Celcuity Inc. Income Taxes Disclosure
12. Income Taxes
income tax benefit was recorded during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, due to net losses and recognition of a valuation allowance. The following table, which reflects the Company’s retrospective adoption of ASU 2023-09, presents a reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate, including the amount (in thousands):
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||||
| Amount | % | Amount | % | |||||||||||||
| Tax benefit at statutory rate | $ | (37,179 | ) | 21.0 | % | $ | (23,474 | ) | 21.0 | % | ||||||
| State income tax benefit, net of federal tax effect | (14 | ) | (3 | ) | ||||||||||||
| Federal change in valuation allowance on deferred tax assets | 38,249 | (21.6 | ) | 23,797 | (21.3 | ) | ||||||||||
| Federal research and development credits | (1,358 | ) | 0.8 | (982 | ) | 0.9 | ||||||||||
| Prior year adjustments | (343 | ) | 0.2 | (3 | ) | |||||||||||
| Non-deductible items | 645 | (0.4 | ) | 665 | (0.6 | ) | ||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | $ | % | $ | % | ||||||||||||
In July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was enacted, introducing a series of corporate tax changes in the U.S., including 100% bonus depreciation on qualified property and full expensing of domestic research and development expenditures. The impacts of OBBBA are reflected in our results of operations during the year ended December 31, 2025. OBBBA did not have a material impact on the Company’s effective income tax rate and its net deferred tax assets as the Company maintains a full valuation allowance.
Deferred tax assets (liabilities) reflect the net effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company’s deferred tax assets relate primarily to its net operating loss carryforwards and other balance sheet basis differences. In accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, the Company recorded a valuation allowance to fully offset the net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, because it is more likely than not that the Company will not realize future benefits associated with these deferred tax assets. The tax effects of temporary differences and carryforwards that give rise to significant portions of the deferred tax assets (liabilities) were (in thousands):
| As of December 31, | ||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||
| Gross deferred tax assets (liabilities): | ||||||||
| Accrued expenses | $ | 253 | $ | 459 | ||||
| Stock-based compensation | 6,056 | 2,861 | ||||||
| Property and equipment | 463 | 420 | ||||||
| Right-of-use assets | (11 | ) | (45 | ) | ||||
| Lease liabilities | 12 | 48 | ||||||
| Section 174 expenditures | 48,070 | 30,133 | ||||||
| Start-up expenditures | 21,955 | 12,998 | ||||||
| Net operating losses and tax credits | 23,483 | 13,340 | ||||||
| Deferred tax assets before valuation allowance | 100,281 | 60,214 | ||||||
| Valuation allowance | (100,281 | ) | (60,214 | ) | ||||
| Net deferred tax assets | $ | $ | ||||||
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $83.3 million and $4.8 million, respectively. The federal and state net operating loss carryforwards for 2017 will begin to expire during the year ending December 31, 2037. The federal net operating loss carryforwards starting in 2018 have no expiration. These deferred tax assets were subject to a full valuation allowance as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards resulting in deferred tax assets of $4.3 million and $2.0 million, respectively. The federal and state credit carryforwards will begin to expire during the years ending December 31, 2038 and December 31, 2033, respectively. These deferred tax assets were subject to a full valuation allowance as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Under the provisions of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, certain substantial changes in the Company’s ownership, including a sale of the Company, or significant changes in ownership due to sales of equity, may limit in the future the amount of net operating loss carryforwards available to offset future taxable income.
The Company recognizes uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of evaluating whether it is more-likely-than not that the tax positions will be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. For those tax positions that meet the more-likely-than not recognition threshold, the Company recognizes the largest amount of tax benefit that is more than 50 percent likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had no significant uncertain tax positions. There are no unrecognized tax benefits included on the balance sheets that would, if recognized, impact the effective tax rate. The Company does not anticipate there will be a significant change in unrecognized tax benefits within the next 12 months.
The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for years before 2022, although carryforward attributes that were generated before 2022 may still be adjusted upon examination if used in a future period. State income tax statutes vary by jurisdiction. In most states in which the Company operates, the statute of limitations remains open for four years, and accordingly, the Company is generally no longer subject to state income tax examinations for years before 2021.
The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of general and administrative expenses. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties and no amounts were recognized in the statements of operations.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company made state tax payments which were deemed immaterial.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mar 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Mar 31, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Mar 27, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 23, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Mar 23, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 16, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Mar 13, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 1, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 15, 2018 | |
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.