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Income Taxes | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] |
Income Taxes | Note 4 – Income Taxes The provision for income taxes consists of the following:
|  | For the Years Ended December 31,
|  | 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
|  | (in thousands)
Current portion of income tax expense |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
State |  | 868 |  |  | 2,121 |  |  | 370 |
Deferred portion of income tax expense (benefit) |  | 397,780 |  |  | 105,555 |  |  | (29,638 | )
Total income tax expense (benefit) |  | $ | 398,648 |  |  | $ | 107,676 |  |  | $ | (29,268 | )
Effective tax rate |  | 37.4 | % |  | 38.6 | % |  | 35.0 | %
The Company reduces its income tax payable to reflect employee stock option exercises. There was no excess income tax benefit associated with stock awards in 2014, 2013, or 2012. The components of the net deferred income tax liabilities are as follows:
|  | As of December 31,
|  | 2014 |  | 2013
|  | (in thousands)
Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |
Oil and gas properties |  | $ | 1,029,424 |  |  | $ | 768,463 |
Derivative asset |  | 220,437 |  |  | 9,529 |
Other |  | 4,475 |  |  | 1,245 |
Total deferred tax liabilities |  | 1,254,336 |  |  | 779,237 |
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal and state tax net operating loss carryovers |  | 184,447 |  |  | 91,788 |
Stock compensation |  | 16,763 |  |  | 18,820 |
Other long-term liabilities |  | 16,301 |  |  | 13,341 |
Net Profits Plan liability |  | 9,414 |  |  | 20,913 |
Total deferred tax assets |  | 226,925 |  |  | 144,862 |
Valuation allowance |  | (7,246 | ) |  | (5,001 | )
Net deferred tax assets |  | 219,679 |  |  | 139,861 |
Total net deferred tax liabilities |  | 1,034,657 |  |  | 639,376 |
Less: current deferred income tax liabilities |  | (152,082 | ) |  | (172 | )
Add: current deferred income tax assets |  | 9,106 |  |  | 10,921 |
Non-current net deferred tax liabilities |  | $ | 891,681 |  |  | $ | 650,125 |
Current federal income tax refundable |  | $ | 4,734 |  |  | $ | 4,630 |
Current state income tax refundable |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | — |
Current state income tax payable |  | $ | 25 |  |  | $ | 1,460 |
At December 31, 2014, the Company estimated its federal net operating loss carryforward at $626.2 million, which includes unrecognized excess income tax benefits associated with stock awards of $126.7 million. The federal net operating loss carryforward begins to expire in 2031. The Company has estimated state net operating loss carryforwards of $284.8 million that expire between 2015 and 2035 and it has federal R&D credit carryforwards of $3.5 million that expire between 2028 and 2032. The Company’s valuation allowance relates to charitable contribution carryforwards, state net operating loss carryforwards, and state tax credits, which the Company anticipates will expire before they can be utilized. The change in the valuation allowance from 2013 to 2014 primarily reflects a change in the Company’s position regarding anticipated utilization of cumulative state net operating losses. Federal income tax expense differs from the amount that would be provided by applying the statutory United States federal income tax rate to income before income taxes primarily due to the effect of state income taxes, changes in valuation allowances, percentage depletion, R&D credits, and other permanent differences, as follows:
| For the Years Ended December 31,
| 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
| (in thousands)
Federal statutory tax expense (benefit) | $ | 372,644 |  |  | $ | 97,514 |  |  | $ | (29,231 | )
Increase (decrease) in tax resulting from: |  |  |  |  |
State tax expense (benefit) (net of federal benefit) | 21,350 |  |  | 9,400 |  |  | (992 | )
Research and development credit | — |  |  | — |  |  | (970 | )
Change in valuation allowance | 2,245 |  |  | (314 | ) |  | 1,524 |
Other | 2,409 |  |  | 1,076 |  |  | 401 |
Income tax expense (benefit) | $ | 398,648 |  |  | $ | 107,676 |  |  | $ | (29,268 | )
Acquisitions, divestitures, drilling activity, and basis differentials impacting the prices received for oil, gas, and NGLs affect apportionment of taxable income to the states where the Company owns oil and gas properties. As its apportionment factors change, the Company’s blended state income tax rate changes. This change, when applied to the Company’s total temporary differences, impacts the total state income tax expense (benefit) reported in the current year. Items affecting state apportionment factors are evaluated at the beginning of each year, after completion of the prior year income tax return, and when significant acquisition, divestiture or changes in drilling activity or estimated state revenue occurs during the year. The Company and its subsidiaries file federal income tax returns and various state income tax returns. With certain exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to United States federal or state income tax examinations by these tax authorities for years before 2007. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) initiated an audit in the first quarter of 2012 related to an R&D tax credit claimed by the Company for the 2007 through 2010 tax years. On April 23, 2013, the IRS issued a Notice of Proposed Adjustment disallowing $4.6 million of an R&D tax credit claimed for open tax years during the audit period. During the third quarter ended September 30, 2014, the Company successfully reached an agreement with the IRS Appeals Office (“Appeals”) related to the claimed R&D credit and recorded an immaterial adjustment. In the fourth quarter of 2014, Appeals returned the case to the Examination Team for final review. At December 31, 2014, the Company was waiting on final review and evaluating the basis for claiming the R&D credit for the 2012 and 2013 tax years. Subsequent to year-end, the Company concluded its evaluation, and preliminary estimates indicate it may be entitled to claim approximately $2.4 million of additional net R&D credit. The Company anticipates finalizing the amounts and filing amended returns in the first quarter of 2015. The tables above do not include the impact of the estimated amount. On September 13, 2013, the United States Department of the Treasury and IRS issued final and re-proposed tangible property regulations effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2014. The Company has determined it is materially compliant with the requirements of these regulations as of December 31, 2014. The Company complies with authoritative accounting guidance regarding uncertain tax provisions. The entire amount of unrecognized tax benefit reported by the Company would affect its effective tax rate if recognized. Interest expense in the accompanying statements of operations includes a negligible amount associated with income taxes. At December 31, 2014, the Company estimates the range of reasonably possible change in 2015 to the table below could be from zero to $1.2 million. The total amount recorded for unrecognized tax benefits is presented below:
| For the Years Ended December 31,
| 2014 |  | 2013 |  | 2012
| (in thousands)
Beginning balance | $ | 2,358 |  |  | $ | 2,278 |  |  | $ | 1,961 |
Additions for tax positions of prior years | 140 |  |  | 80 |  |  | 317 |
Settlements | (916 | ) |  | — |  |  | — |
Ending balance | $ | 1,582 |  |  | $ | 2,358 |  |  | $ | 2,278 |

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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/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 + Details
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