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Taxation
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Taxation
TAXATION
Under current Bermuda law, the Company and its Bermuda subsidiaries are not subject to any income or capital gains taxes. In the event that such taxes are imposed, the Company and its Bermuda subsidiaries would be exempted from any such tax until March 2035 pursuant to the Bermuda Exempted Undertakings Tax Protection Act 1966, and Amended Acts of 1987 and 2011, respectively.
RenRe North America Holdings Inc. ("RenRe North America") and its subsidiaries are subject to income taxes imposed by U.S. federal and state authorities and file a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return. Should the U.S. subsidiaries pay a dividend to the Company, withholding taxes would apply to the extent of current year or accumulated earnings and profits. The Company also has operations in Ireland and the U.K. which are subject to income taxes imposed by the respective jurisdictions in which they operate.
The Company is not subject to income taxation other than as stated above.  There can be no assurance that there will not be changes in applicable laws, regulations or treaties, which might require the Company to change the way it operates or become subject to taxation.
The following is a summary of the Company's income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes allocated between domestic and foreign operations:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31,
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
Domestic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bermuda
$
795,361

 
$
18,259

 
$
808,715

 
 
Foreign
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
United Kingdom
(15,404
)
 
(22,895
)
 
(7,929
)
 
 
U.S.
(35,197
)
 
(70,157
)
 
(10,938
)
 
 
Ireland
3,318

 
(24
)
 
2,510

 
 
Other
13

 

 

 
 
Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes
$
748,091

 
$
(74,817
)
 
$
792,358

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Income tax (expense) benefit is comprised as follows:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31, 2012
Current
 
Deferred
 
Total
 
 
Total income tax (expense) benefit
$
(1,693
)
 
$
264

 
$
(1,429
)
 
 
Year ended December 31, 2011
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total income tax benefit (expense)
$
13,467

 
$
(13,152
)
 
$
315

 
 
Year ended December 31, 2010
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total income tax (expense) benefit
$
(1,384
)
 
$
7,508

 
$
6,124

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The Company's expected income tax provision computed on pre-tax income at the weighted average tax rate has been calculated as the sum of the pre-tax income in each jurisdiction multiplied by that jurisdiction's applicable statutory tax rate. Statutory tax rates of 0.0%, 35.0%, 12.5%, 23.0% and 17.0% have been used for Bermuda, the U.S., Ireland, the U.K. and Other, respectively.
The Company's effective income tax rate, which it calculates as income tax expense divided by net income before taxes, may fluctuate significantly from period to period depending on the geographic distribution of pre-tax net income in any given period between different jurisdictions with comparatively higher tax rates and those with comparatively lower tax rates. The geographic distribution of pre-tax net income can vary significantly between periods due to, but not limited to, the following factors: the business mix of net premiums written and earned; the geographic location, the size and nature of net claims and claim expenses incurred; the amount and geographic location of operating expenses, net investment income, net realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments; outstanding debt and related interest expense; and the amount of specific adjustments to determine the income tax basis in each of the Company's operating jurisdictions.  In addition, a significant portion of the Company's gross and net premiums are currently written and earned in Bermuda, a non-taxable jurisdiction, including the majority of the Company's catastrophe business, which can result in significant volatility to its pre-tax net income (loss) in any given period.
A reconciliation of the difference between the provision for income taxes and the expected tax provision at the weighted average tax rate is as follows:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Year ended December 31,
2012
 
2011
 
2010
 
 
Expected income tax benefit
$
15,445

 
$
30,589

 
$
5,647

 
 
Change in valuation allowance
(13,190
)
 
(27,601
)
 
(1,175
)
 
 
Other
(3,684
)
 
(2,673
)
 
1,652

 
 
Income tax (expense) benefit
$
(1,429
)
 
$
315

 
$
6,124

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are presented below:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At December 31,
2012
 
2011
 
 
Deferred tax assets
 
 
 
 
 
Tax loss and credit carryforwards
$
27,658

 
$
15,692

 
 
Accrued expenses
2,716

 
2,983

 
 
Investments
3,720

 
7,744

 
 
Deferred interest expense
8,448

 
4,011

 
 
Deferred underwriting results
4,366

 
3,538

 
 
Amortization and depreciation
1,490

 
1,256

 
 
 
48,398

 
35,224

 
 
Deferred tax liabilities
 
 
 
 
 
Amortization and depreciation
(369
)
 
(649
)
 
 
 
(369
)
 
(649
)
 
 
Net deferred tax asset before valuation allowance
48,029

 
34,575

 
 
Valuation allowance
(48,173
)
 
(34,983
)
 
 
Net deferred tax liability
$
(144
)
 
$
(408
)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

During 2012, the Company recorded a net increase to the valuation allowance of $13.2 million (2011$31.4 million, 2010$1.2 million). The Company's net deferred tax asset primarily relates to net operating loss carryforwards and GAAP versus tax basis accounting differences relating to interest expense, underwriting results, accrued expenses and investments. The Company's U.S. operations generated a cumulative GAAP taxable loss for the three year periods ended December 31, 2012 and 2011. Accordingly, the Company believes that it is more likely than not that the U.S. net deferred tax asset will not be realized and as a result has provided a full valuation allowance against its U.S. net deferred tax asset. In addition, a valuation allowance has been provided against deferred tax assets in Ireland and the U.K. These deferred tax assets relate primarily to net operating loss carryforwards and deferred underwriting results.
In the U.S., the Company has net operating loss carryforwards of $54.5 million. Under applicable law, the U.S. net operating loss carryforwards will begin to expire in 2031. In Ireland, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards of $12.0 million. Under applicable law, the Irish net operating loss can be carried forward for an indefinite period. In the U.K., the Company has net operating loss carryforwards of $19.1 million. Under applicable law, the U.K. net operating loss can be carried forward for an indefinite period.
The Company had a net refund for U.S. federal, Irish and U.K. income taxes of $13.2 million for the year ended 2012 (2011 – net payments of $11.0 million, 2010 – net payments of $3.5 million).
The Company has unrecognized tax benefits of $Nil as of December 31, 2012 (2011$3.3 million). Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, would be recognized in income tax expense.  At December 31, 2012, interest and penalties accrued on unrecognized tax benefits was $Nil. Income tax returns filed for tax years 2009 through 2011, 2008 through 2011 and 2011, are open for examination by the Internal Revenue Service, Irish tax authorities and U.K. tax authorities, respectively. The Company does not expect the resolution of these open years to have a significant impact on its consolidated statements of operations and financial condition.