Note 9 - Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

9.	Income Taxes

Provision for Income Tax

The Company calculates its interim tax provision in accordance with the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 740-270, “Income Taxes; Interim Reporting”. For interim periods, the Company estimates its annual effective income tax rate and applies the estimated rate to the year-to-date income or loss before income taxes. The Company also computes the tax provision or benefit related to items reported separately and recognizes the items net of their related tax effect in the interim periods in which they occur. The Company also recognizes the effect of changes in enacted tax laws or rates in the interim periods in which the changes occur.

The Company’s effective tax rate is 0% for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. The Company expects that its effective tax rate for the full year 2015 will be 0%.

Deferred Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”), which requires that deferred tax assets and liabilities be recognized using enacted tax rates for the effect of temporary differences between book and tax bases of recorded assets and liabilities. ASC 740 also requires that deferred tax assets be reduced by a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had a deferred tax asset of approximately $13,900,000 which was fully offset by a valuation allowance. If realized, the asset will be reflected on the Company’s balance sheet and the reversal of the corresponding valuation allowance will result in a tax benefit being recorded in the statement of operations in the respective period. No additional deferred income tax asset has been recorded during the nine months ended September 30, 2015.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $14,487,000 and $14,475,000 available to offset future taxable income, if any, for both federal and California state income tax purposes, respectively. The Company’s federal and state net operating loss carryforwards begin to expire in 2027 and 2017, respectively, and valuation allowances have been provided, where necessary.

Utilization of the net operating loss carryforward may be subject to an annual limitation due to the ownership percentage change limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and similar state provisions. The annual limitation may result in the expiration of the net operating loss before utilization.

Uncertain Tax Positions

The Company accounts for its uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had $97,000 of unrecognized tax benefits, none of which will affect the effective tax rate if recognized due to the valuation allowance.

The Company is not aware of any other uncertain tax positions that could result in significant additional payments, accruals or other material deviation in this estimate during the fiscal year.

The Company files US federal and state returns. All tax years remain open in the jurisdictions, none of which have individual significance.

The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to uncertain tax positions as other expense and not tax expense. The Company currently has no interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions.