RPC INC Income Taxes Disclosure
Note 11: Income Taxes
For financial reporting purposes, income before income taxes includes the following components:
Years ended December 31, | | 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | |||
(in thousands) | |||||||||
United States | $ | 52,258 | $ | 102,415 | $ | 253,407 | |||
Foreign |
| 4,291 |
| 10,387 |
| 2,836 | |||
Total income before income taxes | $ | 56,549 | $ | 112,802 | $ | 256,243 | |||
The following table lists the components of the provision for income taxes:
Years ended December 31, | | 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | |||
(in thousands) | |||||||||
Current provision: | | | | ||||||
Federal | $ | 3,806 | $ | 11,468 | $ | 45,146 | |||
State |
| 1,162 |
| 2,310 |
| 6,502 | |||
Foreign |
| 815 |
| 681 |
| 835 | |||
Deferred provision (benefit): |
|
|
| ||||||
Federal |
| 15,256 |
| 8,067 |
| 7,116 | |||
State |
| 3,091 |
| 1 |
| 1,531 | |||
Foreign | 339 | (1,169) | — | ||||||
Total income tax provision | $ | 24,469 | $ | 21,358 | $ | 61,130 | |||
The Base Erosion and Profit Shifting framework 2.0 (Pillar Two) released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development introduced a global minimum corporate tax of 15% for companies with global revenues and profits above certain thresholds. The United States has not yet enacted legislation to adopt the provisions of Pillar Two. As of December 31, 2025, certain countries we operate in have enacted legislation related to the global minimum tax rules under Pillar Two. There are no recorded effects for Pillar Two in our 2025 financial statements as we do not estimate a material impact, if any, to our consolidated financial statements. We will continue to monitor the impact as additional countries enact legislation going forward.
Reconciliation between the federal statutory rate and RPC’s income tax provision and effective tax rate is as follows:
Years ended December 31, | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||
Federal statutory rate | $ | 11,875 | 21.0 | % | $ | 23,688 | 21.0 | % | $ | 53,811 | 21.0 | % | ||||||
State income taxes, net of federal benefit (a) | 4,102 | 7.3 | 2,287 | 2.0 | 5,046 | 2.0 |
| |||||||||||
Foreign taxes, net of federal benefit: | ||||||||||||||||||
Canada: |
|
|
| |||||||||||||||
Change in valuation allowance | — | — | (1,187) | (1.1) | 614 | 0.2 | ||||||||||||
Other |
| 182 | 0.3 |
| 61 | 0.1 |
| (500) | (0.2) | |||||||||
Other foreign jurisdictions | 390 | 0.7 | 436 | 0.4 | 721 | 0.3 | ||||||||||||
Tax credits | (506) | (0.9) | (1,036) | (0.9) | (703) | (0.3) | ||||||||||||
Change in unrecognized tax benefits | 21 | (1,637) | (1.5) | 251 | 0.1 | |||||||||||||
Non-deductible expenses: | ||||||||||||||||||
Acquisition related employment costs | 1,641 | 2.9 |
| — | — |
| — | — | ||||||||||
Long-term retirement plan | 3,778 | 6.7 |
| — | — |
| — | — | ||||||||||
Meals and entertainment | 2,523 | 4.5 |
| 2,337 | 2.1 |
| 2,356 | 0.9 | ||||||||||
Non-deductible officer compensation | 653 | 1.2 |
| 395 | 0.4 |
| 469 | 0.2 | ||||||||||
Other | (647) | (1.2) |
| (899) | (0.9) |
| (671) | (0.3) | ||||||||||
Cross-border tax laws |
| 159 | 0.3 |
| (315) | (0.3) |
| (256) | (0.1) | |||||||||
Interest related to tax matters |
| — | — |
| (2,189) | (1.9) |
| (1,757) | (0.7) | |||||||||
Other |
| 298 | 0.5 |
| (583) | (0.5) |
| 1,749 | 0.8 | |||||||||
$ | 24,469 | 43.3 | % | $ | 21,358 | 18.9 | % | $ | 61,130 | 23.9 | % | |||||||
| (a) | Income taxes in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico made up the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the state tax effect. |
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:
December 31, | | 2025 | | 2024 | ||
(in thousands) | ||||||
Deferred tax assets: |
| |
| | ||
Self-insurance | $ | — | $ | 3,386 | ||
Long-term retirement plan |
| — |
| 5,276 | ||
State net operating loss carryforwards |
| 1,469 |
| 2,010 | ||
Stock-based compensation |
| 2,581 |
| 1,995 | ||
Acquisition related employment costs | 2,937 | — | ||||
Inventory reserve | 3,068 | 3,178 | ||||
Lease liability | 5,994 | 7,067 | ||||
Capitalized research and development | 147 | 4,721 | ||||
All others, net |
| 2,343 |
| 3,785 | ||
Gross deferred tax assets |
| 18,539 |
| 31,418 | ||
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
| ||||
Depreciation |
| (81,797) |
| (75,559) | ||
Right of use asset | (6,317) | (7,013) | ||||
Goodwill amortization |
| (7,300) |
| (7,035) | ||
Gross deferred tax liabilities |
| (95,414) |
| (89,607) | ||
Net deferred tax liabilities | $ | (76,875) | $ | (58,189) | ||
Total net income tax payments (refunds) were $7.7 million in 2025, $(31.7) million in 2024, and $62.2 million in 2023. The following table lists the components of the payments for income taxes:
Years ended December 31, | | 2025 | | 2024 | | 2023 | |||
(in thousands) | |||||||||
Federal | $ | 6,000 | $ | (35,538) | $ | 56,000 | |||
State: |
|
|
| ||||||
Texas | 855 | 2,021 | 1,823 | ||||||
Other | 357 | 1,330 | 3,345 | ||||||
Foreign |
| 473 |
| 511 |
| 1,058 | |||
Total net income tax payments (refunds) | $ | 7,685 | $ | (31,676) | $ | 62,226 | |||
As of December 31, 2025, the Company has net operating loss carryforwards recorded related to state income taxes of $31.2 million (gross) that will expire between 2026 and 2045.
The Company’s policy is to record interest and penalties related to income tax matters, as part of income tax expense. There were no accrued interest and penalties as of December 31, 2025, and $2.5 million as of December 31, 2024.
During 2025, the Company recognized an increase in estimated liability for its unrecognized tax positions, which is recorded in other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet. This liability, if released, would affect our effective rate. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax positions is as follows:
| 2025 | | 2024 | |||
(in thousands) | ||||||
Balance at January 1 | $ | 531 | $ | 2,168 | ||
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year |
| 101 |
| 167 | ||
(Reductions) for tax positions of prior years |
| (80) |
| (1,804) | ||
Balance at December 31 | $ | 552 | $ | 531 | ||
The Company and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal and state and foreign income tax in multiple jurisdictions. In many cases, the estimated liability for uncertain tax positions are related to tax years that remain open and subject to examination by the relevant taxing authorities. In general, the Company’s 2022 through 2024 tax years remain open to examination. Additional years may be open to the extent attributes are being carried forward to an open year.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 27, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 28, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 28, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 27, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 28, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 26, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 28, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 28, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 28, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 29, 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.