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Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES:
The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 were 29.2% and 26.8%, respectively. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 were 24.5% and 28.0%, respectively. The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the impact of federal tax credits, equity compensation, and state taxes. The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to the impact of noncontrolling interest (See Note 13 - Acquisitions and Dispositions for more information), equity compensation, and state taxes.

On March 27, 2020, the United States enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "Act") which, among other things, removed the 80% taxable income limitation for utilization of net operating losses generated in tax years 2018 through 2020, allowing for five-year net operating loss carrybacks, increased the adjusted taxable income limitation for the disallowance of interest expense from 30% to 50%, and provided for refunds of any remaining alternative minimum tax (AMT) credits. As a result of the Act, in the first quarter of 2020 the Company recorded AMT refunds of $102,482 in Recoverable Income Taxes in the Consolidated Balance Sheets for the AMT refund received in 2020. The impact of other tax implications of the Act on the financial statements and related disclosures are immaterial.

The total amount of uncertain tax positions at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020 was $67,806 and $31,891, respectively. The increase of $35,915 was the result of $38,736 additional tax credits claimed on the 2020 federal income tax return filed in October 2021, for which a reserve was recorded for a portion of the federal tax credits claimed on the return, offset in part by a decrease relating to the statutory expiration of a prior federal tax position of $2,821. If these uncertain tax positions were recognized, approximately $67,806 would affect CNX's effective tax rate at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020.

CNX recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in interest expense and income tax expense, respectively. As of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, CNX had no accrued liabilities for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions.
CNX and its subsidiaries file federal income tax returns with the United States and tax returns within various states. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to United States federal, state, local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before 2017. The Internal Revenue Service and the Joint Committee on Taxation concluded its review of tax years 2016 through 2017 during the third quarter of 2020.
West Virginia enacted legislation in April 2021 that, among other things, instituted a single sales factor apportionment formula effective July 1, 2022. The Company revised the deferred tax state apportionment rates for several states to reflect the recent legislative change resulting in a net increase of $11,455 in deferred tax expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. The net increase in deferred tax expense is comprised of an increase of $16,507 in deferred taxes relating to state apportionment rate changes and a $5,052 decrease in the valuation allowance against various state net operating losses.