Note 3 - Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Notes Tables

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

	2018			2017			2016
Current:
Federal	$	(209,000	)	$	(2,570,000	)	$	(268,000	)
State		(90,000	)		(6,000	)		(30,000	)
		(299,000	)		(2,576,000	)		(298,000	)
Deferred:
Federal		(18,577,000	)		(3,854,000	)		(1,369,000	)
State		(664,000	)		(720,000	)		(268,000	)
		(19,241,000	)		(4,574,000	)		(1,637,000	)
	$	(19,540,000	)	$	(7,150,000	)	$	(1,935,000	)

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	2018			2017			2016
Statutory federal income tax rate		24.3	%		34.0	%		34.0	%
State franchise taxes (net of federal tax benefit)		5.7			6.2			5.2
Revalue of deferred taxes due to federal rate change		176.0			---			---
Effect of federal rate change on beginning net deferred tax liabilities		(34.0	)		---			---
Business meals/gifts/other permanent differences		(0.4	)		(0.8	)		(2.3	)
Domestic production activity deduction and deferred revenue		(0.9	)		---			---
Dividends received deduction		5.8			10.0			24.5
Reversal of uncertain and unrecognized tax position		---			37.6			---
Penalties for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits		---			2.0			---
Prior year true-up		(1.8	)		1.0			(2.0	)
Foreign tax credits		---			2.0			4.0
Effect of state rate change on beginning balance of deferred tax liabilities		(0.7	)		(0.3	)		1.4
Others		(1.7	)		(3.0	)		0.2
Effective tax rate		172.3	%		88.7	%		65.0	%

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	2018			2017
Deferred tax assets attributable to:
Accrued liabilities, including supplemental compensation and vacation pay accrual	$	(106,000	)	$	(69,000	)
Impairment losses on investments		2,215,000			1,376,000
Bad debt reserves not yet deductible		42,000			62,000
Depreciation and amortization		4,446,000			5,977,000
Deferred revenues		745,000			1,431,000
Net operating losses		4,643,000			3,100,000
Credits and other		455,000			1,303,000
Total deferred tax assets		12,440,000			13,180,000
Deferred tax liabilities attributable to:
Unrealized gains on investments		(42,151,000	)		(64,550,000	)
Goodwill		(290,000	)		(311,000	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(42,441,000	)		(64,861,000	)
Net deferred income taxes	$	(30,001,000	)	$	(51,681,000	)

Summary of Operating Loss Carryforwards [Table Text Block]

Fiscal year ended	Federal NOL		California NOL		Other State NOL
	(in millions)
September 30, 2036	$	.8	$	---	$	---
September 30, 2037		6.5		.7		1.5
September 30, 2038		11.2		5.5		2.8