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Note 8 - Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Notes to Financial Statements  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 8.    INCOME TAXES

Deferred Income Tax Assets and Liabilities

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are provided to record the effects of temporary differences between the tax basis of an asset or liability and its amount as reported in our consolidated balance sheets. These temporary differences result in taxable or deductible amounts in future years.

 

The components comprising our deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

  

December 31,

 

(In thousands)

 

2024

  

2023

 

Deferred income tax assets

        

State net operating loss carryforwards

 $41,206  $47,020 

Operating lease liability

  158,301   170,351 

Share-based compensation

  17,317   14,301 

Other

  29,770   28,362 

Gross deferred income tax assets

  246,594   260,034 

Valuation allowance

  (13,296)  (10,175)

Deferred income tax assets, net of valuation allowance

  233,298   249,859 
         

Deferred income tax liabilities

        

Difference between book and tax basis of property and intangible assets

  382,854   334,772 

State tax liability

  32,084   25,066 

Right-of-use asset

  154,480   166,600 

Other

  10,796   12,247 

Gross deferred income tax liabilities

  580,214   538,685 

Deferred income tax liabilities, net

 $346,916  $288,826 

 

At December 31, 2024, we have state income tax net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $788.0 million, which may be used to reduce future state income taxes. The majority of the state net operating loss carryforwards will expire in various years ranging from 2025 to 2043, if not fully utilized, and the remaining may be used indefinitely.
 
Valuation Allowance on Deferred Tax Assets
Management assesses available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. In evaluating our ability to recover deferred tax assets, we consider whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies and results of recent operations.
 
We have maintained a valuation allowance against certain federal and state deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2024 due to uncertainties related to our ability to realize the tax benefits associated with these assets. The balance of this valuation allowance was $13.3 million as of  December 31, 2024. This is an increase of  $3.1 million from the prior year due to changes in state tax rates in certain states. In assessing the need to establish a valuation allowance, we consider, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative losses, forecasts of profitability and taxable income, the duration of statutory carryforward periods, our experience with the utilization of operating loss and tax credit carryforwards before expiration and tax planning strategies. Valuation allowances are evaluated periodically and subject to change in future reporting periods as a result of changes in the factors noted above.

 

Provision for Income Taxes

A summary of the provision for income taxes is as follows:

 

  

Year Ended December 31,

 

(In thousands)

 

2024

  

2023

  

2022

 

Current

            

Federal

 $110,433  $148,726  $129,424 

State

  7,456   14,937   10,843 

Total current taxes provision

  117,889   163,663   140,267 

Deferred

            

Federal

  42,175   18,930   44,115 

State

  13,987   (49,709)  5,047 

Total deferred taxes provision

  56,162   (30,779)  49,162 

Provision for income taxes

 $174,051  $132,884  $189,429 

 

The following table provides a reconciliation between the federal statutory rate and the effective income tax rate, expressed as a percentage of income before income taxes:

 

  

Year Ended December 31,

 
  

2024

  

2023

  

2022

 

Tax at federal statutory rate

  21.0%  21.0%  21.0%

State income taxes, net of federal benefit

  2.3%  (3.7)%  1.5%

Compensation-based credits

  (0.3)%  (0.3)%  (0.3)%

Nondeductible expenses

  0.2%  0.2%  0.2%

Tax exempt interest

  —%  —%  —%

Company provided benefits

  0.1%  0.4%  0.4%

Other, net

  (0.2)%  —%  0.1%

Effective tax rate

  23.1%  17.6%  22.9%

 

Our tax provision for the year ended December 31, 2024 was unfavorably impacted by state taxes and certain nondeductible expenses, including nondeductible compensation and employee benefit expenses, which were partially offset by tax credits, foreign taxes, and the inclusion of excess tax benefits related to equity compensation as a component of the provision for income taxes.

 

Our tax provision for the year ended  December 31, 2023 was favorably impacted by the release of state valuation allowances, tax credits, foreign taxes and inclusion of excess tax benefits related to equity compensation, as a component of the provision for income taxes and partially offset by state taxes and certain nondeductible expenses, including nondeductible compensation and employee benefit expenses. 

 

Our tax provision for the year ended  December 31, 2022 was unfavorably impacted by state taxes and certain nondeductible expenses, including nondeductible compensation and employee benefit expenses, which were partially offset by tax credits and the inclusion of excess tax benefits related to equity compensation as a component of the provision for income taxes.

 

Status of Examinations
We generated net operating losses on our federal income tax returns for years 2011 through 2013 and in 2020. These returns remain subject to federal examination until the statute of limitations expires for the year in which the net operating losses are utilized. We utilized all our federal net operating losses in 2021.
 
As it relates to our material state tax returns, we are subject to examination for tax years ended on or after December 31, 2015. The statute of limitations will expire over the per iod October 2025 through November 2028.
 
The IRS has selected our federal corporate income tax return for the tax year ended December 31, 2021, for examination. The IRS examination began in the second quarter of 2024 and is still ongoing. As of  December 31, 2024, and for the year then ended, there were no changes to our unrecognized tax benefits to date.
 
We believe that we have adequately reserved for any tax liability; however, the ultimate resolution of these examinations may result in an outcome that is different than our current expectation. We do not believe the ultimate resolution of these examinations will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
 
Other Long-Term Tax Liabilities
The impact of an uncertain income tax position taken in our income tax return is recognized at the largest amount that is more-likely-than- not to be sustained upon audit by the relevant taxing authority. An uncertain income tax position is not recognized if it has less than a 50% likelihood of being sustained. If applicable, our liability for uncertain tax positions is recorded as other long-term tax liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2024  and   2023 and during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and  2022, the Company had no uncertain tax positions. We do not anticipate any material changes to our unrecognized tax benefits over the next twelve-month period.