $ | (100,910 | ) |  | $ | (72,856 | ) |  | $ | (39,152 | )
As of December 31, 2023, for U.S. income tax purposes, we have federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $893.6 million and $418.0 million, respectively. U.S. net operating loss carryforwards for periods arising before January 1, 2018 have a 20-year expiration period, the earliest of which could expire in 2028. U.S. net operating loss carryforwards of $408.2 million arising in 2018 and future periods have an indefinite carryforward period. We have foreign and provincial net operating loss carryforwards of $188.5 million each, which expire between 2031 and 2043. Our utilization of U.S. net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to annual limitations if there is a change in control as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 382. As of December 31, 2023, no change in control has occurred in the Hecla U.S. group. Net operating losses acquired with the Nevada U.S. Group are subject to limitation under Internal Revenue Code Section 382. However, the annual limitation is not expected to have a material impact on our ability to utilize the losses. We have Internal Revenue Code Section 163(j) interest expense limitation carryforwards of $3.4 million in Hecla US as of December 31, 2023. The carryforward results in a future tax benefit of $0.7 million and has an indefinite carryforward period. In the Nevada U.S. Group we have 163(j) interest expense limitation carryforwards of $20.6 million as of December 31, 2023. The carryforward results in a future tax benefit of $4.3 million and has an indefinite carryforward period. As of December 31, 2023, we have foreign tax credit carryforwards of $2.0 million. The carryforward period for foreign tax credits is 10 years. Our foreign tax credits will expire between 2024 and 2026. We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and various state and foreign jurisdictions. We are no longer subject to income tax examinations by U.S. federal and state tax authorities for years prior to 2008, or examinations by foreign tax authorities for years prior to 2017. We are currently under examination in certain local Canadian tax jurisdictions. However, we do not anticipate any material adjustments. We had no unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2023 or 2022. Due to the net operating loss carryover provision, coupled with the lack of any unrecognized tax benefits, we have not provided for any interest or penalties associated with any unrecognized tax benefits. If interest and penalties were to be assessed, our policy is to charge interest to interest expense, and penalties to other operating expense. It is not anticipated that there will be any significant changes to unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months.

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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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