Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Note 15. Income Taxes

The following represents a reconciliation of income tax expense (benefit) and the amount that would be computed using the statutory federal income tax rates:

	2011					2010					2009
						(in thousands)
Computed income tax expense (benefit) at statutory federal income tax rate of 35%	$	4,613		35.0	%	$	896		35.0	%	$	(46,706	)	35.0	%
State income taxes, net of federal provision		(100	)	(0.8	%)		(172	)	(6.7	%)		(6,055	)	4.5	%
Tax resolutions, net		(103	)	(0.8	%)		(514	)	(20.1	%)		(3,527	)	2.6	%
Nondeductible goodwill impairments		—		0.0	%		—		0.0	%		26,831		(20.1	%)
Change in enacted tax law		—		0.0	%		1,279		50.0	%		—		0.0	%
Change in valuation allowance		(55	)	(0.4	%)		249		9.7	%		—		0.0	%
Other, net		(467	)	(3.5	%)		4		0.2	%		818		(0.5	%)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	3,888		29.5	%	$	1,742		68.1	%	$	(28,639	)	21.5	%

In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and a related measure, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, were both enacted into law. As a result of this legislation, the tax deductions for the portion of the prescription drug costs for which Viad receives a Medicare Part D subsidy have been eliminated for tax years beginning after December 31, 2012. Accordingly, during 2010, Viad reduced its deferred tax asset related to its postretirement benefit plan liability to reflect the change in the tax law. The reduction in the deferred tax asset resulted in an increase to income tax expense of $1.3 million in 2010.

Viad is subject to regular and recurring audits by the taxing authorities in the jurisdictions in which the Company conducts or had previously conducted operations. These include U.S. federal and most state jurisdictions, and certain foreign jurisdictions including Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Viad exercises judgment in determining its income tax provision due to transactions, credits and calculations where the ultimate tax determination is uncertain. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, Viad did not have any accrued gross liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions for continuing operations. As of December 31, 2010, Viad had accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions for continuing operations of $146,000. Viad classifies interest and penalties related to income tax liabilities as a component of income tax expense. During 2011 and 2010, Viad recorded tax-related interest expense credits of $146,000 and $261,000, respectively.

During 2011, 2010 and 2009, Viad recorded tax benefits related to the favorable resolution of tax matters in continuing operations of $103,000, $514,000 and $3.5 million, respectively. These tax resolutions primarily represent the reversal of amounts accrued for tax and related interest and penalties in connection with uncertain tax positions which were effectively settled or for which there was a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations.

In addition to the above, Viad had accrued gross liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions for discontinued operations of $636,000 as of both December 31, 2011 and 2010. In addition, as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, Viad had accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions for discontinued operations of $386,000 and $351,000, respectively. Future tax resolutions or settlements that may occur related to these uncertain tax positions would be recorded through discontinued operations (net of federal tax effects, if applicable). Viad does not expect any of the unrecognized tax benefits to be recognized during the next 12 months.

The following represents a reconciliation of the total amounts of liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions (excluding interest and penalties):

	Continuing Operations			Discontinued Operations		Total
				(in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2009	$	3,487		$	636	$	4,123
Reductions for tax positions taken in prior years		(2,702	)		—		(2,702	)
Reductions for tax settlements		(174	)		—		(174	)
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes		(611	)		—		(611	)
Balance at December 31, 2009		—			636		636
Reductions for tax positions taken in prior years		—			—		—
Reductions for tax settlements		—			—		—
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes		—			—		—
Balance at December 31, 2010		—			636		636
Reductions for tax positions taken in prior years		—			—		—
Reductions for tax settlements		—			—		—
Reductions for lapse of applicable statutes		—			—		—
Balance at December 31, 2011	$	—		$	636	$	636

Viad’s 2008 through 2011 U.S. federal tax years and various state tax years from 2007 through 2011 remain subject to income tax examinations by tax authorities. Additionally, 2005 and 2006 remain subject to examination due to net operating loss carryback claims. In addition, tax years from 2007 through 2011 related to Viad’s foreign taxing jurisdictions also remain subject to examination.

Viad classifies liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions as non-current liabilities in its consolidated balance sheets unless they are expected to be paid within the next year. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, liabilities associated with uncertain tax positions (including interest and penalties) of $1.0 million and $1.1 million, respectively, were classified as non-current liabilities.

