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15. Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, which provides for an asset and liability approach of accounting for income taxes. Under this approach, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on anticipated future tax consequences, using currently enacted tax laws, attributed to temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts calculated for income tax purposes.

 

We currently estimate that our effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2015 will be approximately 12%. Losses incurred during the period from April 9, 2011 (inception) to September 30, 2015 could be used to offset future tax liabilities. Accounting standards require the consideration of a valuation allowance for deferred tax assets if it is “more likely than not” that some component or all of the benefits of deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of September 30, 2015, net deferred tax assets were $15,417,147, after an offsetting reduction in deferred tax liabilities of $1,066,200, primarily related to differences in the book and tax basis amounts of the Company’s oil and gas properties resulting from the expensing of intangible drilling costs and the accelerated depreciation utilized for tax purposes, was applied. A valuation allowance of approximately $15,417,147 was applied to the remaining net deferred tax assets. This valuation allowance reflects an allowance on only a portion of the Company’s deferred tax assets which the Company believes it is more likely than not that the benefit of these assets will not be realized. We have not provided any valuation allowance against our deferred tax liabilities, which were netted against our deferred tax assets.

 

The tax benefit for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 of $6,593,040 was primarily driven by the Company’s loss before provision for income taxes.

 

In accordance with FASB ASC 740, the Company has evaluated its tax positions and determined there are no significant uncertain tax positions as of any date on, or before September 30, 2015.