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Note 11 - Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

NOTE 11 — Income Taxes

 

Deferred tax expense is related to the deferred tax liability on the portion of the Company's goodwill amortized for tax purposes. Due to the indefinite characteristic of this deferred tax liability, it cannot be offset against deferred tax assets. The provision for deferred tax for the periods ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, consists of the following components:

 

   Years Ended December 31,
   2014  2013
  Current:          
  Federal   $—     $—   
  State    —      —   
       Total Current    —      —   
  Deferred:          
  Federal    31,940    31,939 
  State    —      —   
       Total Deferred    31,940    31,939 
Total provision for deferred tax   $31,940   $31,939 

 

Reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company's effective tax rate:

 

   Years Ended December 31,
   2014  2013
  Federal tax at statutory rate    34.00%   34.00%
  State income tax rate    5.83%   5.83%
  Losses and credits not benefited    (32.95%)   (34.40%)
  Goodwill impairment    —      —   
  Provision for taxes    6.88%   5.43%

  

As of December 31, 2014, the Company did not recognize deferred tax assets relating to an excess tax benefit for stock-based compensation deduction of $2,046,000. Unrecognized deferred tax benefits will be accounted for as a credit to additional-paid-in-capital when realized through a reduction in income taxes payable.

 

Deferred income tax reflects the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amount used for income tax purposes. Significant components of net deferred tax assets are as follows:

 

   Years Ended December 31,
Deferred tax assets:  2014  2013
  Net operating loss carryforwards   $9,729,000   $10,347,000 
  Credits    716,000    682,000 
  Capitalized research and development costs    122,000    295,000 
  Other acquired intangibles    134,000    165,000 
  Accruals not currently deductible    1,356,000    1,318,000 
     Total deferred tax assets    12,057,000    12,807,000 
  Valuation allowance for deferred tax assets    (12,032,274)   (12,788,334)
     Net deferred tax assets    24,726    18,666 
Deferred tax liability:          
  Acquired intangibles    (168,000)   (130,000)
Net deferred tax liabilities   $(143,274)  $(111,334)

  

The Company has not generated taxable income in any periods in any jurisdiction, foreign or domestic. The Company has maintained a full valuation allowance for all deferred tax assets.

 

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards for federal income tax purposes of approximately $28,974,000 which will expire at various dates beginning in 2017 and through 2033, and federal research and development tax credits of approximately $450,000, which will expire at various dates beginning in 2018 and through 2034. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards for state income tax purposes of approximately $18,006,000, which will expire at various dates in 2013 and through 2033, and state research and development tax credits of approximately $280,000, which can be carried forward indefinitely. During 2014, approximately $3,936,000 of state net operating loss carryforwards expired unutilized.

 

Utilization of the net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards is subject to annual limitations due to the ownership change limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code Section 382 and similar state provisions. The annual limitation will result in the expiration of the net operating loss and credit carryforwards before utilization. The deferred tax assets for the year ended December 31, 2014 reflect estimates of Section 382 limitations.

 

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits (“UTBs”), excluding interest and penalties, is as follows:

 

   Amount
Beginning balance at January 1, 2014   $682,000 
Increases in UTBs taken in prior years    34,000 
Increases in UTBs taken in current year    14,000 
Ending balance at December 31, 2014   $730,000

 

Future changes in the unrecognized tax benefit will have no impact on the effective tax rate due to the existence of the valuation allowance. It is the Company's policy to include interest and penalties related to tax positions as a component of income tax expense. No interest was accrued for the period ended December 31, 2014. The Company estimates that the unrecognized tax benefit will not change significantly within the next twelve months.

 

The Company files its tax returns as prescribed by the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates. The Company is not currently under audit in any of its jurisdictions where income tax returns are filed. The tax years 1996 to 2013 remain open to examination by the major domestic taxing jurisdictions to which the Company is subject, and for the years 2002 to 2009 for the international taxing jurisdictions to which the Company is subject.