8. Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

We file numerous consolidated and separate income tax returns with the United States and with many states. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, or local examinations by tax authorities for years before 2008.

We do not anticipate that total unrecognized tax benefits will significantly change due to any settlements of audits or expirations of statutes of limitations over the next 12 months.

The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return and combined or stand-alone state franchise tax returns for certain states. We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, under which deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement values of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

Deferred tax assets are recognized subject to management’s judgment that realization is more likely than not. A valuation allowance is recognized for a deferred tax asset if, based on the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In making such judgements, significant weight is given to evidence that can be objectively verified. As a result of the unprecedented adverse changes in the market for securitizations, the recession and the resulting high levels of unemployment that occurred in 2008 and 2009, we incurred substantial operating losses from 2009 through 2011 which led us to establish a valuation allowance against a substantial portion of our deferred tax assets. However, since the fourth quarter of 2011, we have reported six consecutive quarters of increasing profitability, observed improvement in credit metrics, and produced reliable internal financial projections. Furthermore, we have demonstrated an ability to increase our volumes of contract purchases, grow our managed portfolio and obtain cost effective short and long-term financing for our finance receivables. As a result of these and other factors, we determined at December 31, 2012 that, based on the weight of the available objective evidence, it was more likely than not that we would generate sufficient future taxable income to utilize our net deferred tax assets. Accordingly, we reversed the related valuation allowance of $62.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Although realization is not assured, we believe that the realization of the recognized net deferred tax asset of $75.6 million as of March 31, 2013 is more likely than not based on forecasted future net earnings. Our net deferred tax asset of $75.6 million consists of approximately $62.4 million of net U.S. federal deferred tax assets and $13.2 million of net state deferred tax assets. The major components of the deferred tax asset are $62.5 million in net operating loss carryforwards and built in losses and $13.1 million in net deductions which have not yet been taken on a tax return. We estimate that we would need to generate approximately $189 million of taxable income during the applicable carryforward periods to realize fully our federal and state net deferred tax assets.