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INCOME TAXES | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
INCOME TAXES [Abstract] |
INCOME TAXES | K. INCOME TAXES The provision for income taxes is composed of the following:
|  | (In thousands) |
|  | Years ended December 31, |
|  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
Current income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal |  | $ | -- |  |  | $ | (104 | ) |  | $ | (210 | )
State |  |  | -- |  |  |  | -- |  |  |  | -- |
|  | $ | -- |  |  | $ | (104 | ) |  | $ | (210 | )
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) |  |  |  |  |
Federal |  | $ | (3,316 | ) |  | $ | (1,543 | ) |  | $ | (1,794 | )
State |  |  | (195 | ) |  |  | (91 | ) |  |  | (275 | )
|  | $ | (3,511 | ) |  | $ | (1,634 | ) |  | $ | (2,069 | )
The effective income tax rate differs from the U.S. Federal Statutory income tax rate due to the following:
|  | (In thousands) |
|  | Years ended December 31, |
|  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
Federal statutory income tax rate |  | $ | (2,828 | ) |  | $ | (853 | ) |  | $ | (3,555 | )
State income taxes, net of federal benefit |  |  | (166 | ) |  |  | (50 | ) |  |  | (209 | )
Incentive stock options |  |  | 246 |  |  |  | 258 |  |  |  | 404 |
percent depletion carryover |  |  | (807 | ) |  |  | (1,067 | ) |  |  | (128 | )
Other |  |  | 44 |  |  |  | (26 | ) |  |  | 1,209 |
|  | $ | (3,511 | ) |  | $ | (1,738 | ) |  | $ | (2,279 | )
The components of deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are as follows:
|  | (In thousands) |
|  | December 31, |  |  | December 31, |  |  | December 31, |
|  | 2011 |  |  | 2010 |  |  | 2009 |
Deferred tax assets: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net operating loss |  | $ | 2,547 |  |  | $ | 1,857 |  |  | $ | 2,078 |
Derivative instruments |  |  | 215 |  |  |  | 621 |  |  |  | -- |
Asset retirement obligation |  |  | 184 |  |  |  | 109 |  |  |  | 40 |
Stock based compensation |  |  | 288 |  |  |  | 287 |  |  |  | 629 |
Deferred compensation |  |  | 357 |  |  |  | 372 |  |  |  | 534 |
Alternative minimum tax credit |  |  | 706 |  |  |  | 706 |  |  |  | 810 |
Contribution carryover |  |  | 28 |  |  |  | 27 |  |  |  | 19 |
Equity investments |  |  | 37 |  |  |  | 362 |  |  |  | -- |
Percentage depletion carryover |  |  | 1,924 |  |  |  | 1,198 |  |  |  | 128 |
|  | $ | 6,286 |  |  | $ | 5,539 |  |  | $ | 4,238 |
Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property and equipment |  | $ | (7,385 | ) |  | $ | (10,149 | ) |  | $ | (10,700 | )
Marketable securities |  |  | (44 | ) |  |  | (361 | ) |  |  | -- |
|  | $ | (7,429 | ) |  | $ | (10,510 | ) |  | $ | (10,700 | )
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) |  | $ | (1,143 | ) |  | $ | (4,971 | ) |  | $ | (6,462 | )
Less: Valuation Allowance |  |  | -- |  |  |  | -- |  |  |  | -- |
Deferred tax liability |  | $ | (1,143 | ) |  | $ | (4,971 | ) |  | $ | (6,462 | )
During the year ended December 31, 2011, deferred tax assets increased $747,000 and deferred tax liabilities decreased by $3.1 million. The change in net deferred tax liabilities was a decrease of $3.8 million compared to the previous year. This decrease is comprised of a deferred tax benefit of $3.5 million and a reduction to other comprehensive income of $316,000 resulting from the future tax impact of unrealized gain on marketable securities. USE has net operating loss carryovers as of December 31, 2011 of $8.8 million for federal income tax purposes and $6.2 million for financial reporting purposed. The difference of $2.6 million relates to tax deductions for compensation expense for financial reporting purposed for which the benefit will not be recognized until the related deductions reduce taxes payable. The net operating loss carryovers may be carried back two years and forward twenty years from the year the net operating loss was generated. The net operating losses may be used to offset taxable income through 2031. In addition, USE has alternative minimum tax credit carry-forwards of $706,000 which are available to offset future federal income taxes over an indefinite period. The statute of limitations is closed for the tax years through 2006. USE agreed to extend the statute of limitations for the 2007 tax year until July 2012. USE adopted the applicable provisions of ASC 740 to recognize, measure, and disclose uncertain tax positions in the financial statements. Under ASC 740, tax positions must meet a “more-likely-than-not” recognition threshold to be recognized. During the year ended December 31, 2011, no adjustments were recognized for uncertain tax positions. USE recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense (benefit). No interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions have been accrued.

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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 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 136, 172 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 5: 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 Reference 6: 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 7: 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 8: 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=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690 + Details
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