Deferred income tax assets and liabilities included in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31 related to the following:

	2011			2010
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
Tax credit carryforwards	$	25,219		$	18,631
Pension, compensation and other employee benefits		22,103			20,903
Provisions for losses		16,038			17,474
Net operating loss carryforward		3,086			3,036
State income taxes		2,400			1,758
Deferred income		125			1,020
Goodwill and other intangible assets		—			150
Other deferred income tax assets		1,745			4,126
Total deferred tax assets		70,716			67,098
Valuation allowance		(356	)		(411	)
Net deferred tax assets		70,360			66,687
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment		(7,729	)		(10,157	)
Goodwill and other intangible assets		(1,006	)		—
Other deferred income tax liabilities		(287	)		(180	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(9,022	)		(10,337	)
Foreign deferred tax liabilities included above		1,617			1,582
United States deferred tax assets	$	62,955		$	57,932

Viad is required to estimate and record provisions for income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. Accordingly, the Company must estimate its actual current income tax liability, and assess temporary differences arising from the treatment of items for tax purposes as compared to the treatment for accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities which are included in Viad’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company must assess the likelihood that deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and to the extent that recovery is not likely, a valuation allowance must be established. The Company uses significant judgment in forming a conclusion regarding the recoverability of its deferred tax assets and evaluates the available positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that its deferred tax assets will be realized in the future. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, Viad had gross deferred tax assets of $70.7 million and $67.1 million, respectively. These deferred tax assets reflect the expected future tax benefits to be realized upon reversal of deductible temporary differences, and the utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards.

The Company considered all available positive and negative evidence regarding the future recoverability of its deferred tax assets, including the Company’s recent operating history and projected taxable income, taxpaying history and future reversals of deferred tax liabilities. Furthermore, Viad also considered the fact that goodwill impairment losses are not tax deductible and thus did not contribute to tax losses. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, Viad had state net operating loss carryforwards of $91.9 million and $79.0 million, respectively, for which the Company had deferred tax assets of $2.1 million and $2.2 million, respectively. The state net operating loss carryforwards expire on various dates from 2016 through 2031. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, Viad had a valuation allowance of $356,000 and $411,000, respectively, related to those state deferred tax assets. With respect to all other deferred tax assets, management believes that recovery from future taxable income is more-likely-than-not.

As noted above, Viad uses considerable judgment in forming a conclusion regarding the recoverability of its deferred tax assets. As a result, there are inherent uncertainties regarding the ultimate realization of these assets, which is primarily dependent on Viad’s ability to generate sufficient taxable income in future periods. In future periods, it is reasonably possible that the relative weight of positive and negative evidence regarding the recoverability of Viad’s deferred tax assets may change, which could result in a material increase in the Company’s valuation allowance. If such an increase in the valuation allowance were to occur, it would result in increased income tax expense in the period the assessment was made.

As of December 31, 2011, Viad had tax credit carryforwards related to alternative minimum tax of $9.9 million that may be carried forward indefinitely. Additionally, as of December 31, 2011, Viad had foreign tax credit carryforwards of $15.3 million, of which $1.9 million expire in 2019, $8.3 million expire in 2020 and $5.1 million expire in 2021.

Viad has not recorded deferred taxes on certain historical unremitted earnings of its Canadian subsidiaries as management intends to reinvest those earnings in its Canadian operations. As of December 31, 2011, the incremental unrecognized tax liability (net of estimated foreign tax credits) related to those undistributed earnings was approximately $2.3 million. To the extent that circumstances change and it becomes apparent that some or all of those undistributed earnings will be remitted to the U.S., Viad would accrue income taxes attributable to such remittance.

Income tax expense (benefit) consisted of the following:

	2011			2010			2009
				(in thousands)
Current:
United States:
Federal	$	(4,643	)	$	(9,286	)	$	(18,057	)
State		1,292			677			(9,621	)
Foreign		8,163			9,607			7,388
		4,812			998			(20,290	)
Deferred
United States:
Federal		992			3,212			(9,136	)
State		(1,560	)		(939	)		(69	)
Foreign		(356	)		(1,529	)		856
		(924	)		744			(8,349	)
Income tax expense (benefit)	$	3,888		$	1,742		$	(28,639	)

During 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company recorded tax deficiencies of $325,000, $524,000 and $1.3 million, respectively, related to the vesting of restricted stock and PBRS and the exercise of stock options, which were recorded as charges to stockholders’ equity.

Eligible subsidiaries (including sold and discontinued businesses up to their respective disposition dates) are included in the consolidated federal and other applicable income tax returns of Viad.

United States and foreign income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes was as follows:

	2011			2010			2009
				(in thousands)
United States	$	(16,227	)	$	(22,592	)	$	(128,789	)
Foreign		29,407			25,151			(4,658	)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	$	13,180		$	2,559		$	(133,447	)