12. Income Taxes

Income tax expense (benefit) attributable to income from operations differed from the amount computed by applying the statutory federal income tax rate of 21% as of March 31, 2019 and 2018 to pre-tax income or loss as a result of the following:


	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2019		2018
Tax at the federal statutory rate	$	555	$	107
State income taxes (net of federal benefit)		116		22
2017 qualified timber gains at the federal statutory rate of 23.8% (1)		—		(345)
Decrease in valuation allowance		—		(33)
Other		(10)		—
Total income tax expense (benefit)	$	661	$	(249)

(1)

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 was signed into law on February 9, 2018 (the “2018 Act”). The 2018 Act retroactively re-established the preferential 23.8% tax rate on C Corporation Qualified Timber Gains, extending its applicability from 2016 to include the 2017 tax year. The benefit of this retroactive tax rate reduction is included in 2018 income from continuing operations.

Significant judgment is required in evaluating the Company's uncertain tax positions and determining its provision for income taxes. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from potential examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for income taxes and applies a “more-likely-than-not” in determining the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The Company has not identified any unrecognized tax benefits as of either March 31, 2019 or December 31, 2018.