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Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

11. INCOME TAXES

VAALCO and its domestic subsidiaries file a consolidated United States income tax return. Certain subsidiaries’ operations are also subject to foreign income taxes.

Provision for income taxes consists of the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

 

2015

 

2014

 

2013

U.S. Federal:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

$

 -

 

$

 -

 

$

 -

Deferred

 

 

1,349 

 

 

 -

 

 

 -

Foreign:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current

 

 

13,238 

 

 

22,486 

 

 

34,115 

Deferred

 

 

 -

 

 

 -

 

 

 -

Total

 

$

14,587 

 

$

22,486 

 

$

34,115 

The primary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities resulted in deferred tax assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2015

 

2014

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basis difference in fixed assets

 

$

98,890 

 

$

63,931 

Foreign tax credit carry forward

 

 

58,290 

 

 

48,928 

Alternative minimum tax credit carryover

 

 

1,349 

 

 

1,349 

U.S. federal net operating losses

 

 

13,878 

 

 

 -

Foreign net operating losses

 

 

64,187 

 

 

44,228 

Asset retirement obligations

 

 

5,658 

 

 

5,196 

Basis difference in receivables

 

 

4,148 

 

 

3,510 

Other

 

 

(649)

 

 

318 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

245,751 

 

 

167,460 

Valuation allowance

 

 

(245,751)

 

 

(166,111)

Net deferred tax assets

 

$

 -

 

$

1,349 

Foreign tax credits will start to expire between the years 2017 and 2025. The alternative minimum tax credits do not expire, and foreign net operating losses (“NOLs”) are not subject to expiry dates. The NOL for our United Kingdom subsidiary can be carried forward indefinitely, while the NOLs for our Gabon and Angola subsidiaries are included in the respective subsidiaries’ cost oil accounts, which will be offset against future taxable revenues. The U.S federal NOL can be carried forward until 2035. Management assesses the available positive and negative evidence to estimate if existing deferred tax assets will be utilized. We do not anticipate utilization of the foreign tax credits prior to expiration nor do we expect to generate sufficient taxable income to utilize other deferred tax assets. On the basis of this evaluation, valuation allowances of $245.8 million, $166.1 million and $137.3 million have been recorded as of December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013. Valuation allowances reduce the deferred tax asset to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

As a result of activity in the U.S. in 2015, a full valuation allowance was recorded related to AMT credits and our expectation that these credits will not be utilized in the foreseeable future.

Income (loss) before income taxes is attributable as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

 

2015

 

2014

 

2013

United States

 

$

(15,177)

 

$

(6,349)

 

$

(17,649)

Foreign

 

 

(128,892)

 

 

(48,715)

 

 

94,836 

 

 

$

(144,069)

 

$

(55,064)

 

$

77,187 

The reconciliation to the U.S. statutory rate is as follows:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

(in thousands)

 

2015

 

2014

 

2013

Tax provision computed at U.S. statutory rate

 

$

(50,424)

 

$

(19,273)

 

$

27,015 

Foreign taxes not offset in U.S. by foreign tax credits

 

 

(19,445)

 

 

4,433 

 

 

(2,072)

Effect of change in foreign statutory rates

 

 

3,014 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permanent differences

 

 

1,802 

 

 

135 

 

 

973 

Foreign tax credit adjustments

 

 

 -

 

 

8,417 

 

 

(28,027)

Increase/(decrease) in valuation allowance

 

 

79,640 

 

 

28,762 

 

 

37,752 

Other

 

 

 -

 

 

12 

 

 

(1,526)

Total income tax expense

 

$

14,587 

 

$

22,486 

 

$

34,115 

At December 31, 2015, 2014 and 2013, we were subject to foreign and U.S. federal taxes only, with no allocations made to state and local taxes. The following table summarizes the tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jurisdiction

 

Years

United States

 

2008-2015

Gabon

 

2007-2015