16. Income Taxes:

Components of income (loss) before income taxes were as follows (in thousands):

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2018			2017			2016
United States	$	(19,231	)	$	(50,757	)	$	(45,506	)
Foreign		(561	)		(3,351	)		(9,827	)
	$	(19,792	)	$	(54,108	)	$	(55,333	)

The provision (benefit) for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2018			2017			2016
Current
Federal	$	(613	)	$	2,422		$	(13,726	)
Foreign		51			286			148
State		—			—			6
		(562	)		2,708			(13,572	)
Deferred:
Federal		—			—			2,881
Foreign		(18	)		(25	)		1,328
		(18	)		(25	)		4,209
	$	(580	)	$	2,683		$	(9,363	)

Actual income tax expense (benefit) differs from income tax expense computed by applying the U.S. statutory federal tax rate of 24.5% (blended) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018 and 35% for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 as follows (in thousands):

	YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30,
	2018			2017			2016
Benefit for U.S federal income tax at statutory rate	$	(4,849	)	$	(18,940	)	$	(19,365	)
Effect of foreign income taxes		(47	)		124			630
Research and experimentation tax credit		(320	)		(248	)		(686	)
State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit		(23	)		—			4
Nondeductible expenses		33			164			149
Resolution of prior years’ tax matters		(657	)		2			2,400
Change in valuation allowance		(4,237	)		20,087			7,715
Impact on deferred taxes due to change in tax rate		8,116			(6	)		(124	)
Difference in U.S. tax rate from assumed rate		511			—			—
Foreign income taxes		11			506			—
Disallowance of stock compensation adjustments in excess of book		895			1,074			—
Other items		(13	)		(80	)		(86	)
	$	(580	)	$	2,683		$	(9,363	)
Effective tax rate		2.9	%		(5.0	)%		16.9	%

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s net deferred income tax asset were as follows (in thousands):

	AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2018									AS OF SEPTEMBER 30, 2017
	U.S.			Non U.S.			Total			U.S.			Non U.S.			Total
Deferred income tax assets:
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$	545		$	8		$	553		$	777		$	7		$	784
Inventories		6,870			68			6,938			11,215			50			11,265
Loss and tax credit carry-forwards		17,056			4,151			21,207			11,803			4,490			16,293
Stock-based compensation		614			—			614			2,147			—			2,147
Accrued product warranty		136			8			144			174			2			176
Accrued compensated absences		259			—			259			419			—			419
Property and equipment		—			457			457			—			430			430
Prepaid income taxes		714			—			714			—			—			—
Other reserves		56			6			62			127			7			134
		26,250			4,698			30,948			26,662			4,986			31,648
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Allowance for doubtful accounts		—			(6	)		(6	)		—			(9	)		(9	)
Intangible assets		(1,681	)		—			(1,681	)		—			—			—
Property, plant and equipment and other		(3,622	)		(59	)		(3,681	)		(3,087	)		(71	)		(3,158	)
Subtotal deferred income tax assets		20,947			4,633			25,580			23,575			4,906			28,481
Valuation allowance		(20,931	)		(4,448	)		(25,379	)		(23,575	)		(4,684	)		(28,259	)
Net deferred income tax assets	$	16		$	185		$	201		$	—		$	222		$	222

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are reported as follows in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):

	AS OF SEPTEMBER 30,
	2018			2017
Deferred income tax assets, net	$	246		$	259
Deferred income tax liabilities, net		(45	)		(37	)
	$	201		$	222

The 2017 Tax Act was enacted in December 2017. The 2017 Tax Act, among other things, reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, creates new taxes on certain foreign earnings and may require companies to pay a one-time transition tax on undistributed earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred. The Company is not required to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of our foreign subsidiaries since there were no accumulated earnings on a consolidated basis. As a result of the 2017 Tax Act, the Company revalued its U.S. our deferred tax assets based on a U.S. federal tax rate of 21%, which resulted in a reduction to our deferred tax assets of approximately $8.1 million. This amount was offset by a like reduction to the valuation allowance.

The financial reporting basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries exceed their tax basis. A deferred tax liability is not recorded for this temporary difference because the investment is deemed to be permanent. A reversal of the Company’s plans to permanently invest in these foreign operations would cause the excess to become taxable. At September 30, 2018, the Company had $7.3 million of cash and cash equivalents held by its foreign subsidiaries. At September 30, 2018 and 2017, the temporary difference related to undistributed earnings for which no deferred taxes have been provided was approximately $12.9 million and $12.8 million, respectively.

Tax return filings which are subject to review by local tax authorities by major jurisdiction are as follows:

•

United States—fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 through 2018

•

State of Texas—fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 through 2018

•

State of New York—fiscal years ended September 30, 2016 through 2018

•

State of California – fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 through 2018

•

State of Pennsylvania – fiscal years ended September 30, 2016 through 2018

•

Russian Federation—calendar years 2016 through 2018

•

Canada—fiscal years ended September 30, 2015 through 2018

•

United Kingdom—fiscal years ended September 30, 2017 through 2018

•

Colombia—calendar years 2016 through 2018

The following table is a reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax liabilities (in thousands):

Balance at October 1, 2015	$	75
Change in prior year tax positions		(70	)
Current tax positions		—
Settlements with taxing authorities		—
Lapse of statute of limitations		(4	)
Balance at September 30, 2016		1
Change in prior year tax positions		(1	)
Current tax positions		—
Settlements with taxing authorities		—
Lapse of statute of limitations		—
Balance at September 30, 2017		—
Change in prior year tax positions		—
Current tax positions		—
Settlements with taxing authorities		—
Lapse of statute of limitations		—
Balance at September 30, 2018	$	—

As of September 30, 2018, the Company had net operating loss (“NOL”) carry-forwards of approximately $62.2 million in the United States, $14.0 million in Canada and $0.6 million in Russia which are available to offset future taxable income in those jurisdictions. The NOL carry-forwards for Canada and Russia begin to expire in 2033 and 2026, respectively. The NOL carry-forward for the United States which originated prior to the 2017 Tax Act of $49.4 million begins to expire in 2028. The Company’s NOLs originating after the 2017 Tax Act of $12.8 million do not expire.

During the year ended September 30, 2016, management concluded that it was more-likely-than-not that all of our U.S. and Canadian net deferred tax assets will not be realized in accordance with U.S. GAAP. At September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, we had a valuation allowance against our U.S. net deferred tax assets of $20.9 million and $23.6 million, respectively, and a valuation allowance against our Canadian net deferred tax assets of $4.4 million and $4.7 million, respectively.