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Income Taxes | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Taxes | Income Taxes Reconciliations of the statutory U.S. federal income tax rates to our effective tax rate for continuing operations follow:
Years ended December 31, |  | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Statutory rate |  | 21.0 | % |  | 21.0 | % |  | 21.0 | %
State tax, net of federal benefit |  | 3.1 |  |  | 2.9 |  |  | 3.9 |
Business tax credits |  | (0.8) |  |  | (2.2) |  |  | (3.5) |
Reverse federal impact of indemnification adjustments |  | 0.1 |  |  | 0.2 |  |  | 0.3 |
Unrecognized tax benefits, U.S. federal and state, net of federal benefit |  | 0.4 |  |  | 0.7 |  |  | (0.1) |
Other, net |  | 0.9 |  |  | 1.1 |  |  | 0.7 |
Effective tax rate |  | 24.7 | % |  | 23.7 | % |  | 22.3 | %
The effective tax rate varies from the statutory U.S. federal rate of 21 percent primarily due to the impact of state taxes, net of federal benefit, for the year ended December 31, 2021; and due to business tax credits and the impact of state taxes, net of federal benefit, for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Income tax expense consists of:
As of December 31, (dollars in thousands) |  | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Current provision (benefit): |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal |  | $ | 259,536 |  |  | $ | 172,153 |  |  | $ | 150,800 |
State |  | 64,843 |  |  | 28,387 |  |  | 24,378 |
Total current provision (benefit) |  | 324,379 |  |  | 200,540 |  |  | 175,178 |
Deferred provision (benefit): |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal |  | 47,240 |  |  | 58,003 |  |  | (8,240) |
State |  | 8,132 |  |  | 14,773 |  |  | (1,474) |
Total deferred provision (benefit) |  | 55,372 |  |  | 72,776 |  |  | (9,714) |
Provision for income tax expense |  | $ | 379,751 |  |  | $ | 273,316 |  |  | $ | 165,464 |
The tax effect of temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities is summarized below.
As of December 31, (dollars in thousands) |  | 2021 |  | 2020
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |
Loan reserves |  | $ | 300,538 |  |  | $ | 356,296 |
Stock-based compensation plans |  | 10,174 |  |  | 10,914 |
Deferred revenue |  | 1,318 |  |  | 1,441 |
Operating loss carryovers |  | 394 |  |  | 83 |
Accrued expenses not currently deductible |  | 14,307 |  |  | 13,139 |
Net unrealized losses |  | — |  |  | 9,047 |
Unrecorded tax benefits |  | 11,016 |  |  | 6,997 |
Other |  | 1,097 |  |  | 1,003 |
Total deferred tax assets |  | 338,844 |  |  | 398,920 |
Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |
Fixed assets |  | 10,131 |  |  | 11,098 |
Acquired intangible assets |  | 8,710 |  |  | 7,767 |
Market value adjustments on student loans, investments and derivatives |  | 33 |  |  | 5,651 |
Net unrealized gains |  | 6,459 |  |  | — |
Federal deferred for state receivable |  | 1,921 |  |  | 7,456 |
Student loan premiums and discounts, net |  | 12,396 |  |  | 11,336 |
Other |  | 363 |  |  | 307 |
Total deferred tax liabilities |  | 40,013 |  |  | 43,615 |
Net deferred tax assets |  | $ | 298,831 |  |  | $ | 355,305 |
Included in operating loss carryovers are state net operating losses of $286 million and $277 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company has recorded a valuation allowance against these net operating losses of $285 million and $277 million, respectively. Also included in operating loss carryovers is a capital loss of $16 million and $16 million as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against this capital loss. The valuation allowance is primarily attributable to deferred tax assets for state net operating losses and capital losses that management believes is more likely than not to expire prior to being realized. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income of the appropriate character (i.e., capital or ordinary) during the period in which the temporary differences become deductible. Management considers, among other things, the scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities and the history of positive taxable income in evaluating the realizability of the deferred tax assets. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize our deferred tax assets (other than state net operating loss and capital loss carryovers as outlined above). As of December 31, 2021, the state net operating loss carryforwards will begin to expire in 2029 and the capital losses in 2025. Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes The following table summarizes changes in unrecognized tax benefits:
As of December 31, (dollars in thousands) |  | 2021 |  | 2020 |  | 2019
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year |  | $ | 63,134 |  |  | $ | 53,509 |  |  | $ | 52,159 |
Increases resulting from tax positions taken during a prior period |  | 1,496 |  |  | 12,723 |  |  | 12,333 |
Decreases resulting from tax positions taken during a prior period |  | (1,481) |  |  | (817) |  |  | (851) |
Increases resulting from tax positions taken during the current period |  | 20,743 |  |  | 7,815 |  |  | 4,572 |
Decreases related to settlements with taxing authorities |  | (3,682) |  |  | (148) |  |  | (8,670) |
Increases related to settlements with taxing authorities |  | 96 |  |  | — |  |  | — |
Reductions related to the lapse of statute of limitations |  | (4,978) |  |  | (9,948) |  |  | (6,034) |
Unrecognized tax benefits at end of year |  | $ | 75,328 |  |  | $ | 63,134 |  |  | $ | 53,509 |
As of December 31, 2021, the gross unrecognized tax benefits are $75 million. Included in the $75 million are $65 million of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would favorably impact the effective tax rate. As a part of the Spin-Off, the Company recorded a liability related to uncertain tax positions for which it is indemnified by Navient. See Note 2, “Significant Accounting Policies — Income Taxes,” for additional details. Tax-related interest and penalty expense is reported as a component of income tax expense. As of December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the total amount of income tax-related accrued interest and penalties, net of related benefit, recognized in the consolidated balance sheets was $10 million, $11 million, and $12 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the total amount of income tax-related accrued interest, net of related tax benefit, recognized in the consolidated statements of income was $(1) million, $(1) million, and $(1) million, respectively. The Company or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns at the U.S. federal level and in most U.S. states. U.S. federal income tax returns filed for years 2014 and prior are no longer subject to examination. Various combinations of subsidiaries, tax years, and jurisdictions remain open for review, subject to statute of limitations periods (typically three to four prior years). The Company’s federal income tax returns for the years ended December 31, 2015, December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2017 are currently under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. We do not expect the resolution of open audits to have a material impact on our unrecognized tax benefits. It is reasonably possible that the uncertain tax position reserve may decrease by as much as $6 million during the next 12 months due to the expiration of statutes of limitations, some of which related to indemnified tax liabilities. The reduction in the uncertain tax position reserve would be reflected as a tax benefit. We recorded a tax indemnification receivable from Navient for the indemnified tax liabilities which are included in the uncertain tax position reserve. A portion of the tax benefit will be offset by an expense related to the write-down of the indemnification receivable.

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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 -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 21 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32857-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 11.C) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=122134291&loc=d3e330215-122817 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 17 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32809-109319 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I.5.Q1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=122134291&loc=d3e330036-122817 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 14 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121826272&loc=d3e32705-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 270 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6424409&loc=d3e44925-109338 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2144680 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6424122&loc=d3e41874-109331 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(h)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
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