Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

NOTE 3: Income Taxes

The Company’s provision for income taxes differs from the statutory rate primarily due to estimated federal and state benefits generated from excess federal and Oklahoma percentage depletion, which are permanent tax benefits, and the change in valuation allowance from prior year. Excess percentage depletion, both federal and Oklahoma, can only be taken in the amount that exceeds cost depletion, which is calculated on a unit-of-production basis. The Company completes an evaluation of the expected realization of the Company’s gross deferred tax assets each quarter. Excess tax benefits and deficiencies of stock-based compensation are recognized as provision (benefit) for income taxes in the Company’s Statements of Income.

Both excess federal percentage depletion, which is limited to certain production volumes and by certain income levels, and excess Oklahoma percentage depletion, which has no limitation on production volume, reduce estimated taxable income or add to estimated taxable loss projected for any year. The federal and Oklahoma excess percentage depletion estimates will be updated throughout the year until finalized with detailed well-by-well calculations at fiscal year-end. Depending upon whether a provision for income taxes or a benefit for income taxes is expected for a year, federal and Oklahoma excess percentage depletion will either decrease or increase the effective tax rate, respectively. The benefits of federal and Oklahoma excess percentage depletion and excess tax benefits and deficiencies of stock-based compensation are not directly related to the amount of pre-tax income (loss) recorded in a period. Accordingly, in periods where a recorded pre-tax income or loss is relatively small, the proportional effect of these items on the effective tax rate may be significant.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company completed an evaluation of the expected realization of its gross deferred tax assets. As a result of its evaluation, the Company concluded a valuation allowance is required for certain state deferred tax assets and for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, the change in the Company’s valuation allowance from December 31, 2023 is an increase of $1,000

recorded in the income tax provision. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was a -30% provision as compared to a 24% provision for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The change in effective tax rate resulted from a decrease in net income and the discrete income tax expense for deferred directors' compensation benefit and changes in state tax rates recorded in the quarter ended March 31, 2024.