BlueLinx Holdings Inc.BXC
BlueLinx Holdings Inc. Income Taxes Disclosure
Income Taxes
For fiscal 2025, the Company’s statutory income tax rate was 25.1 percent, and it was comprised of the federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0 percent and the blended state statutory income tax rate of 4.1 percent. In fiscal 2024, the Company’s statutory income tax rate was also 25.1 percent, and it was comprised of the federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0 percent and the blended state statutory income tax rate of 4.1 percent. In fiscal 2023, the Company’s statutory income tax rate was 25.3 percent, and it was comprised of the federal statutory income tax rate of 21.0 percent and the blended state statutory income rate of 4.3 percent. The Company’s blended state income tax rate is impacted by the mix of income earned in various states and by the Company’s federal taxable income, both of which may differ from year to year. The Company’s effective income tax rate is impacted by the effects of permanent differences occurring throughout the fiscal year.
The Company’s income tax (benefit) expense and the effective income tax rates were as follows:
| Fiscal Year Ended January 3, 2026 | Fiscal Year Ended December 28, 2024 | Fiscal Year Ended December 30, 2023 | |||||||||||||||
| ($ amounts in thousands) | 53 weeks | 52 weeks | 52 weeks | ||||||||||||||
| Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes | $ | 129 | $ | 70,687 | $ | 81,886 | |||||||||||
| Federal income taxes: | |||||||||||||||||
| Current | $ | (754) | $ | 11,255 | $ | 20,221 | |||||||||||
| Deferred | 270 | 1,490 | 7,993 | ||||||||||||||
| State income taxes: | |||||||||||||||||
| Current | 700 | 3,638 | 5,373 | ||||||||||||||
| Deferred | (306) | 1,188 | (237) | ||||||||||||||
| (Benefit) provision for income taxes | $ | (90) | $ | 17,571 | $ | 33,350 | |||||||||||
| Effective income tax rate | (a) | 24.9 | % | 40.7 | % | ||||||||||||
(a) The Company income tax benefit and income before income taxes were not material for fiscal 2025.
The accounting for the one-time settlement for the single-employer defined benefit pension plan increased the effective income tax rate for fiscal 2023 by 14.8%.
For fiscal 2025, the Company’s benefit for income taxes is reconciled to the federal statutory amount as follows:
| Fiscal 2025 | ||||||||
| ($ amounts in thousands) | 53 weeks | |||||||
| $ Amount | % | |||||||
| Income before income taxes | $ | 129 | ||||||
| Federal income taxes computed at the federal statutory tax rate | $ | 27 | 21 | % | ||||
| Increases (decreases) in income tax from: | ||||||||
Domestic state and local income taxes, net of federal benefit (1) | (6) | (4.7) | % | |||||
| Nontaxable or nondeductible items: | ||||||||
| Stock-based compensation - excess income tax benefit | (977) | (757.4) | % | |||||
| Executive compensation | 308 | 238.8 | % | |||||
| Meals and entertainment | 291 | 225.6 | % | |||||
| Other items | 47 | 36.4 | % | |||||
| Other: | ||||||||
| Adjustment to balances of deferred income taxes | 220 | 170.5 | % | |||||
| Benefit for income taxes | $ | (90) | (69.8) | % | ||||
(1) For the state income tax effect, taxes were not material for any single state or in the aggregate. Local income taxes were not material.
The Company’s provisions for income taxes are reconciled to the federal statutory amounts as follows for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2023:
| (in thousands) | Fiscal 2024 | Fiscal 2023 | |||||||||
| 52 weeks | 52 weeks | ||||||||||
| Federal income taxes computed at the federal statutory tax rate | $ | 14,844 | $ | 17,196 | |||||||
| State income taxes, net of federal benefit | 4,188 | 4,609 | |||||||||
| Valuation allowance change arising from state net operating losses | 49 | (621) | |||||||||
Pension plan settlement (1) | — | 12,150 | |||||||||
| Uncertain tax positions | (1,371) | (356) | |||||||||
| Permanent differences arising from compensation | (95) | 746 | |||||||||
| Other | (44) | (374) | |||||||||
| Provision for income taxes | $ | 17,571 | $ | 33,350 | |||||||
(1) $4.5 million was reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income in fiscal 2023
The Company’s consolidated financial statements contain certain deferred income tax assets which primarily result from other temporary differences related to certain reserves, accrued liabilities, pension obligations, differences between book and tax depreciation and amortization, and state net operating losses. The Company records a valuation allowance against deferred income tax assets when it is determined, based on the weight of available evidence, that it is more likely than not that some or all of the Company’s deferred income tax assets will not be realized in the future.
For fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, components of the Company’s deferred income tax assets and deferred income tax liabilities are as follows:
| As of | |||||||||||
| January 3, 2026 | December 28, 2024 | ||||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Deferred income tax assets: | |||||||||||
| Inventory reserves | $ | 3,685 | $ | 4,179 | |||||||
| Compensation-related accruals | 6,431 | 6,339 | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable | 945 | 793 | |||||||||
| Property and equipment | 33,127 | 41,481 | |||||||||
| Operating lease liability | 14,031 | 12,203 | |||||||||
| Pension plans | 2,561 | 2,701 | |||||||||
Benefit from net operating loss carryovers | 11,074 | 3,809 | |||||||||
| Other | 92 | 40 | |||||||||
| Total gross deferred income tax assets | 71,946 | 71,545 | |||||||||
| Less: valuation allowances | (3,444) | (3,505) | |||||||||
| Total net deferred income tax assets | $ | 68,502 | $ | 68,040 | |||||||
| Deferred income tax liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Intangible assets | $ | (2,956) | $ | (4,279) | |||||||
| Operating lease asset | (13,625) | (11,823) | |||||||||
| Other | (1,306) | (1,360) | |||||||||
| Total deferred income tax liabilities | (17,887) | (17,462) | |||||||||
| Deferred income tax asset, net | $ | 50,615 | $ | 50,578 | |||||||
Activity in the Company’s deferred income tax asset valuation allowance for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024 was as follows:
| January 3, 2026 | December 28, 2024 | ||||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Balance as of beginning of the fiscal year | $ | 3,505 | $ | 3,456 | |||||||
| Valuation allowance increases (decreases) related to: | |||||||||||
| State net operating loss carryforwards | (61) | 49 | |||||||||
| Balance as of end of the fiscal year | $ | 3,444 | $ | 3,505 | |||||||
The Company has recorded income tax and related interest liabilities where it believes certain income tax positions are not more likely than not to be sustained if challenged. These balances are included in Other noncurrent liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
The following table summarizes the activity related to our gross unrecognized income tax benefits:
| January 3, 2026 | December 28, 2024 | ||||||||||
| (In thousands) | |||||||||||
| Balance at beginning of the fiscal year | $ | 596 | $ | 3,281 | |||||||
| Additions for tax positions of current fiscal year | 18 | — | |||||||||
| Reductions due to lapse of applicable statute of limitations | — | (2,685) | |||||||||
| Balance at end of the fiscal year | $ | 614 | $ | 596 | |||||||
Included in the unrecognized income tax benefits as of January 3, 2026 and December 28, 2024, were approximately $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively of income tax benefits that, if recognized, would reduce the Company’s annual effective income tax rate for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024. Penalties accrued for fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024 were not material. The Company has accrued interest associated with its unrecognized income tax benefits which it releases as those benefits are realized due to the lapse of applicable statute of limitations. Interest expense associated with the Company’s unrecognized income tax benefits is reported as Interest expense, net in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive income. Such interest expense has not been material in any reporting period presented herein.
Net Operating Losses
At the end of fiscal 2025, the Company’s gross federal net operating loss carryovers were $30.0 million, representing a future net tax benefit of approximately $6.3 million. These federal loss carryovers have an indefinite expected carryforward period. At the end of fiscal 2025, the Company’s gross state net operating loss carryovers were $92.9 million and its tax-effected state net operating loss carryovers were $4.7 million, of which $3.4 million was subject to a valuation allowance arising from expiration dates when considered in conjunction with state limitations related to Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 382. At the end of fiscal 2024, the Company’s gross state net operating loss carryovers were $73.1 million and tax-effected state net operating loss carryovers were $3.7 million, of which $3.5 million was subject to a valuation allowance arising from expiration dates when considered in conjunction with state limitation related to IRC Section 382. Certain of the Company’s state net operating loss carryovers will expire in 5 to 20 years, while others are expected to carry forward indefinitely.
Federal and State Tax Filings
The Company files U.S. federal and state income tax returns in jurisdictions with varying statutes of limitations and may be subject to audit based on periods that are not limited by applicable statutes. The Company’s U.S. federal income tax returns for tax years 2022, 2023 and 2024 remain subject to audit under the federal statute of limitations. The Company’s auditable state income tax returns vary depending on the jurisdiction and its applicable statute of limitations.
Assessing Deferred Tax Assets
Quarterly, the Company assesses the carrying value of its deferred income tax assets for impairment by evaluating the weight of available evidence at the end of each fiscal quarter. In the evaluation of the weight of available evidence at the end of fiscal 2025, the Company considered the recent reported income in the current year, as well as the reported income for 2024 and 2023, which resulted in a three-year cumulative income situation as positive evidence which carried substantial weight. While this was substantial, it was not the only evidence evaluated. The Company also considered evidence related to the four sources of taxable income, to determine whether such positive evidence outweighed the negative evidence. The evidence considered included:
•future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences;
•future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences and carryforwards;
•taxable income in prior carryback years, if carryback is permitted under the tax law; and
•income tax planning strategies.
In addition to the positive evidence discussed above, the Company considered as positive evidence forecasted future taxable income, the future timing of the reversal of its deferred income tax assets and liabilities, and the evidence from business and tax planning strategies. At the end of fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2024, in the Company’s evaluation of the weight of available evidence, the Company concluded that its deferred income tax assets were not impaired other than $3.4 million and $3.5 million, respectively, of the state net operating losses.
Although the Company believes its estimates are reasonable in the carrying value of its valuation allowances against its deferred income tax items, the ultimate determination of the appropriate amounts of valuation allowance involves significant judgement.
Federal and State Income Tax Payments, Net of Refunds
During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026, the Company paid U.S. federal income taxes, net of refunds, totaling $3.9 million and paid state income taxes, net of refunds, of $0.1 million. Income tax payments, net of refunds, to any single state did not exceed five percent of the Company’s total income tax paid, net of refunds. Local income taxes paid by the Company were not
material.
On July 4, 2025, the law formally titled “An Act to Provide for the Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14” (commonly referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” or “OBBB”) was signed into law. The OBBB did not have a material effect on the Company effective income tax rates for fiscal 2025 and is not expected to have a material effective in future years. However, the bonus depreciation provisions of the OBBB reduced the Company’s cash payments for income taxes by approximately $1.2 million for fiscal 2025, based on qualifying assets in fiscal 2025.
During the fiscal year ended January 3, 2026, the Company did not pay income taxes to any jurisdictions outside of the United States.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Feb 24, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 18, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 20, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 21, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 3, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 11, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 13, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 1, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 28, 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.