TAXES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
TAXES
TAXES	NOTE 7. TAXES For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company’s effective tax rate was 35.9% compared to 35.4% for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012 with the increase in the effective rate attributable to a full nine months results for Monarch Black Hawk in the current year period. Black Hawk’s tax rate is higher due to Colorado taxable income. Sales and Use Tax on Complimentary Meals On March 27, 2008, the Nevada Supreme Court issued a decision in Sparks Nugget, Inc. vs. The State of Nevada Department of Taxation (the “Department”), holding that food purchased for subsequent use in the provision of complimentary and/or employee meals were exempt from use tax. As a result of this decision, refund claims were filed for use taxes paid over the period April 1997 through March 2000 and the period February 2005 through June 2008, on food purchased for subsequent use in complimentary and employee meals at our Nevada casino property. We requested refunds totaling approximately $1.6 million, excluding interest (“the Refunds”). We have not recognized any of these refund amounts. In February 2012, the Department issued a policy directive, requesting that affected taxpayers begin collecting and remitting sales tax on complimentary meals and employee meals effective February 2012 and on June 25, 2012, the Nevada Tax Commission adopted regulations providing for a similar requirement. Subject to these regulations we accrued $0.6 million through June 2013 related to this directive. The Department policy directive was challenged by several affected parties and in June 2013, the Nevada Tax Commission issued a ruling that complimentary and employee meals were no longer subject to sales taxation. Associated with the ruling, the Nevada hotel-casino industry, including the Company, agreed to forego and cause to be withdrawn certain pending use tax refund requests. Pursuant to that agreement, we withdrew our request for the $1.6 million Refunds. As a result of the ruling, we reversed the accumulated sales tax expense accrual totaling $0.6 million in the second quarter.

TAXES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

NOTE 7. TAXES

For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company’s effective tax rate was 35.9% compared to 35.4% for the nine month period ended September 30, 2012 with the increase in the effective rate attributable to a full nine months results for Monarch Black Hawk in the current year period. Black Hawk’s tax rate is higher due to Colorado taxable income.

Sales and Use Tax on Complimentary Meals

On March 27, 2008, the Nevada Supreme Court issued a decision in Sparks Nugget, Inc. vs. The State of Nevada Department of Taxation (the “Department”), holding that food purchased for subsequent use in the provision of complimentary and/or employee meals were exempt from use tax. As a result of this decision, refund claims were filed for use taxes paid over the period April 1997 through March 2000 and the period February 2005 through June 2008, on food purchased for subsequent use in complimentary and employee meals at our Nevada casino property. We requested refunds totaling approximately $1.6 million, excluding interest (“the Refunds”). We have not recognized any of these refund amounts.

In February 2012, the Department issued a policy directive, requesting that affected taxpayers begin collecting and remitting sales tax on complimentary meals and employee meals effective February 2012 and on June 25, 2012, the Nevada Tax Commission adopted regulations providing for a similar requirement. Subject to these regulations we accrued $0.6 million through June 2013 related to this directive.

The Department policy directive was challenged by several affected parties and in June 2013, the Nevada Tax Commission issued a ruling that complimentary and employee meals were no longer subject to sales taxation. Associated with the ruling, the Nevada hotel-casino industry, including the Company, agreed to forego and cause to be withdrawn certain pending use tax refund requests. Pursuant to that agreement, we withdrew our request for the $1.6 million Refunds. As a result of the ruling, we reversed the accumulated sales tax expense accrual totaling $0.6 million in the second quarter.