Note 7 - Income taxes

The Company adopted ASU 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures” on a prospective basis. Prior period disclosures have not been recast to conform to the current year presentation.

Income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $6.0 million, $7.6 million and $17.6 million, respectively. The income tax expense for each of the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 were provided for federal and state income tax at statutory rates applied to the pre-tax income for each of the periods.

The following summarizes the provision for income taxes:

Years Ended December 31, 

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

  ​ ​ ​

2023

(in thousands)

Current:

 

  ​

 

  ​

 

  ​

Federal

$

4,849

$

6,223

$

10,319

State and local

 

1,217

 

1,898

 

2,940

 

6,066

 

8,121

 

13,259

Deferred:

 

 

 

Federal

 

15

 

(222)

 

3,667

State and local

 

(57)

 

(260)

 

647

 

(42)

 

(482)

 

4,314

Expense for income taxes

$

6,024

$

7,639

$

17,573

Reconciliation of the Company’s actual tax rate to the U.S. Federal statutory rate is as follows:

Years ended December 31, 2025

  ​ ​ ​

Amount

  ​ ​ ​

Percent

 

U.S Federal statutory tax rate

$

4,765

 

21.0

%

State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effect (a)

 

943

 

4.1

%

Nontaxable or Nondeductible Items:

 

  ​

 

  ​

- Executive compensation limitation IRC §162(m) (b)

 

490

 

2.2

%

- Excess tax benefits related to stock-based compensation

 

(327)

 

(1.4)

%

- Stock based compensation – forfeitures and cancellations (c)

 

245

 

1.1

%

- Non-taxable gain – reversal of contingent consideration (d)

 

(336)

 

(1.5)

%

- Other, net

 

244

 

1.0

%

Effective tax rate

$

6,024

 

26.5

%

(a)

State taxes in California, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Virginia made up the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the tax effect in this category.

(b)

Executive compensation limitation reflects nondeductible severance expense under Section 162(m) of the IRC related to the leadership changes during the year.

(c)

Stock-based compensation reflects write-offs of deferred tax assets associated with cancellation of outstanding non-qualified options, for which no corresponding tax deduction will be realized.

(d)

The Company reversed a contingent consideration liability for financial reporting purposes that resulted in a non-taxable gain.

As previously disclosed for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, and prior to adoption of ASU 2023 – 09, reconciliation of the Company’s actual tax rate to the U.S. Federal statutory rate is as follows:

Years ended December 31, 

  ​ ​ ​

2024

  ​ ​ ​

2023

 

Income tax rates

- Statutory U.S. federal rate

 

21

%  

21

%

- State income taxes, net of federal benefit

 

4

%  

4

%

- Excess tax benefits related to stock compensation

 

0

%  

(1)

%

- 162m limitation

1

%

1

%

- Change in valuation allowance

 

0

%  

0

%

- Other true-up

(2)

%

0

%

Total

 

24

%  

25

%

Deferred income tax represents the tax effect of the differences between the book and tax bases of assets and liabilities. The net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) consisted of the following at:

December 31, 

  ​ ​ ​

2025

  ​ ​ ​

2024

(in thousands)

Deferred tax assets (liabilities):

- Reserve for credit losses

$

237

$

271

- Inventory reserve

 

1,895

 

1,504

- Non qualified stock options

 

683

 

796

- NOL

 

67

 

112

- Accrued expenses

 

805

 

202

Total deferred tax assets

$

3,687

$

2,885

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

- Depreciation and amortization

(7,721)

(6,961)

Total deferred tax liabilities

(7,721)

(6,961)

Net deferred tax liabilities

$

(4,034)

$

(4,076)

The Company reviews the likelihood that it will realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets, and therefore the need for valuation allowances, on a quarterly basis. In determining the requirement for a valuation allowance, the historical and projected financial results are considered, along with all other available positive and negative evidence.

The Company evaluates uncertain tax positions, if any, by determining if it is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by the taxing authorities. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company believes it had no uncertain tax positions. The Company’s 2021 and prior federal tax years have been closed. The Company operates in many states throughout the United States and, as of December 31, 2025, the state statutes of limitations remain open for tax years subsequent to 2020. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, relating to income taxes as a component of the provision for income taxes.

Income taxes paid, net of refunds received, were as follows:

Years Ended December 31,

  ​ ​ ​

2025

(in thousands)

  ​

Federal

$

4,227

State

 

  ​

-California

 

431

-Other

 

1,090

Total state tax paid

 

1,521

Total income taxes paid

$

5,748

States representing greater than 5% of total income taxes paid are presented separately.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 16, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 12, 2025
2023Mar 14, 2024
2022Mar 14, 2023
2021Mar 24, 2022
2020Mar 12, 2021
2019Mar 13, 2020
2018Mar 15, 2019
2017Mar 16, 2018
2016Mar 10, 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.