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Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
(Loss) income before income taxes was derived from the following sources:
Year Ended December 31,
 202420232022
 (Dollars in thousands)
U.S.$(79,339)$(111,821)$55,107 
Foreign(73,929)(161,943)397,211 
(Loss) income before income taxes$(153,268)$(273,764)$452,318 
 
Income tax (benefit) expense consisted of the following:
 Year Ended December 31,
 202420232022
 (Dollars in thousands)
U.S. income taxes:
Current$153 $(129)$3,590 
Deferred(17,930)(12,643)13,302 
(17,777)(12,772)16,892 
Foreign income taxes:
Current5,378 9,738 48,744 
Deferred(9,704)(15,480)3,720 
(4,326)(5,742)52,464 
Income tax (benefit) expense$(22,103)$(18,514)$69,356 
A reconciliation of income taxes at the U.S. statutory rate to income tax (benefit) expense follows:
Year Ended December 31,
 202420232022
 (Dollars in thousands)
Tax at statutory U.S. federal rate$(32,190)$(57,490)$94,987 
Impact of U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 - GILTI195 1,041 38,153 
Impact of Tax Receivable Agreement(26)91 (39)
Valuation allowance10,396 (282)(1,259)
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit(10,054)818 2,182 
U.S. tax impact of foreign earnings (net of foreign tax credits)587 311 348 
Establishment/resolution of uncertain tax positions— (36)(40)
Adjustment for foreign income taxed at different rates11,476 16,666 (25,656)
Foreign tax credits— (2,534)(34,264)
Change-in-Control-related compensation— — (1,432)
Impact of non-deductible goodwill impairment— 24,570 — 
Other(2,487)(1,669)(3,624)
Income tax (benefit) expense$(22,103)$(18,514)$69,356 
    
The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant components of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities at December 31, 2024 and 2023 are set forth in the following table:
 December 31,
 20242023
 (Dollars in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
Post-employment and other employee benefits$15,240 $18,088 
Foreign tax credit and other carryforwards81,682 40,172 
Capitalized research and experimental costs212 212 
Environmental reserves— 1,058 
Inventory adjustments4,936 7,710 
Long-term contract option amortization845 881 
Other4,406 1,198 
Total gross deferred tax assets107,321 69,319 
Less: valuation allowance(19,308)(8,956)
Total deferred tax assets88,013 60,363 
Deferred tax liabilities:
Fixed assets$50,247 $51,474 
Goodwill and acquired intangibles6,676 6,418 
Mark-to-market hedges— 1,403 
Other1,922 2,732 
Total deferred tax liabilities58,845 62,027 
Net deferred tax asset (liability)$29,168 $(1,664)

At each reporting period, the Company assesses the need for valuation allowances against deferred tax assets and whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax benefits will be realized in each jurisdiction. Consideration is given to all available evidence, both positive and negative, in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. Examples of positive evidence include a strong earnings history, an event or events that would increase the Company's taxable income or reduce expenses, or tax planning strategies that would create the ability to realize deferred tax assets. Examples of negative evidence include cumulative losses in recent years or a history of tax attributes expiring unused. In circumstances where the negative evidence outweighs the positive evidence, the Company has established or maintained valuation allowances on the jurisdiction’s net deferred tax assets. However, the recognition of the valuation allowance does not limit the Company's ability to utilize these tax assets on a tax return in the future should taxable income be realized in sufficient amount to realize the assets.

As of December 31, 2024, we had a valuation allowance of $19.3 million against certain deferred tax assets. Our losses in certain tax jurisdictions in recent periods represented sufficient negative evidence to require a full valuation allowance. However, our U.S. losses in recent periods and the potential for U.S. losses in 2025 may lead to a cumulative U.S. loss and may represent sufficient negative evidence to require a full valuation allowance on U.S. DTAs, which would materially increase our expenses in the period the allowance is recognized and materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. If cumulative losses are incurred, we will evaluate additional evidence such as our projections for growth and market recovery to determine if a valuation allowance is required. We also have a partial valuation allowance related to certain U.S. state net operating and capital losses where realizability is unlikely due to discontinued operations or the ability of our U.S. subsidiaries to generate capital gains. Until we determine that we will generate sufficient jurisdictional taxable income to realize our net operating losses and deferred tax assets, we continue to maintain a valuation allowance.
Valuation allowance activity for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2021$10,550 
Credited to income(1,259)
Translation adjustment(22)
Balance as of December 31, 2022
$9,269 
Credited to income(268)
Translation adjustment (45)
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$8,956 
Charged to income10,396 
Translation adjustment(44)
Balance as of December 31, 2024
$19,308 

The increase in the valuation allowance in 2024 was primarily attributable to generating additional state net operating and capital losses during the year that we may not be able to utilize. The reduction in the valuation allowance in 2023 resulted primarily from changes in expected future utilization, state law changes and expiration of U.S. state NOL carryforwards during the year.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had a total foreign tax credit carryforward of $4.5 million. These tax credit carryforwards begin to expire in 2027. In addition, the Company had state net operating and capital loss carryforwards of $335.2 million (net of federal benefit), which can be carried forward from five to 20 years. These state carryforwards resulted in a deferred tax asset of $21.6 million as of December 31, 2024. The Company also has U.S. state tax credits of $0.2 million as of December 31, 2024. The Company's U.S. interest limitations and foreign loss carryforwards on a gross basis were $126.9 million and $127.6 million, respectively, as of December 31, 2024. These carryforwards do not expire.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. No material amounts of accrued interest or penalties have been recorded as of December 31, 2024 or 2023. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2022
$36 
Lapse of statute of limitations(36)
   Foreign currency impact— 
Balance as of December 31, 2023
$— 
   Lapse of statute of limitations— 
   Foreign currency impact— 
Balance as of December 31, 2024
$— 
    We do not expect there will be new unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months.
    The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and various state and foreign jurisdictions. All U.S. federal tax years prior to 2021 are generally closed by statute or have been audited and settled with the applicable domestic tax authorities. Other jurisdictions are generally closed for years prior to 2019.
    As of December 31, 2024, the Company has accumulated undistributed earnings generated by its foreign subsidiaries of approximately $1.0 billion. Because $1.0 billion of such earnings have previously been subject to taxation by way of the transition tax on foreign earnings required by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, as well as the current and previous years’ GILTI inclusion, any additional taxes due with respect to such earnings or the excess of the amount for financial reporting over the tax basis of GrafTech's foreign investments would generally be limited to foreign withholding and state taxes. The Company intends, however, to indefinitely reinvest these earnings and expect future U.S. cash generation to be sufficient to meet future U.S. cash needs.