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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
 
On December 22, 2017 the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted. This legislation made significant changes to the federal income tax laws, including a reduction in the corporate tax rate to 21% effective January 1, 2018. As a result of this rate reduction, the Company recognized a $1.14 billion reduction in its net deferred income tax liabilities as of December 31, 2017.

In accordance with accounting for regulated companies, the effect of this rate reduction is substantially offset by a regulatory liability. As of December 31, 2017, to reflect the $1.14 billion reduction in its net deferred income tax liabilities caused by the rate reduction, APS has recorded a regulatory liability of $1.52 billion and a new $377 million deferred tax asset. The Company intends to amortize the regulatory liability in accordance with applicable federal income tax laws, which require the amortization of a majority of the balance over the remaining regulatory life of the related property, and in a manner to be approved by its federal and state regulatory agencies. See Note 4 for more details.

Several sections of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act contain technical ambiguities. Management has recognized tax positions which it believes are more likely than not to be sustained upon examination based upon its interpretation of this legislation. Clarifying guidance may be issued through additional legislation, Treasury regulations, or other technical guidance, prior to the Company filing its federal tax return for the year ended December 31, 2017, which may impact the income tax effects of the Act as recorded by the Company. As of March 31, 2018, the Company does not have a reasonable estimate of what the income tax effects of such clarifying guidance may be.

For the quarter ending March 31, 2018, the Company early adopted  ASU 2018-02, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income: Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income and elected to reclassify the income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation on items within accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings. See Note 13 for additional information.

Net income associated with the Palo Verde sale leaseback VIEs is not subject to tax (see Note 6).  As a result, there is no income tax expense associated with the VIEs recorded on the Pinnacle West Condensed Consolidated and APS Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

As of the balance sheet date, the tax year ended December 31, 2014 and all subsequent tax years remain subject to examination by the IRS.  With a few exceptions, we are no longer subject to state income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2013.