NOTE 11. INCOME TAXES

The Company’s income (loss) before income taxes in the United States and in foreign jurisdictions is as follows:

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

 

Fiscal 2024

 

 

Fiscal 2023

 

Income (loss) before income taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United States

 

$

20,948

 

 

$

17,535

 

 

$

(126,745

)

Foreign

 

 

(13,197

)

 

 

(7,039

)

 

 

(5,072

)

Total income (loss) before income taxes

 

$

7,751

 

 

$

10,496

 

 

$

(131,817

)

 

Certain foreign operations are branches of Lands’ End and are subject to U.S. as well as foreign income tax. The pretax income (loss) by location and the analysis of the income tax provision by taxing jurisdiction are not directly related.

The components of the provision for (benefit from) income taxes are as follows:

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

 

Fiscal 2024

 

 

Fiscal 2023

 

United States

 

$

2,231

 

 

$

4,065

 

 

$

(1,482

)

Foreign

 

 

12

 

 

 

198

 

 

 

349

 

Total provision (benefit)

 

$

2,243

 

 

$

4,263

 

 

$

(1,133

)

 

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

 

Fiscal 2024

 

 

Fiscal 2023

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

414

 

 

$

(17

)

 

$

(3,092

)

State

 

 

835

 

 

 

700

 

 

 

(192

)

Foreign

 

 

52

 

 

 

187

 

 

 

338

 

Total current

 

 

1,301

 

 

 

870

 

 

 

(2,946

)

Deferred:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

 

2,541

 

 

 

2,646

 

 

 

(316

)

State

 

 

(1,559

)

 

 

736

 

 

 

2,118

 

Foreign

 

 

(40

)

 

 

11

 

 

 

11

 

Total deferred

 

 

942

 

 

 

3,393

 

 

 

1,813

 

Total provision (benefit)

 

$

2,243

 

 

$

4,263

 

 

$

(1,133

)

A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the effective income tax rate after the adoption of ASU 2023-09 is as follows:

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

 

Fiscal 2024

 

 

Fiscal 2023

 

Tax at statutory federal tax rate

 

$

1,628

 

 

 

21.0

 %

 

$

2,204

 

 

 

21.0

 %

 

$

(27,683

)

 

 

21.0

 %

State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit (1)

 

 

(572

)

 

 

(7.4

)%

 

 

1,134

 

 

 

10.8

 %

 

 

1,522

 

 

 

(1.2

)%

Foreign tax effects

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany statutory tax rate differential

 

 

229

 

 

 

3.0

 %

 

 

166

 

 

 

1.6

 %

 

 

338

 

 

 

(0.3

)%

Germany change in valuation allowance

 

 

702

 

 

 

9.1

 %

 

 

508

 

 

 

4.8

 %

 

 

1,035

 

 

 

(0.8

)%

United Kingdom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

United Kingdom statutory tax rate differential

 

 

(360

)

 

 

(4.6

)%

 

 

(169

)

 

 

(1.6

)%

 

 

(143

)

 

 

0.1

 %

United Kingdom change in valuation allowance

 

 

2,255

 

 

 

29.1

 %

 

 

1,058

 

 

 

10.1

 %

 

 

896

 

 

 

(0.7

)%

Other foreign jurisdictions

 

 

(42

)

 

 

(0.5

)%

 

 

113

 

 

 

1.1

 %

 

 

(39

)

 

 

0.0

 %

Effects of changes in tax law

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

%

Effects of cross-border tax laws

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Germany Branch

 

 

(931

)

 

 

(12.0

)%

 

 

(674

)

 

 

(6.4

)%

 

 

(1,373

)

 

 

1.0

 %

United Kingdom Branch

 

 

(1,895

)

 

 

(24.4

)%

 

 

(888

)

 

 

(8.5

)%

 

 

(753

)

 

 

0.6

 %

Other

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

28

 

 

 

0.3

 %

 

 

85

 

 

 

(0.1

)%

Tax credits

 

 

(116

)

 

 

(1.5

)%

 

 

(95

)

 

 

(0.9

)%

 

 

(85

)

 

 

0.1

 %

Changes in valuation allowances

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

%

Nontaxable or nondeductible items

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive compensation

 

 

1,355

 

 

 

17.5

 %

 

 

674

 

 

 

6.4

 %

 

 

944

 

 

 

(0.7

)%

Impairment

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

 

 

 

%

 

 

22,407

 

 

 

(17.0

)%

Other

 

 

116

 

 

 

1.5

 %

 

 

521

 

 

 

5.0

 %

 

 

1,860

 

 

 

(1.4

)%

Changes in unrecognized tax benefits

 

 

(126

)

 

 

(1.6

)%

 

 

(317

)

 

 

