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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes INCOME TAXES
Three Months Ended September 30,Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020201920202019
Provision for income taxes$373 $237 $1,510 $1,572 

The operations of a partnership are generally not subject to income taxes, except for Texas margin tax, because its income is taxed directly to its partners. MTI, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Partnership, is subject to income taxes due to its corporate structure (the "Taxable Subsidiary"). Total income tax expense of $225 and $1,162, related to the operation of the Taxable Subsidiary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, resulted in an effective income tax rate ("ETR") of 45.72% and 80.42%, respectively. Total income tax expense of $237 and $1,114, related to the operation of the Taxable Subsidiary, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively, resulted in an effective income tax rate of 27.37% and 25.88%, respectively.

The following items caused the quarterly and year-to-date ETR to be significantly different from the historical annual effective income tax rate ("AETR"):

Pretax loss recorded for the three months ended June 30, 2020 due to the economic downturn resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Taxable Subsidiary has historically calculated the provision for income taxes during interim reporting periods by applying an estimate of the AETR for the full year to "ordinary” income or loss (pretax income or loss excluding unusual or infrequently occurring discrete items) for the reporting period. The Taxable Subsidiary has used a discrete ETR method to calculate taxes for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020. The Taxable Subsidiary determined that since small changes in estimated "ordinary” income would result in significant changes in the estimated AETR, the historical method would not provide a reliable estimate for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2020.

During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Taxable Subsidiary recorded income tax expense of approximately $341 related to the filing of the 2019 Federal income tax return, which increased the year-to-date ETR by 23.60%.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted on March 27, 2020, in response to the market volatility and instability resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes changes to various income tax provisions including, but not limited to, providing for a five-year carryback of net operating losses generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021, suspension of the 80% taxable income limitation for net operating losses generated after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021, and relaxation of the limitation of adjusted taxable income as determined under Internal Revenue Code Section 163(j) from 30% to 50% when determining the deduction for business interest expense for 2019 and 2020. Since, prior to its acquisition by the Partnership, MTI was a Qualified Subchapter S subsidiary ("QSub”) of Martin Resource Management Corporation, it is precluded from carrying back net operating losses to its QSub taxable years. The other applicable provisions of the CARES Act have no material impact on the annual effective tax rate ("AETR”), deferred taxes, or valuation allowances.

    A current federal income tax expense (benefit) of $0 and $(174), related to the operation of the Taxable Subsidiary, were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $(51) and $167, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. A current state income tax expense (benefit) of $41 and $134, related to the operation of the Taxable Subsidiary, were recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and $45 and $(153) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively.

With respect to MTI, income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method pursuant to the provisions of ASC 740 related to income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in
which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

    A deferred tax expense related to the MTI temporary differences of $183 and $244 was recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $1,202 and $1,100 was recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. A net deferred tax asset of $22,220 and $23,422, related to the cumulative book and tax temporary differences, existed at September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively.

    All income tax positions taken for all open years are more likely than not to be sustained based upon their technical merit under applicable tax laws.