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Note 16 - Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2020
Notes to Financial Statements  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

16.

Income Taxes

 

The total income tax expense for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2020 was $0.9 million and $2.7 million, respectively, and $0.5 million and $1.2 million, respectively, for the same periods of the prior year. For both the three and nine months ended July 31, 2020 and the three and nine months ended July 31, 2019, the total income tax expense was primarily related to state tax expense from income generated that was not offset by tax benefits in states where we fully reserve the tax benefit from net operating losses. In addition, the expense for the nine months ended July 31, 2020 was related to state tax expense from the impact of a cancellation of debt income recorded for tax purposes but not for GAAP purposes, creating a permanent difference.

 

Our federal net operating losses of $1.5 billion expire between 2028 and 2037, and $32.2 million have an indefinite carryforward period. Of our $2.5 billion of state NOLs, $211.4 million expire between 2020 through 2024; $1.2 billion expire between 2025 through 2029; $760.1 million expire between 2030 through 2034; $277.5 million expire between 2035 through 2039; and $74.9 million have an indefinite carryforward period.

 

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted and signed into U.S. law to provide economic relief to individuals and businesses facing economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial condition or results of operations as of and for the nine months ended July 31, 2020. The Company plans to defer the timing of estimated payments and payroll taxes as permitted by federal and state legislation, including under the CARES Act. We will continue to monitor additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service and various state agencies.

 

Deferred federal and state income tax assets (“DTAs”) primarily represent the deferred tax benefits arising from NOL carryforwards and temporary differences between book and tax income which will be recognized in future years as an offset against future taxable income. If the combination of future years’ income (or loss) and the reversal of the timing differences results in a loss, such losses can be carried forward to future years. In accordance with ASC 740, we evaluate our DTAs quarterly to determine if valuation allowances are required. ASC 740 requires that companies assess whether valuation allowances should be established based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more likely than not” standard.   

 

As of July 31, 2020, we considered all available positive and negative evidence to determine whether, based on the weight of that evidence, our valuation allowance for our DTAs was appropriate in accordance with ASC 740. Listed below, in order of the weighting of each factor, is the available positive and negative evidence that we considered in determining that it is more likely than not that all of our DTAs will not be realized. In analyzing these factors, overall the negative evidence, both objective and subjective, outweighed the positive evidence. Based on this analysis, we determined that the current valuation allowance for deferred taxes of $592.9 million as of July 31, 2020, which fully reserves for our DTAs, is appropriate.

 

 

1.

As of July 31, 2020, on a tax basis, the Company had pre-tax income when adjusted for permanent differences on a three-year cumulative basis. However, on a U.S. GAAP basis, the Company was still in a three-year cumulative pre-tax loss position as of July 31, 2020. Therefore, it is too early to conclude whether we will continue to not be in a three-year cumulative loss position going forward on a tax accounting basis. Per ASC 740, cumulative losses are one of the most objectively verifiable forms of negative evidence. (Negative Objective Evidence)
 

2.

In the third quarter of fiscal 2017, second and third quarters of fiscal 2018, fourth quarter of fiscal 2019, and first and second quarters of fiscal 2020, we completed debt refinancing/restructuring transactions which, by extending our debt maturities, will enable us to allocate cash to invest in new communities and grow our community count to get back to sustained profitability. (Positive Objective Evidence)
 

3.

Our net contracts per average active selling community increased in the third quarter of fiscal 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2019, which is the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year increases. (Positive Objective Evidence)
 

4.

We incurred pre-tax losses during the housing market decline and the slower than expected housing market recovery. (Negative Objective Evidence)
 

5.

We exited two geographic markets in fiscal 2016 and completed the wind down of operations in two other markets in fiscal 2018, that have historically had losses. By exiting these underperforming markets, the Company has been able to redeploy capital to better performing markets, which over time should improve our profitability. (Positive Subjective Evidence)
 

6.

The historical cyclicality of the U.S. housing market, a more restrictive mortgage lending environment compared to before the housing downturn of 2007-2009, the uncertainty of the overall US economy and government policies and consumer confidence, and impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic, all or any of which could continue to hamper a sustained, stronger recovery of the housing market. (Negative Subjective Evidence)