Income taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income taxes

Income taxes

The Company’s and the Utilities’ effective tax rates (combined federal and state income tax rates) were 21% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. These rates differed from the combined statutory rates, due primarily to the Utilities’ amortization of excess deferred income taxes related to the provision in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that lowered the federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% and the tax benefits derived from the low income housing tax credit investments. The Company’s and the Utilities’ effective tax rates were each 20% and 19%, respectively for the nine months ended September 30, 2021.

In August 2020, the Internal Revenue Service notified the Company that its 2017 and 2018 income tax returns would be examined. The Company was previously audited every year through 2011, at which time the IRS changed their internal policies regarding audit frequency. The audit is still in progress and the Company has responded to information requests due on or before September 30, 2022. The Company has not been notified of any material audit adjustments to date.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was signed by President Biden on August 16, 2022. Key provisions under the IRA include a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax imposed on certain large corporations and the extension and expansion of clean energy tax incentives. The 15% corporate alternative minimum tax is not expected to affect the Company. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of the clean energy tax incentives on its businesses and is awaiting U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service guidance.