Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note 8 — Income Taxes

Effective Tax Rates

The following tables summarize the effective income tax rates for Cleco and Cleco Power for the three months ended March 31, 2022, and 2021:

Cleco
	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
	2022		2021
Effective tax rate	(3.7)	%	(86.4)	%

Cleco Power
	FOR THE THREE MONTHS ENDED MAR. 31,
	2022		2021
Effective tax rate	1.8	%	(111.7)	%

For Cleco and Cleco Power, the effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2022, were different than the federal statutory rate primarily due to the adjustment to record tax expense at the projected annual effective tax rate; the amortization of excess ADIT; the flow through of state tax benefits; and state tax expense.

For Cleco and Cleco Power, the effective income tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2021, were different than the federal statutory rate primarily due to the amortization of excess ADIT.

Uncertain Tax Positions

Cleco classifies all interest related to uncertain tax positions as a component of interest payable and interest expense. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, and 2021, Cleco and Cleco Power had no interest expense related to uncertain tax positions. At March 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, Cleco and Cleco Power had no liability for uncertain tax positions or interest payable related to uncertain tax positions.

Income Tax Audits

Cleco participates in the IRS’s Compliance Assurance Process in which tax positions are examined and agreed upon prior to filing the federal tax return. While the statute of limitations remains open for tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020, the IRS has completed its review of years 2018 and 2019, and these tax returns were filed consistent with the IRS’s review. The IRS has placed Cleco in the Bridge phase of the Compliance Assurance Process for the 2020 and 2021 tax years. In this phase, the IRS will not accept any disclosures, conduct any reviews, or provide any assurances. The IRS has accepted Cleco’s application for the Compliance Assurance Process for the 2022 tax year.

The state income tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020 remain subject to examination by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

Cleco classifies income tax penalties as a component of other expense. For the three months ended March 31, 2022, and 2021, no penalties were recognized.

CARES Act

In March 2020, the CARES Act was signed into law. The CARES Act includes tax relief provisions such as an alternative minimum tax credit refund, a five-year net operating loss

carryback from years 2018 through 2020, and deferred payments of employer payroll taxes.

At March 31, 2022, Cleco had $3.0 million deferred in employer payroll tax payments for the period March 27, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which will be paid by December 31, 2022.

At March 31, 2022, Cleco Power had $1.8 million deferred in employer payroll tax payments for the period March 27, 2020, through December 31, 2020, which will be paid by December 31, 2022.