(3.0

)%

 

 

(144

)

 

 

0.1

 %

Total

 

$

2,243

 

 

 

28.9

 %

 

$

4,263

 

 

 

40.6

 %

 

$

(1,133

)

 

 

0.9

 %

 

 

(1)
The state jurisdictions that contribute the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category for all periods presented include California, New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin

Deferred tax assets and liabilities consisted of the following:

 

(in thousands)

 

January 30,
2026

 

 

January 31,
2025

 

Deferred tax assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred revenue

 

$

7,784

 

 

$

8,079

 

Legal accruals

 

 

745

 

 

 

1,183

 

Deferred compensation

 

 

5,847

 

 

 

5,275

 

Deferred interest

 

 

7,975

 

 

 

8,775

 

Reserve for returns

 

 

1,929

 

 

 

2,208

 

Inventory

 

 

2,344

 

 

 

3,210

 

CTA investment in foreign subsidiaries

 

 

4,234

 

 

 

4,234

 

Operating lease liabilities

 

 

4,672

 

 

 

6,089

 

Other

 

 

1,228

 

 

 

1,127

 

Net operating loss carryforward

 

 

20,784

 

 

 

17,618

 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

57,542

 

 

 

57,798

 

Less valuation allowance

 

 

(20,929

)

 

 

(18,058

)

Net deferred tax assets

 

$

36,613

 

 

$

39,740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intangible assets

 

$

62,103

 

 

$

61,919

 

LIFO reserve

 

 

18,055

 

 

 

18,228

 

Property and equipment

 

 

3,950

 

 

 

4,509

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

3,913

 

 

 

5,066

 

Catalog advertising

 

 

984

 

 

 

1,468

 

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

89,005

 

 

 

91,190

 

Net deferred tax liability

 

$

52,392

 

 

$

51,450

 

As of January 30, 2026, the Company had $123.7 million of federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) and interest expense carryforwards (generating a $10.7 million deferred tax asset) available to offset future taxable income. The federal carryforwards have an indefinite life. The state NOL carryforwards generally expire between 2026 and 2045 with certain state NOLs and interest expense carryforwards generated after 2017 having indefinite lives. The Company’s foreign subsidiaries had $64.1 million of NOL carryforwards (generating an $18.0 million deferred tax asset) available to offset future taxable income. These foreign NOLs can be carried forward indefinitely, however, a valuation allowance was established since the future utilization of these NOLs is uncertain.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits (“UTBs”) is as follows:

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

 

Fiscal 2024

 

 

Fiscal 2023

 

Gross UTBs balance at beginning of period

 

$

8,998

 

 

$

1,141

 

 

$

1,297

 

Tax positions related to the prior periods - gross
   (decreases) increases

 

 

(1,120

)

 

 

7,980

 

 

 

(156

)

Settlements

 

 

 

 

 

(123

)

 

 

 

Gross UTBs balance at end of period

 

$

7,878

 

 

$

8,998

 

 

$

1,141

 

As of January 30, 2026, the Company had gross UTBs of $7.9 million. Of this amount, $0.7 million would, if recognized, impact its effective tax rate. The remaining liability relates to tax positions for which there are offsetting tax benefits, or the uncertainty was related only to timing. Tax years 2022 through 2026 remain open for examination by the Internal Revenue Service as well as various state and foreign jurisdictions.

The Company classifies interest expense and penalties related to UTBs and interest income on tax overpayments as components of income tax expense. As of January 30, 2026, the total amount of interest expense and penalties recognized on the balance sheet was $0.4 million ($0.4 million net of federal benefit). As of January 31, 2025, the total amount of interest and penalties recognized on the balance sheet was $0.5 million ($0.4 million net of federal benefit). The total amount of net interest expense recognized in the Consolidated Statements of Operations was insignificant for all periods presented. The Company files income tax returns in both the United States and various foreign jurisdictions.

 

The amount of cash income taxes paid (refunded) by the Company, in accordance with the adoption of ASU 2023-09, is as follows:

 

(in thousands)

 

Fiscal 2025

 

United States

 

$

83

 

State

 

 

 

Texas

 

 

135

 

Florida

 

 

112

 

North Carolina

 

 

63

 

Massachusetts

 

 

52

 

Louisiana

 

 

42

 

Michigan

 

 

(19

)

Minnesota

 

 

(25

)

Illinois

 

 

(32

)

California

 

 

(34

)

New Jersey

 

 

(146

)

Other

 

 

26

 

Foreign

 

 

 

Hong Kong

 

 

(635

)

Total taxes paid (refunded)

 

$

(378

)

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2026Mar 26, 2026Showing above
2025Mar 27, 2025
2024Apr 3, 2024
2023Apr 10, 2023

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.