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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

(9)INCOME TAXES

For the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company utilized a discrete period method to calculate taxes, as it does not believe the annual effective tax rate method represents a reliable estimate given the current uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.   Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2020, and 2019 was ~37% and ~ 0%, respectively. Historically, our actual effective tax rates have differed from the statutory effective rate primarily due to the benefit received from statutory percentage depletion in excess of tax basis. The deduction for statutory percentage depletion does not necessarily change proportionately to changes in income (loss) before income taxes.

 

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into U.S. federal law the CARES Act, which is aimed at providing emergency assistance and health care for individuals, families, and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and generally supporting the U.S. economy. The CARES Act, among other things, includes provisions relating to refundable payroll tax credits, deferment of employer side social security payments, net operating loss carryback periods, alternative minimum tax credit  (“AMT”) refunds, modifications to the net interest deduction limitations and technical corrections to tax depreciation methods for qualified improvement property. In particular, the CARES Act, (i) eliminates the 80% of taxable income limitation by allowing corporate entities to fully utilize NOLs to offset taxable income in 2018, 2019 or 2020, (ii) increases the net interest expense deduction limit to 50% of adjusted taxable income from 30% for tax years beginning January 1, 2019 and 2020 and (iv) allows taxpayers with AMT credits to claim a refund in 2020 for the entire amount of the credit instead of recovering the credit through refunds over a period of years, as originally enacted by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017.  The Company has completed its review of the different aspects of the CARES Act and has recorded an additional $0.5 million to prepaid income taxes for the quarter ended March 31, 2020.