Note 8 - Income Taxes

 

The following table presents the domestic and foreign components of loss before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively:

 

(in thousands)  2025   2024 
Loss before Income Taxes        
United States  $(33,289)  $(38,243)
Foreign   (598)   
-
 
Total  $(33,887)  $(38,243)

 

The components of income tax provision consist of the following for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively:

 

(in thousands)   2025    2024 
Income Tax Expense          
Current          
Federal  $
-
   $
-
 
State & Local   
-
    
-
 
Foreign   
-
    
-
 
Total  $
-
   $
-
 
           
Deferred Tax Expense          
Federal  $
-
   $
-
 
State & Local   
-
    
-
 
Foreign   
-
    
-
 
Total  $
-
   $
-
 
Net Income Tax Expense  $
-
   $
-
 

 

No income taxes were paid during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2025 and 2024 are as follows:

 

(in thousands)  2025   2024 
Deferred tax assets:        
Net operating losses carry forward  $62,548   $47,875 
Deferred revenue   8,546    8,217 
Share-based compensation   14    1,572 
Research and development/orphan drug credits   24,811    23,296 
Capitalized research and development expenses   20,131    20,664 
Lease liabilities   414    369 
Others   44    20 
Total gross deferred tax assets   116,508    102,013 
Less: valuation allowance   (116,077)   (101,613)
Deferred tax assets, net   431    400 
           
Deferred tax liabilities:          
Lease right-of-use assets   (431)   (400)
Total gross deferred tax assets   (431)   (400)
           
Deferred tax assets, net  $
-
   $
-
 

 

In assessing the realizability of the net deferred tax assets, the Company considers all relevant positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion of the deferred income tax will not be realized. The realization of gross deferred tax assets is dependent on several factors, including the generation of sufficient taxable income prior to expiration of the net operating loss carryforwards. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets of approximately $116.1 million and $101.6 million respectively. The change in the valuation allowance during the year ended December 31, 2025 was $14.5 million.

At December 31, 2025, the Company had federal net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of $218.9 million At December 31, 2025, the Company had foreign NOL carryforwards of $48 thousand. At December 31, 2025 the Company had federal research and development and Orphan drug credit credits of $24.8 million. Federal NOL carryforwards of $104.8 million generated prior to 2018 will begin to expire if unused beginning in 2026, when $3.6 million in NOLs are due to expire. The Company’s largest NOLs will begin to expire in 2034 - 2037, with each year in excess of $15 million. NOLs generated in 2018 and later years of $114.6 million have an indefinite life, but will be limited to 80% of their value.

 

Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 subject the future utilization of net operating losses and certain other tax attributes, such as research and experimental tax credits, to an annual limitation in the event of certain ownership changes. The Company may be subject to the net operating loss utilization provision of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. The effect of an ownership change would be the imposition of an annual limitation of the use of NOL carryforwards attributable to periods before the change. The amount of the annual limitation depends upon the value of the Company immediately before the change, changes to the Company’s capital during a specified period prior to the change, and the federal published interest rate. Although the Company has not completed an analysis under Section 382 of the Code, it is likely that the utilization of the NOLs will be limited.

 

For state income tax purposes, the Company has $204.6 million of unused NOLs at December 31, 2025 available for carry forward to future years. These NOLs will begin to expire in 2035 if unused.

 

The Company has federal research and development tax credits of $8.1 million at December 31, 2025, which will begin to expire in 2033 if unused and orphan drug credits of $16.7 million which will begin to expire in 2037 if unused.

  

The difference between the income tax provision and the amount that would result if the U.S. Federal statutory rates were applied to pre-tax losses for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 after the adoption of ASU 2023-09 are as follows:

 

(in thousands)  December 31,
2025
   December 31,
2024
 
                 
Federal statutory income taxes  $(7,116)   (21.0)%  $(8,031)   (21.0)%
State income taxes   
-  
    
-  
%   (1,275)   (3.3)%
Foreign tax effects   126    0.4%   
-  
    
-  
%
Research and development/orphan drug tax credit   (1,514)   (4.5)%   (2,787)   (7.3)%
Stock-based compensation   2,089    6.2%   259    0.7%
Non-taxable or nondeductible items:                    
Other   347    1.0%   788    2.0%
162M- disallowed salary   1,003    2.9%   
-  
    
-  
%
Change in valuation allowance   5,065    15.0%   11,046    28.9%
Provision for income tax  $
-  
    
-  
   $
-  
    
-  
 

 

Entities are also required to evaluate, measure, recognize and disclose any uncertain income tax provisions taken on their income tax returns. The Company has analyzed its tax positions and has concluded that as of December 31, 2025 there were no uncertain positions. The Company’s U.S. federal and state net operating losses have occurred since its inception in 2009 and as such, tax years subject to potential tax examination could apply from that date. This is because the utilization of net operating losses from prior years opens the relevant year to audit by the IRS and/or state taxing authorities. Interest and penalties, if any, as they relate to income taxes assessed, are included in the income tax provision. The Company did not have any unrecognized tax benefits and has not accrued any interest or penalties for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 30, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 31, 2025
2023Mar 29, 2024
2022Mar 31, 2023
2021Mar 25, 2022
2020Mar 31, 2021
2019May 8, 2020
2018Mar 15, 2019
2017Mar 16, 2018
2016Mar 16, 2017
2015Mar 11, 2016

About Income Taxes Disclosures

The income tax disclosure reveals how much a company actually pays in taxes versus what the statutory rate would predict. Analysts focus on the effective tax rate (ETR) reconciliation, which breaks down every item driving the gap between the 21% federal rate and the company's reported ETR — including R&D credits, foreign rate differentials, and state taxes. Deferred tax assets (DTAs) and their valuation allowances signal management's confidence in future profitability: a rising allowance suggests the company doubts it can use accumulated tax benefits. Uncertain tax benefit (UTB) reserves quantify exposure to IRS challenges on aggressive positions.

Key signals to watch: sudden ETR drops without clear operational reasons, large increases in valuation allowances, growing UTB balances, and significant unremitted foreign earnings. Post-TCJA, pay attention to GILTI and BEAT provisions that affect multinational tax structures. Compare the cash taxes paid (from the cash flow statement) against the income tax provision to gauge earnings quality.