INCOME TAXES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2018

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

10. INCOME TAXES

The Company determines its periodic income tax expense or benefit based upon the current period income or loss and the annual estimated tax rate for the Company adjusted for discrete items including changes to prior period estimates. The estimated tax rate is revised, if necessary, as of the end of each successive interim period during the fiscal year to the Company's current annual estimated tax rate.

For the three months ended June 30, 2018, the income tax provision reflects an effective tax rate of 24.6 percent compared to 36.7 percent for the comparable period in the prior year. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, the income tax provision reflects an effective tax rate of 23.2 percent compared to 33.2 percent for the comparable period in the prior year. The 2018 effective tax rate reflects the lower corporate income tax rate from the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Both periods reflect beneficial discrete adjustments of ASU 2016-09 that requires excess tax benefits and deficiencies related to stock based compensation to be recognized as a component of income tax expense rather than stockholders’ equity.

As part of the implementation of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Company recorded adjustments relating to changes in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities during the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company is currently analyzing additional information related to its accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as it pertains to the deduction for executive compensation, including the impact for compensation that is paid pursuant to a binding contract that would have been deductible under the prior rules. Due to the complexity of this provision, additional time is needed to further analyze our executive compensation program, exceptions under the binding contract rule, and the impact of vesting of restricted stock grants, dividends, and bonuses. We are also conducting additional testing and review of assets that qualify for immediate expensing under the new rules that may adjust the provisional amounts that were recognized in our financial statements at December 31, 2017. The ultimate impact of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act may differ from the recorded amounts due to changes in our interpretations and assumptions, as well as additional regulatory guidance that may be issued. We expect to complete the accounting for tax reform with the completion of our 2017 Federal income tax return, expected to be complete by the third quarter of 2018.