INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Components of Income Tax Expense

Income tax expense is comprised of the following components (in thousands):

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Current income tax expense
Federal	$	10,481		$	10,202		$	10,181
State		2,308			2,788			1,983
		12,789			12,990			12,164
Deferred income tax expense (benefit)
Federal		(3,422	)		1,088			(3,400	)
State		(1,014	)		(167	)		(511	)
		(4,436	)		921			(3,911	)
Income tax expense	$	8,353		$	13,911		$	8,253

Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Significant components of CoreCivic's deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, are as follows (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2018			2017
Noncurrent deferred tax assets:
Asset reserves and liabilities not yet deductible for tax	$	21,742		$	19,045
Tax over book basis of certain assets		1,665			40
Net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards		5,483			5,040
Intangible contract value		148			—
Other		123			172
Total noncurrent deferred tax assets		29,161			24,297
Less valuation allowance		(3,986	)		(3,308	)
Total noncurrent deferred tax assets		25,175			20,989
Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities:
Book over tax basis of certain assets		(5,707	)		(5,959	)
Intangible value		(2,370	)		—
Other		(2,151	)		(2,216	)
Total noncurrent deferred tax liabilities		(10,228	)		(8,175	)
Net total noncurrent deferred tax assets	$	14,947		$	12,814

Reconciliation of Income Tax Provision at Statutory Income Tax Rate and Effective Tax Rate

A reconciliation of the income tax provision at the statutory income tax rate and the effective tax rate as a percentage of income from continuing operations before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 is as follows:

	2018			2017			2016
Statutory federal rate		21.0	%		35.0	%		35.0	%
Dividends paid deduction		(18.6	)		(31.3	)		(32.5	)
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit		1.0			1.2			1.1
Permanent differences		1.0			0.6			0.3
Charges associated with adoption of tax reform		0.6			2.4			—
Tax benefit of equity-based compensation		0.5			(0.5	)		—
Other items, net		(0.5	)		(0.2	)		(0.3	)
		5.0	%		7.2	%		3.6	%