Income Taxes (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Caesars’ provision for income taxes during the interim reporting periods has historically been calculated by applying an estimate of the annual effective tax rate for the full year to “ordinary” income or loss (pre-tax income or loss excluding unusual or infrequently occurring discrete items) for the reporting period. We utilized a discrete effective tax rate method, as allowed by ASC 740-270 “Income Taxes, Interim Reporting,” to calculate taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2017. We determined that as small changes in estimated “ordinary” income would result in significant changes in the estimated annual effective tax rate, the historical method would not provide a reliable estimate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2017.

Income Tax Allocation

	Three Months Ended March 31,
(Dollars in millions)	2017			2016
Loss from continuing operations, before income taxes	$	(452	)	$	(300	)
Income tax provision	$	(72	)	$	(7	)
Effective tax rate	(15.9		)%	(2.3		)%

Discontinued operations, before income taxes	$	—		$	66
Income tax provision	$	—		$	(33	)

We classify reserves for tax uncertainties within deferred credits and other in the Balance Sheets, separate from any related income tax payable, which is also reported within accrued expenses, or deferred income taxes. Reserve amounts relate to any potential income tax liabilities resulting from uncertain tax positions, as well as potential interest or penalties associated with those liabilities.

Management assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. We have provided a valuation allowance on certain federal and state deferred tax assets that were not deemed realizable based upon estimates of future taxable income.

The effective tax rate related to the loss from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 differed from the expected federal tax rate of 35% primarily due to losses from continuing operations not tax benefitted, nondeductible restructuring expenses, and from state deferred tax expense. Effective January 1, 2017, CEC elected to no longer treat CERP as a corporation for income tax purposes, which resulted in additional state deferred tax expense due to additional state filing requirements for CEC. The effective tax rate related to the loss from continuing operations for the three months ended March 31, 2016 differed from the expected federal tax rate of 35% primarily due to losses from continuing operations not tax benefitted.

We file income tax returns, including returns for our subsidiaries, with federal, state, and foreign jurisdictions. We are under regular and recurring audit by the Internal Revenue Service on open tax positions, and it is possible that the amount of the liability for unrecognized tax benefits could change during the next 12 months.