INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

INCOME TAXES

Schedule of components of the income tax benefit (expense)

Income tax benefit (expense) consists of the following:

	Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Current
State	$	(26)	$	19	$	(4)
Deferred
Federal		(41,567)		190,195		—
State		(309)		5,859		—
		(41,876)		196,054		—
Total income tax benefit (expense), net	$	(41,902)	$	196,073	$	(4)

Schedule of impacts of the differences between the expected U.S. federal statutory income tax to our income tax expense

The impacts of the differences between the expected U.S. federal statutory income tax to our income tax expense are as follows:

		Year Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2019		2018		2017
Expected tax at federal statutory rate	$	48,908	$	44,154	$	46,997
State income tax, net of federal benefit		325		(5,878)		4
Non-deductible executive compensation		—		747		987
Noncontrolling interest		(7,078)		(2,367)		—
Other		326		310		(1,506)
Impact of tax reform rate change		—		—		124,017
Change in valuation allowance		(579)		(233,039)		(170,495)
Income tax expense (benefit), net	$	41,902	$	(196,073)	$	4

Schedule of significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities

Significant components of our deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are as follows:

	As of December 31,
(In thousands)	2019		2018
Deferred tax assets
Net operating loss carryforwards	$	172,359	$	215,497
Research and development tax credit carryforwards		55,966		56,231
Other		1,412		1,647
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance		229,737		273,375
Valuation allowance		(63,620)		(64,199)
Total deferred tax assets		166,117		209,176
Deferred tax liabilities
Debt issuance discount and other		(11,946)		(13,122)
Net deferred tax assets	$	154,171	$	196,054

Summary of changes in unrecognized tax benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits are as follows (in thousands):

(In thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2017 and 2016	$	15,488
Gross decrease in tax portions for 2018		(75)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2018	$	15,413
Gross decrease in tax portions for 2019		(71)
Unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2019	$	15,342