Cardiff Oncology, Inc. Income Taxes Disclosure
8. Income Taxes
The Company's loss before income taxes is as follows:
(in thousands) |
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
U.S. Domestic |
|
$ |
(45,851 |
) |
|
$ |
(45,431 |
) |
Loss before income taxes |
|
$ |
(45,851 |
) |
|
$ |
(45,431 |
) |
The provision for income tax (benefit) expense consists of the following:
|
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
(in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Current: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Federal |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
State |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total current income tax (benefit) expense |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Deferred: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Federal |
|
|
(8,615 |
) |
|
|
(8,697 |
) |
State |
|
|
(213 |
) |
|
|
(566 |
) |
Total deferred income tax (benefit) expense |
|
|
(8,828 |
) |
|
|
(9,263 |
) |
Valuation allowance |
|
|
8,828 |
|
|
|
9,263 |
|
Total income tax (benefit) expense |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Significant components of the Company’s taxes and the rates are shown below:
|
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||||||||||
(in thousands, except percentages) |
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||||||||||
US federal statutory rate |
|
$ |
(9,628 |
) |
|
|
21.0 |
% |
|
$ |
(9,540 |
) |
|
|
21.0 |
% |
State and local taxes net of federal income tax effect(1) |
|
|
(408 |
) |
|
|
0.9 |
% |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Tax Credits: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Research and development credits |
|
|
(591 |
) |
|
|
1.3 |
% |
|
|
(642 |
) |
|
|
1.4 |
% |
Change in valuation allowance |
|
|
8,615 |
|
|
|
(18.8 |
)% |
|
|
8,816 |
|
|
|
(19.4 |
)% |
Nontaxable or Nondeductible Items: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Officers' compensation |
|
|
348 |
|
|
|
(0.7 |
)% |
|
|
588 |
|
|
|
(1.3 |
)% |
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
432 |
|
|
|
(1.0 |
)% |
|
|
488 |
|
|
|
(1.1 |
)% |
Other |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Other adjustments |
|
|
400 |
|
|
|
(0.9 |
)% |
|
|
284 |
|
|
|
(0.6 |
)% |
Change in unrecognized tax benefits |
|
|
827 |
|
|
|
(1.8 |
)% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Effective income tax rate |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
(1) Income tax rate associated with the state of California.
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities from federal and state income taxes are shown below:
|
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
(in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Tax loss carryforwards |
|
$ |
31,977 |
|
|
$ |
27,374 |
|
Research and development credits and other tax credits |
|
|
4,685 |
|
|
|
4,556 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
1,645 |
|
|
|
1,252 |
|
Capitalized research and development |
|
|
17,597 |
|
|
|
14,209 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
180 |
|
|
|
327 |
|
Other |
|
|
1,314 |
|
|
|
967 |
|
Total deferred tax assets |
|
|
57,398 |
|
|
|
48,685 |
|
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
|
(136 |
) |
|
|
(251 |
) |
Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
|
(136 |
) |
|
|
(251 |
) |
Net deferred tax assets before valuation allowance |
|
|
57,262 |
|
|
|
48,434 |
|
Valuation allowance |
|
|
(57,262 |
) |
|
|
(48,434 |
) |
Net deferred tax asset |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
A summary of changes to the Company's valuation allowance is presented below:
|
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
(in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Deferred Tax Assets - Valuation Allowance |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Balance at beginning of year |
|
$ |
48,434 |
|
|
$ |
39,171 |
|
Federal increase/(decrease) charge to expenses |
|
|
8,615 |
|
|
|
8,816 |
|
State increase/(decrease) charge to expenses |
|
|
213 |
|
|
|
447 |
|
Balance at end of year |
|
$ |
57,262 |
|
|
$ |
48,434 |
|
At December 31, 2025, the Company had federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) of approximately $2.0 million which, if not used, will continue to expire through 2037, and federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $141.7 million, which do not expire. The Company also has California NOLs of approximately $26.0 million which, if not used, will begin to expire in 2029. The Company also has research and development tax credits available for federal and California purposes of approximately $2.8 million and $3.4 million, respectively. The
federal research and development tax credits will begin to expire in 2026. The California research and development tax credits do not expire.
Since inception the Company has incurred continuing losses and expects to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future. The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets as it is more likely than not they will not be realized.
Pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) Sections 382 and 383, annual use of a company’s NOL and research and development credit carryforwards may be limited if there is a cumulative change in ownership of greater than 50% within a three-year period. The amount of the annual limitation is determined based on the value of the Company immediately prior to the ownership change. The Company completed an IRS Section 382 study through December 31, 2022, to assess the limitations on the use of its NOL carryforwards due to changes in ownership. There have been two ownership changes prior to December 31, 2022, and any changes in ownership subsequent to December 31, 2022, may result in additional limitations. If limited, the related tax asset would be removed from the deferred tax asset schedule with a corresponding reduction in the valuation allowance. The Company has established a valuation allowance as the realization of such deferred tax assets has not met the more likely than not threshold requirement. Due to the existence of the valuation allowance, further changes in the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits will not impact the Company’s effective tax rate.
The Company is subject to taxation in the U.S. and California. Due to net operating losses, all tax years since inception remain open to examination.
The Company's gross unrecognized tax benefits are as follows:
|
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
(in thousands) |
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Unrecognized tax benefits |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Beginning balance |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Increases related to prior year tax positions |
|
|
777 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Increases related to current year tax positions |
|
|
158 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Balance at end of year |
|
$ |
935 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
As of December 31, 2025, the Company has gross unrecognized tax benefits of $0.9 million, none of which would affect the effective tax rate due to a full valuation allowance. The Company has no accrual for interest or penalties on its balance sheet at December 31, 2025 and has not recognized interest and/or penalties in its statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025.
The amounts of cash taxes paid are as follows:
(in thousands) |
|
Years ended December 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Current: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Federal |
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
State: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
California |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
Cash paid for income taxes |
|
$ |
1 |
|
|
$ |
1 |
|
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the only jurisdiction with cash taxes paid that equaled or exceeded 5% of total income taxes paid was California.
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ("OBBBA") was enacted into law. The new tax law contains several key provisions affecting corporations including but are not limited to expensing of domestic specified research or experimental expenditures and one hundred percent bonus depreciation on eligible property after January 19, 2025. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740, Income Taxes, the Company is required to recognize the effect of the tax law changes in the period of enactment, such as remeasuring the estimated U.S. deferred tax assets and liabilities. Because of a full valuation allowance, there is no effect to deferred tax assets and liabilities for year end December 31, 2025. The Company will continue to apply OBBBA tax law changes as required or elected in future years.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 24, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 27, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 29, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Mar 2, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 24, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 27, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Mar 6, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 26, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 15, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Mar 10, 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.