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Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES
Significant components of the income tax provision are as follows for the periods presented (in thousands):
For the Years Ended December 31,
202020192018
Current:
Federal$1,988 $12,328 $31,981 
State and local349 2,703 7,581 
Total current expense2,337 15,031 39,562 
Deferred:
Federal2,403 1,622 (3,487)
State and local386 350 (253)
Total deferred expense (benefit)2,789 1,972 (3,740)
Income tax expense$5,126 $17,003 $35,822 
The following table reconciles the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective income tax rate for the periods presented:
For the Years Ended December 31,
202020192018
Federal statutory tax rate21.0 %21.0 %21.0 %
Increases (decreases) resulting from:
State income tax, net of federal tax benefit3.1 %3.7 %3.8 %
Effect of change in tax rate0.5 %0.3 %— 
Disallowed meals & expenses0.4 %0.7 %0.3 %
Disallowed compensation6.2 %3.2 %1.3 %
Liability adjustment(9.7)%— — 
Excess tax (benefit) shortfall 0.4 %(1.0)%(3.5)%
Other, net(0.7)%(1.1)%0.5 %
Effective income tax rate21.2 %26.8 %23.4 %
The Company recognized excess income tax shortfall of $0.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2020 and excess income tax benefit of $0.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2019 from stock-based compensation awards that vested and/or were exercised. Excess income tax benefits (shortfalls) are reflected in the consolidated statements of income as a component of the provision for income taxes.
Changes in federal tax law have affected the Company’s balances of deferred income tax assets and liabilities. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“Tax Act”) was signed into law. The Tax Act amended the definition of annual rate and the computational rules for loss payment patterns. The Tax Act also provided transitional rules for the application of the amendments in the first taxable year beginning after December 31, 2017. Under the transitional rules, the Company is required to revalue discounted loss reserves under the new computational rules of the Tax Act and include in income that adjustment over an eight-year period in gross income of the Company. The effect of this change in tax law resulted in an immaterial adjustment to income tax in 2018 through 2020.
The Company accounts for income taxes using a balance sheet approach. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the significant components of the Company’s deferred income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):
As of December 31,
20202019
Deferred income tax assets:
Unearned premiums$27,496 $23,925 
Advanced premiums2,325 1,493 
Unpaid losses and LAE2,375 1,660 
Share-based compensation4,065 3,837 
Accrued wages180 189 
Allowance for uncollectible receivables203 212 
Additional tax basis of securities— 33 
Capital loss carryforwards— 3,143 
Total deferred income tax assets36,644 34,492 
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Deferred policy acquisition costs, net(26,442)(22,613)
Fixed assets(2,313)(959)
Unrealized gain/loss(51)(1,480)
Other comprehensive income(1,052)(5,197)
Unpaid loss and LAE transition adjustment(436)(563)
Other(66)(329)
Total deferred income tax liabilities(30,360)(31,141)
Net deferred income tax asset$6,284 $3,351 
At each balance sheet date, management assesses the need to establish a valuation allowance that reduces deferred income tax assets when it is more likely than not that all, or some portion, of the deferred income tax assets will not be realized. A valuation allowance would be based on all available information including the Company’s assessment of uncertain tax positions and projections of future taxable income and capital gain from each tax-paying component in each jurisdiction, principally derived from business plans and available tax planning strategies.
Management has reviewed all available evidence, both positive and negative, in determining the need for a valuation allowance with respect to the gross deferred tax assets. In determining the manner in which available evidence should be weighted, management has determined that the need for a valuation allowance is not warranted at this time.
The Company has adopted Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (“ASC 740”) which clarifies the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in an enterprise’s financial statements. ASC 740 provides a threshold for the financial statement recognition and measurement of an income tax position taken or expected to be taken in an income tax return. The Company’s policy is to classify interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions, if any, in its provision for income taxes. As of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, the Company determined that no uncertain tax liabilities are required.
The Company filed a consolidated federal income tax return for the tax years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 and intends to file the same for the tax year ended December 31, 2020. The tax allocation agreement between the Company and the Insurance Entities provides that they will incur income taxes based on a computation of taxes as if they were stand-alone taxpayers. The computations are made utilizing the financial statements of the Insurance Entities prepared on a statutory basis of accounting and prior to consolidating entries which include the conversion of certain balances and transactions of the statutory financial statements to a U.S. GAAP basis.
The Company files its income tax returns as prescribed by the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates. During the 2018 tax year, the Company’s 2015 tax return was subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and the audit subsequently concluded during 2018 with no change to the income tax return. The Company’s 2017 through 2019 tax years are still subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and various tax years remain open to examination in certain state jurisdictions.