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Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income taxes receivable

December 31,		2011				2010
(Dollars in thousands)
	Federal income taxes receivable	$	73,525			$	39,656
	State income taxes receivable		1,266				1,741
		$	74,791			$	41,397

Income tax expense

Year Ended December 31,		2011				2010				2009
(Dollars in thousands)
Current
	Federal	$	(90,235	)		$	19,290			$	69,942
	State		1,049				(11,059	)			648
Deferred
	Federal		187,581				57,759				41,884
	State		15,683				15,968				5,376
		$	114,078			$	81,958			$	117,850

Income tax reconciliation

Year Ended December 31,		2011							2010							2009
		Amount				Rate			Amount				Rate			Amount				Rate
(Dollars in millions)
Statutory federal income tax expense and rate		$	109.5			35.0	%		$	84.4			35.0	%		$	122.2			35.0	%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit (1)			5.2			1.7				5.0			2.1				0.1			0.1
Effect of noncontrolling interests			(4.9	)		(1.6	)			(4.6	)		(1.9	)			(4.8	)		(1.4	)
Correction of deferred taxes (2)			5.4			1.7				—			—				—			—
Other differences, net			(1.1	)		(0.3	)			(2.8	)		(1.2	)			0.4			0.1
Effective income tax expense and rate		$	114.1			36.5	%		$	82.0			34.0	%		$	117.9			33.8	%

• Net state income taxes include changes in the valuation allowance. These changes primarily relate to the ability to utilize state net operating losses as a result of state income tax law changes.
• U.S. Cellular recorded an immaterial adjustment to correct deferred tax balances related to a difference in the tax basis of certain partnership investments for errors occurring prior to 2009.

Temporary income tax differences

December 31,		2011				2010
(Dollars in thousands)
Noncurrent deferred tax assets
	Net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards	$	48,565			$	33,724
	Stock-based compensation		19,079				17,204
	Other		36,195				38,998
			103,839				89,926
	Less valuation allowance		(29,262	)			(28,252	)
	Total noncurrent deferred tax assets		74,577				61,674
Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities
	Property, plant and equipment		482,433				323,334
	Licenses/intangibles		267,344				246,599
	Partnership investments		120,941				71,566
	Other		3,049				3,619
	Total noncurrent deferred tax liabilities		873,767				645,118
Net noncurrent deferred income tax liability		$	799,190			$	583,444

Income tax unrecognized benefits summary

		2011				2010				2009
(Dollars in thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at January 1,		$	32,547			$	34,442			$	27,786
	Additions for tax positions of current year		4,487				5,119				4,966
	Additions for tax positions of prior years		332				550				3,114
	Reductions for tax positions of prior years		(1,104	)			(1,560	)			(1,399	)
	Reductions for settlements of tax positions		(244	)			(5,938	)			—
	Reductions for lapses in statutes of limitations		(7,273	)			(66	)			(25	)
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at December 31,		$	28,745			$	32,547			$	34,442

Deferred tax valuation allowance

		2011 (1)				2010				2009
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance at January 1		$	29,891			$	19,234			$	23,565
Charged to costs and expenses			(1,450	)			(832	)			(10,348	)
Charged to other accounts			1,820				11,489				6,017
Balance at December 31,		$	30,261			$	29,891			$	19,234

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