RANGE RESOURCES CORP Income Taxes Disclosure
(4) INCOME TAXES
Our income tax expense was $173.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to a benefit of $15.7 million in 2024 and an expense of $229.2 million in 2023. The effective income tax rate is influenced by a variety of factors including geographic sources and relative magnitude of these sources of income as well as a prior year reduction in our valuation allowances related to a change in the realizability of our federal and Pennsylvania deferred tax assets. Additionally, in the current and prior year we recorded a tax benefit related to credits generated in the current year and as part of a look-back study. See Note 12 for information on cash tax payments. Reconciliation between the statutory federal income tax rate and our effective income tax rate is as follows ($ in thousands):
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||||||||||||||
Federal statutory tax rate |
$ |
174,655 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
|
$ |
52,627 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
|
$ |
231,072 |
|
|
|
21.0 |
% |
State and local income tax, net of federal benefit (a) |
|
10,786 |
|
|
|
1.3 |
% |
|
|
(12,312 |
) |
|
|
(4.9 |
)% |
|
|
(1,687 |
) |
|
|
(0.2 |
)% |
Tax credits - research and development |
|
(11,650 |
) |
|
|
(1.4 |
)% |
|
|
(31,849 |
) |
|
|
(12.7 |
)% |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Change in valuation allowance |
|
(31 |
) |
|
|
— |
% |
|
|
(23,396 |
) |
|
|
(9.4 |
)% |
|
|
2,076 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
% |
Nontaxable or nondeductible items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Equity-based compensation expense |
|
(558 |
) |
|
|
(0.1 |
)% |
|
|
(966 |
) |
|
|
(0.4 |
)% |
|
|
(2,658 |
) |
|
|
(0.2 |
)% |
Other |
|
464 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
% |
|
|
161 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
% |
|
|
398 |
|
|
|
— |
% |
Consolidated effective tax rate |
|
173,666 |
|
|
|
20.9 |
% |
|
|
(15,735 |
) |
|
|
(6.3 |
)% |
|
|
229,201 |
|
|
|
20.8 |
% |
Income tax expense (benefit) attributable to income before income taxes consists of the following (in thousands):
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
|||||||||
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|||
Current |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Federal |
$ |
3,870 |
|
|
$ |
3,329 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
State |
|
5,524 |
|
|
|
4,836 |
|
|
|
1,547 |
|
|
$ |
9,394 |
|
|
$ |
8,165 |
|
|
$ |
1,547 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Deferred |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Federal |
$ |
157,850 |
|
|
$ |
(7,310 |
) |
|
$ |
230,563 |
|
State |
|
6,422 |
|
|
|
(16,590 |
) |
|
|
(2,909 |
) |
|
|
164,272 |
|
|
|
(23,900 |
) |
|
|
227,654 |
|
Income tax expense (benefit) |
$ |
173,666 |
|
|
$ |
(15,735 |
) |
|
$ |
229,201 |
|
At December 31, 2025, deferred tax liabilities exceeded deferred tax assets by $701.6 million. We continue to evaluate the realizability of our federal and state deferred tax assets. As of December 31, 2025, we have a state valuation allowance of $126.3 million related to state tax attributes in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. As of December 31, 2024 and 2025, we have no remaining federal or Pennsylvania valuation allowances. The net change in our deferred tax asset valuation allowances was an increase of $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to a decrease of $70.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 and an increase of $2.7 million in 2023.
At December 31, 2025, we have federal NOL carryforwards of $1.1 billion, all of which were generated after 2017 that do not expire. We have state NOL carryforwards in Pennsylvania of $721.9 million that expire between and and in Louisiana, we have state NOL carryforwards of $1.8 billion that do not expire. We file a consolidated tax return in the United States federal jurisdiction. We file separate company state income tax returns in Louisiana and Pennsylvania and file consolidated or unitary state income tax returns in Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. We are subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for the years 2022 and after, and we are subject to various state tax examinations for years 2020 and after. We have not extended the statute of limitation period in any income tax jurisdiction. Our policy is to recognize interest related to income tax expense in interest expense and penalties in general and administrative expense. We do not have any material accrued interest or penalties related to tax amounts as of December 31, 2025 or December 31, 2024. Throughout 2025, 2024 and 2023, our unrecognized tax benefits were not material.
On July 12, 2022, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania enacted legislation to reduce the corporate net income tax rate from 9.99% to 8.99% in 2023, further reducing by 0.5% per year beginning in 2024, and becoming 4.99% in 2031 and each year thereafter.
Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
|
December 31, |
|
|||||
|
2025 |
|
|
2024 |
|
||
Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net operating loss carryforward |
$ |
365,293 |
|
|
$ |
424,487 |
|
Divestiture contract obligation |
|
70,605 |
|
|
|
87,311 |
|
Deferred compensation |
|
12,593 |
|
|
|
14,480 |
|
Equity compensation |
|
8,944 |
|
|
|
8,155 |
|
Asset retirement obligations |
|
32,381 |
|
|
|
29,096 |
|
Interest expense carryforward |
|
10,830 |
|
|
|
10,830 |
|
Lease right-of-use liabilities |
|
37,889 |
|
|
|
26,726 |
|
Tax credits |
|
32,616 |
|
|
|
31,941 |
|
Other |
|
5,873 |
|
|
|
5,878 |
|
Valuation allowances: |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Federal |
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
State, net of federal benefit |
|
(126,341 |
) |
|
|
(124,979 |
) |
Total deferred tax assets |
|
450,683 |
|
|
|
513,925 |
|
Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
||
Depreciation and depletion |
|
(1,099,729 |
) |
|
|
(1,010,139 |
) |
Unrealized mark-to-market gain |
|
(14,312 |
) |
|
|
(14,568 |
) |
Lease right-of-use assets |
|
(37,712 |
) |
|
|
(26,065 |
) |
Other |
|
(531 |
) |
|
|
(531 |
) |
Total deferred tax liabilities |
|
(1,152,284 |
) |
|
|
(1,051,303 |
) |
Net deferred tax liability |
$ |
(701,601 |
) |
|
$ |
(537,378 |
) |
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.