10.	INCOME TAXES

As discussed in Note 1, the Company began operating in compliance with REIT requirements for federal income tax purposes effective January 1, 2013. As a REIT, the Company must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income (including dividends paid to it by its TRSs) and will not pay federal income taxes on the amount distributed to its stockholders. In addition, the Company must meet a number of other organizational and operational requirements. It is management's intention to adhere to these requirements and maintain the Company's REIT status. Most states where CoreCivic holds investments in real estate conform to the federal rules recognizing REITs. Certain subsidiaries have made an election with the Company to be treated as TRSs in conjunction with the Company's REIT election; the TRS elections permit CoreCivic to engage in certain business activities in which the REIT may not engage directly. A TRS is subject to federal and state income taxes on the income from these activities and therefore, CoreCivic includes a provision for taxes in its consolidated financial statements.

Income taxes are accounted for under the provisions of ASC 740, "Income Taxes". ASC 740 generally requires CoreCivic to record deferred income taxes for the tax effect of differences between book and tax bases of its assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes reflect the available net operating losses and the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in the statement of operations in the period that includes the enactment date. Realization of the future tax benefits related to deferred tax assets is dependent on many factors, including CoreCivic's past earnings history, expected future earnings, the character and jurisdiction of such earnings, unsettled circumstances that, if unfavorably resolved, would adversely affect utilization of its deferred tax assets, carryback and carryforward periods, and tax strategies that could potentially enhance the likelihood of realization of a deferred tax asset.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "TCJA") was enacted on December 22, 2017. The TCJA reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred, and creates new taxes on certain foreign-sourced earnings. However, the TCJA does not change the dividends paid deduction applicable to REITs and, therefore, CoreCivic generally will not be subject to federal income taxes on the Company's REIT taxable income and gains that it distributes to its stockholders. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company recorded, in accordance with ASC 740, the tax effects of enactment of the TCJA on existing deferred tax balances and the Company estimates there is no one-time transition tax on foreign earnings. The Company re-measured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21%. In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company recognized a charge of $4.5 million, which was included as a component of income tax expense, for the revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities and other taxes associated with the TCJA. However, the Company is still analyzing certain aspects of the TCJA, including research on historical earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries among others, and refining its calculations which could potentially affect the measurement of these balances or potentially give rise to new deferred tax amounts.

CoreCivic recorded an income tax expense of $2.4 million and $3.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. CoreCivic recorded an income tax expense of $4.4 million and $5.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. As a REIT, CoreCivic is entitled to a deduction for dividends paid, resulting in a substantial reduction in the amount of federal income tax expense it recognizes. Substantially all of CoreCivic's income tax expense is incurred based on the earnings generated by its TRSs. CoreCivic's overall effective tax rate is estimated based on its current projection of taxable income primarily generated by its TRSs. The Company's consolidated effective tax rate could fluctuate in the future based on changes in estimates of taxable income, the relative amounts of taxable income generated by the TRSs and the REIT, the implementation of additional tax planning strategies, changes in federal or state tax rates or laws affecting tax credits available to the Company, changes in other tax laws, changes in estimates related to uncertain tax positions, or changes in state apportionment factors, as well as changes in the valuation allowance applied to the Company's deferred tax assets that are based primarily on the amount of state net operating losses and tax credits that could expire unused.

Income Tax Contingencies

ASC 740 prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The guidance prescribed in ASC 740 establishes a recognition threshold of more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination. The measurement attribute requires that a tax position be measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

CoreCivic had no liabilities recorded for uncertain tax positions as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. CoreCivic recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in income tax expense. CoreCivic does not currently anticipate that the total amount of unrecognized tax positions will significantly change in the next twelve months.