NOTE 14 INCOME TAXES

 

The Company and all of its eligible U.S. subsidiaries file a U.S. consolidated federal income tax return ("KFSI Tax Group"). The method of allocating federal income taxes among the companies in the KFSI Tax Group is subject to written agreement, approved by each company's Board of Directors. The allocation is made primarily on a separate return basis, with current credit for any net operating losses or other items utilized in the consolidated federal income tax return. The Company’s non-U.S. subsidiaries file separate foreign income tax returns.   

 

The following table presents the components of consolidated loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit:

 

(in thousands)

  Years ended December 31, 
  

2025

  

2024

 
         

Domestic

 $(13,744) $(8,256)

Foreign

  (260)  (4)

Loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit

 $(14,004) $(8,260)

 

The following table presents the components of income tax benefit:

 

(in thousands)

 

Years ended December 31,

 
  

2025

  

2024

 
         

Current income tax expense

        

Federal

 $  $1 

State and local

  321   389 

Total current income tax expense

  321   390 

Deferred income tax benefit

        

Federal

  (3,866)  (352)

State and local

  (207)  (185)

Total deferred income tax benefit

  (4,073)  (537)

Income tax benefit

 $(3,752) $(147)

 

Income tax benefit varies from the amount that would result by applying the applicable U.S. corporate income tax rate of 21% to loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit. The following table summarizes the differences:

 

(in thousands)

 

Years Ended December 31,

 
  

2025

  

2024

 
  

Amount

  

Percent

  

Amount

  

Percent

 

U.S Federal Statutory tax rate

 $(2,941)  21.0% $(1,735)  21.0%

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

  90   (0.6)%  161   (1.9)%

Foreign tax effects

  55   (0.4)%  1   0.0%

Changes in valuation allowances

  (1,204)  8.6%  1,364   (16.5)%

Nontaxable or non deductible items:

                

Shared-based payments awards

  (56)  0.4%  (823)  10.0%

Non-deductible compensation

  217   (1.5)%  966   (11.7)%

Non-deductible transactions costs

  151   (1.1)%  3   0.0%

Earnings of noncontrolling interests

  (93)  0.7%  (166)  2.0%

Other

  29   (0.2)%  82   (1.0)%

Effective tax rate

 $(3,752)  26.8% $(147)  1.8%

 

 

(a)

State taxes in California, Florida and Texas for 2025 made up the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category.

 

The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities are presented as follows:

 

(in thousands)

 

December 31,

 
  

2025

  

2024

 

Deferred income tax assets:

        

Losses carried forward

 $134,226  $132,150 

Unpaid loss and loss adjustment expenses and unearned premiums

  4,002   3,790 

Intangible assets

  649   860 

Investments

  25   109 

Deferred revenue

  247   247 

Compensation

  279   219 

Other

  510   465 

Valuation allowance

  (129,412)  (130,707)

Deferred income tax assets

 $10,526  $7,133 

Deferred income tax liabilities:

        

Indefinite life intangibles

 $(4,178) $(3,899)

Depreciation and amortization

  (1,016)  (140)

Fair value of debt

  (273)  (334)

Intangible assets

  (2,875)  (1,892)

Deferred revenue

  (1,762)  (1,605)

Deferred acquisition costs

  (3,130)  (2,913)

Other

  (517)  (721)

Deferred income tax liabilities

 $(13,751) $(11,504)

Net deferred income tax liabilities

 $(3,225) $(4,371)

 

The Company maintains a valuation allowance for its gross deferred income tax assets of $129.4 million (U.S. operations - $129.4 million; Other - less than $0.1 million) and $130.7 million (U.S. operations - $130.7 million; Other - less than $0.1 million) at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The Company's businesses have generated substantial operating losses in prior years. These losses can be available to reduce income taxes that might otherwise be incurred on future taxable income; however, it is uncertain whether the Company will generate the taxable income necessary to utilize these losses or other reversing temporary differences. This uncertainty has caused management to place a full valuation allowance on its December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 net deferred income tax assets, excluding the deferred income tax asset and liability amounts set forth in the paragraph below.

 

The Company carries net deferred income tax liabilities of $3.2 million and $4.4 million at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, that consists of:

 

 

$4.1 million and $3.9 million of deferred income tax liabilities related to indefinite life intangible assets; and

 $1.4 million and $0.2 million of deferred income tax assets related to indefinite life tax attribute carryforwards; and   
 

$0.5 million and $0.7 million of deferred state income tax liabilities.

 

In 2025, the Company decreased its valuation allowance by $1.3 million primarily due to deferred tax liabilities assumed from corporate acquisitions.

 

In 2024, the Company increased its valuation allowance by $1.3 million primarily due to an increase in deferred tax assets created as a result of its net operating loss.

 

Amounts, originating dates and expiration dates of the KFSI Tax Group's consolidated U.S. net operating loss carryforwards, totaling $628.0 million, are as follows:

 

    

Net operating loss

 

Year of net operating loss

 

Expiration date

 

(in thousands)

 
       

2009

 

2029

 $384,280 

2010

 

2030

  92,058 

2011

 

2031

  39,866 

2012

 

2032

  30,884 

2013

 

2033

  30,779 

2014

 

2034

  7,245 

2016

 

2036

  16,006 

2017

 

2037

  20,848 

2025

 

Indefinite

  4,941 

2025

 

2040

  1,127 

 

In addition, not reflected in the table above, are net operating loss carryforwards of (i) $4.0 million relating to losses generated in separate U.S. tax return years, which losses will expire over various years through 2037 and (ii) $0.3 million relating to non-U.S. operations, which losses will expire over various years through 2045.

 

At  December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits.  The Company classifies interest and penalty accruals, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax benefit. 

 

On July 4, 2025, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” P.L. 119-21 was signed into law. This legislation includes changes to U.S. federal tax law, which may be subject to further clarification and the issuance of interpretive guidance. We are assessing the legislation and its effect on our consolidated financial statements, which we have started reflecting in 2025.

 

The federal income tax returns of the Company's U.S. operations for the years through 2021 are closed for Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") examination. The Company's federal income tax returns are not currently under examination by the IRS for any open tax years. The federal income tax returns of the Company's Canadian operations for the years through 2020 are closed for Canada Revenue Agency ("CRA") examination. The Company's Canadian federal income tax returns are not currently under examination by the CRA for any open tax years.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Mar 12, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 17, 2025
2023Mar 5, 2024
2022Mar 8, 2023
2021Feb 28, 2022

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.