INCOME TAX

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAX

INCOME TAX Income tax (benefit) provision on income from operations consists of the following:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Current:
Federal	$	(10,538)	$	12,814	$	9,110
State	(1,304)		6,585		4,367
	(11,842)		19,399		13,477
Deferred	(7,936)		(6,088)		(5,069)
	$	(19,778)	$	13,311	$	8,408

Reconciliation of the U.S. statutory income tax rate to our effective income tax expense rate for operations follows:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2020		2019		2018
Federal income tax expense at statutory rate	$	36,759	$	33,566	$	32,733
State income tax, net of federal income tax benefit	6,677		6,999		7,953
Net operating loss carryback	(3,445)		—		—
Excess tax benefits of share-based compensation	(60,190)		(29,819)		(32,487)
Adjustments from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act	—		—		(1,750)
Tax credits	(3,867)		(3,446)		(3,715)
Non-deductible business expenses	4,199		6,011		5,655
Other, net	89		—		19
	$	(19,778)	$	13,311	$	8,408

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, provides an estimated $2.2 trillion to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and stimulate the U.S. economy. The assistance includes tax relief and government loans, and investments and grants for entities in affected industries (e.g., health care, airlines). The business tax provisions of the CARES Act include temporary changes to income and non-income based tax laws, including the ability to utilize net operating losses, interest expense deductions, alternative minimum tax credit refunds, charitable contributions, and depreciation of qualified improvement property. Measures not related to income-based taxes include (1) allowing an employer to pay its share of Social Security payroll taxes that would otherwise be due from the date of enactment through December 31, 2020, over the following two years and (2) allowing eligible employers subject to closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic to receive a 50% credit on qualified wages against their employment taxes each quarter, with any excess credits eligible for refunds.

The most significant provision of the CARES Act impacting our accounting for income taxes is the five-year carryback allowance for taxable net operating losses generated in tax years in which the statutory federal income tax rate is 21.0%, to periods in which the statutory federal income tax rate is 35.0%. We intend to carry back our 2020 taxable loss into our 2015 tax year, which results in a $3.4 million income tax benefit in the current year.

The tax effects of the major items recorded as deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31 are:

	2020		2019
Deferred income tax assets:
Operating expenses not currently deductible	$	9,084	$	10,214
Stock option and other employee benefit plans	17,446		19,308
Loss and credit carryforwards	27,199		23,841
Total deferred income tax assets	53,729		53,363
Valuation allowance	(1,490)		(1,923)
Total deferred income tax assets, net of valuation allowance	52,239		51,440
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Intangible assets	(76,766)		(84,019)
Property and equipment	(9,918)		(9,265)
Prepaid expenses	(6,869)		(4,922)
Deferred revenue	807		(1,676)
Total deferred income tax liabilities	(92,746)		(99,882)
Net deferred income tax liabilities	$	(40,507)	$	(48,442)

As of December 31, 2020, we had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $81.5 million, after-tax state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $3.5 million, and tax credit carryforwards of approximately $8.6 million. The federal net operating loss carryforward will begin to expire in 2032 if not utilized, and a portion of the state net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards begin expiring in 2021 if not utilized.

The acquired carryforwards are subject to an annual limitation but are expected to be realized with the exception of certain state net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The valuation allowance disclosed in the table above relates to state net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards that are likely to expire before utilization. We believe it is more likely than not that all other deferred tax assets will be realized. However, the amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable could be adjusted in the future if estimates of reversing taxable temporary differences are revised.

In connection with the acquisition of Socrata in 2018, we recorded a $1.9 million liability for an uncertain tax position associated with acquired tax credit carryforwards. The unrecognized tax benefits are included in deferred income taxes in our consolidated balance sheets. The entire amount, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. There was no change in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits during 2020. Based on the information currently available, we do not anticipate a significant increase or decrease to our tax contingencies for these issues for the next 12 months.

We are subject to U.S. federal income tax, as well as income tax of multiple state, local and foreign jurisdictions. We are routinely subject to income tax examinations by these taxing jurisdictions, but we do not have a history of, nor do we expect, any material adjustments as a result of these examinations. With few exceptions, major U.S. federal, state, local and foreign jurisdictions are no longer subject to examination for years before 2015. As of February 19, 2021, no significant adjustments have been proposed by any taxing jurisdiction.

We paid income taxes, net of refunds received, of $3.3 million in 2020, $21.3 million in 2019, and $6.8 million in 2018.