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Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Income Taxes  
Income Taxes

5. Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740, "Income Taxes" ("ASC 740") on a tax jurisdictional basis. The Company and its U.S. subsidiaries file U.S. tax returns and the Company’s foreign subsidiaries file tax returns in Mexico and in Canada. For financial reporting purposes, net income before income taxes includes the following components:

Years Ended December 31, 

2022

2021

(in thousands)

U.S. Operations

$

(18,317)

$

(6,369)

Foreign Operations (1)

20,555

24,012

Total income before income taxes

$

2,238

$

17,643

(1)Foreign operations are predominantly in Mexico, as activities in Canada are minimal.

The Company's income tax expense consists of the following:

Years ended December 31, 

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Current taxes:

State

$

(254)

$

305

Foreign

12,358

11,426

Total current taxes

$

12,104

$

11,731

Deferred taxes:

Federal

$

(895)

$

-

State

25

-

Foreign

(2,675)

(2,116)

Total deferred taxes

$

(3,545)

$

(2,116)

Total income tax provision

$

8,559

$

9,615

The provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, differs from the amount of income tax determined by applying the applicable United States statutory federal income tax rate to pre-tax income from operations as a result of the following differences:

For the year ended December 31, 

2022

2021

(in thousands)

Tax at statutory rates

$

470

$

3,705

Foreign rate differential

1,867

2,095

Changes in valuation allowance

(5,115)

(975)

Tax losses subject to limitation

8,306

-

Mexico mining tax

2,168

1,590

Foreign exchange

311

535

Stock option expiration

519

2,471

Mexico withholding tax

1,328

679

Deduction for inflation in Mexico

(1,083)

(981)

U.S. state income tax

(786)

514

Other

574

(18)

Tax provision

$

8,559

$

9,615

The Company has completed an estimate of Internal Revenue Code section 382 (“382”) net operating loss limitations related to ownership changes in connection with shares issued for the Back Forty Project acquisition and has written-off net operating losses of $24.8 million of federal and $35.6 million of Michigan, that would never become available due to the 382 loss limitations and the expiring loss carryforward periods. Approximately $51.1 million federal, and $16.6 million of Michigan net operating losses are subject to a 382 limitation, and the annual limitation going forward is approximately $1.3 million.

The following table sets forth deferred tax assets and liabilities:

As of December 31, 

2022

    

2021

 

(in thousands)

Non-current deferred tax assets:

Tax loss carryforward

$

25,626

$

29,496

Property, plant, and mine development

1,429

572

Share-based compensation

511

1,068

Foreign tax credits

4,089

4,089

Inventory

45

142

Foreign Mining Tax

1,106

793

Accrued Expenses

5,606

3,363

Gold and silver stream agreements liability

2,144

1,681

Employee profit sharing obligation

663

566

Zinc Derivatives

-

608

Other

1,344

472

Total deferred tax assets

$

42,563

$

42,850

Valuation allowance

(31,818)

(36,933)

Deferred tax assets after valuation allowance

$

10,745

$

5,917

Deferred tax liability – Property, plant and mine development

(17,724)

(16,722)

Deferred tax liability – Other

(2,245)

(2,321)

Total deferred tax liabilities

$

(19,969)

$

(19,043)

Net deferred tax liability

$

(9,224)

$

(13,126)

In accordance with ASC 740, the Company presents deferred tax assets net of its deferred tax liabilities on its Consolidated Balance Sheets. The net deferred tax liability of $9.2 million as of December 31, 2022 is primarily related to $14.6 million deferred tax liability related to Aquila, offset by $5.9 million deferred tax asset related to DDGM.

The Company evaluates the evidence available to determine whether a valuation allowance is required on deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2022, the Company determined that a valuation allowance of $31.8 million was necessary due to the uncertain utilization of specific deferred tax assets, primarily net operating loss carryforwards, in both U.S. and Canada; $21.8 million of the valuation allowance is related to Aquila. As of December 31, 2021, the Company determined that a valuation allowance of $36.9 million was necessary due to the uncertain utilization of specific deferred tax assets, primarily net operating loss carryforwards, in both U.S. and Canada; $27.5 million of the valuation allowance is related to Aquila. The net change in the Company’s valuation allowance was a decrease of $5.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in the valuation allowance is primarily due to the tax effected write-off related to the 382 limitation discussed above.

At December 31, 2022, the Company has U.S. federal loss carryforwards of $73.8 million, of which $47.2 million have no expiration date, and $26.6 million that expire at various dates between 2027 and 2037; U.S. Foreign Tax Credits of $4.1 million that expire at various dates between 2023 and 2026; federal capital loss carryforwards of $0.2 million that expire at various dates between 2023 and 2027; state of Colorado tax loss carryforwards of $47.3 million, of which $30.3 million expire at various dates between 2023 and 2037 and $17.0 million that have no expiration; state of Michigan tax loss carryforwards of $22.3 million expiring at various dates between 2023 and 2032; and Canadian tax loss carryforwards of $37.9 million that expire between 2026 and 2042.

Mexico Mining Taxation

Mining entities in Mexico are subject to two mining duties, in addition to the 30% Mexico corporate income tax: (i) a “special” mining duty of 7.5% of taxable income as defined under Mexican tax law (also referred to as “mining royalty tax”) on extraction activities performed by concession holders, and (ii) the “extraordinary” mining duty of 0.5% on gross revenue from the sale of gold, silver, and platinum. The mining royalty tax is generally applicable to earnings before income tax, depreciation, depletion, amortization, and interest. In calculating the mining royalty tax, there are no deductions related to depreciable costs from operational fixed assets, but prospecting and exploration expenses are

amortized at 10% rate in a 10 year straight line. Both duties are tax deductible for income tax purposes. As a result, our effective tax rate applicable to the Company’s Mexican operations is substantially higher than Mexico’s statutory rate.

The Company periodically transfers funds from its Mexican wholly-owned subsidiary to the U.S. in the form of dividends. Mexico requires a 10% withholding tax on dividends on all post-2013 earnings. The Company began distributing post-2013 earnings from Mexico in 2018. According to the existing U.S. – Mexico tax treaty, the dividend withholding tax between these countries is limited to 5% if certain requirements are met. The Company determined that it had met such requirements and paid a 5% withholding tax on dividends received from Mexico, and as a result, paid $1.3 million and $0.5 million for years ending December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. 

Other Tax Disclosures

The U.S. Treasury Department issued final regulations in July 2020 concerning global intangible low-taxed income, commonly referred to as GILTI tax, which was introduced by the Tax Act of 2017. The GILTI provisions impose a tax on foreign income in excess of a deemed return on tangible assets of foreign corporations. The final tax regulations allow income to be excluded from GILTI tax that are subject to an effective tax rate higher than 90% of the U.S. tax rate. The Company determined that it is not subject to GILTI tax due to this high tax exception rule.

As of both December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company believes that it has no uncertain tax positions that result in unrecognized tax benefits. If the Company were to determine there was an unrecognized tax benefit, the Company would recognize the liability and related interest and penalties within income tax expense.