Sunrun Inc.RUN
Sunrun Inc. Income Taxes Disclosure
Income Taxes
Adoption of ASU 2023-09
In December 2023, the Financial Accounting Standard’s Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update 2023-09 (“ASU 2023-09”), Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The standard requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as information on income taxes paid. The Company adopted ASU 2023-09 on a prospective basis during the year ended December 31, 2025.
The following table presents the domestic and foreign loss before income taxes for the period ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
Loss before income taxes – Domestic | $ | 988,121 | ||||||
| Loss before income taxes – Foreign | 188,203 | |||||||
Total Loss before income taxes | $ | 1,176,324 | ||||||
The following table presents the loss (income) before income taxes for the periods presented (in thousands):
For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Loss (income) attributable to common stockholders | $ | (282,729) | $ | 2,872,984 | $ | 1,617,188 | ||||||||||||||
Loss attributable to noncontrolling interest and redeemable noncontrolling interests | 1,459,053 | 1,509,050 | 1,078,344 | |||||||||||||||||
| Loss before income taxes | $ | 1,176,324 | $ | 4,382,034 | $ | 2,695,532 | ||||||||||||||
The income tax (benefit) provision consists of the following (in thousands):
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
Current | ||||||||||||||||||||
Federal | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||||||||
State | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Foreign | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Total current (benefit) expense | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Deferred | ||||||||||||||||||||
Federal | (170,701) | (25,833) | (23,583) | |||||||||||||||||
State | 294 | (984) | 10,892 | |||||||||||||||||
| Foreign | 3,189 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
| Total deferred (benefit) provision | (167,218) | (26,817) | (12,691) | |||||||||||||||||
Total | $ | (167,218) | $ | (26,817) | $ | (12,691) | ||||||||||||||
The following table represents a reconciliation of the statutory federal rate and the Company’s effective tax rate for the periods presented:
| For the Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||
Tax provision (benefit) at federal statutory rate | (21.00) | % | (21.00) | % | ||||||||||
State income taxes, net of federal benefit | 0.06 | (1.11) | ||||||||||||
| Foreign provision, net of federal benefit | (0.71) | — | ||||||||||||
Effect of noncontrolling and redeemable noncontrolling interests | 7.23 | 8.40 | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 0.27 | 0.46 | ||||||||||||
Tax credits | (1.78) | (0.63) | ||||||||||||
| Effect of valuation allowance | (0.16) | 4.06 | ||||||||||||
Goodwill impairment | 14.96 | 9.02 | ||||||||||||
Other | 0.52 | 0.33 | ||||||||||||
Total | (0.61) | % | (0.47) | % | ||||||||||
The following table represents a reconciliation of the statutory federal rate and the Company’s effective tax rate for the periods presented (following the adoption of ASU 2023-09):
For the Year Ended December 31, 2025 | ||||||||||||||
Amount (in Thousands) | Percent | |||||||||||||
U.S. federal statutory tax rate | $ | (247,028) | 21.00 | % | ||||||||||
State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effect1 | 5,154 | (0.44) | ||||||||||||
Change in state valuation allowances | (4,860) | 0.41 | ||||||||||||
Foreign tax effects | ||||||||||||||
| Puerto Rico | (42,216) | 3.59 | ||||||||||||
Change in foreign valuation allowances | 45,405 | (3.85) | ||||||||||||
Effect of changes in tax laws or rates enacted in the current period | — | — | ||||||||||||
Tax credits | ||||||||||||||
| Energy-related tax credits | (229,934) | 19.55 | ||||||||||||
Changes in valuation allowances | (18,009) | 1.53 | ||||||||||||
Nontaxable or nondeductible Items | ||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 12,567 | (1.07) | ||||||||||||
| Other | 968 | (0.08) | ||||||||||||
Other adjustments | ||||||||||||||
| Noncontrolling interest allocation | 306,401 | (26.05) | ||||||||||||
| Other | 4,334 | (0.37) | ||||||||||||
Effective tax rate | $ | (167,218) | 14.22 | % | ||||||||||
(1) State taxes in California made up the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the tax effect in this category.
The Company paid an immaterial amount of federal, state and foreign income taxes during 2025.
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The following table represents the components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities for the periods presented (in thousands):
| December 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||||
Deferred tax assets | ||||||||||||||
Accruals and prepaids | $ | 57,783 | $ | 48,019 | ||||||||||
Deferred revenue | 157,317 | 149,928 | ||||||||||||
Net operating loss carryforwards | 1,005,094 | 835,420 | ||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 13,639 | 16,962 | ||||||||||||
Investment tax and other credits | 167,137 | 168,623 | ||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 257,090 | 188,016 | ||||||||||||
| UNICAP costs | 98,285 | 73,180 | ||||||||||||
| Total deferred tax assets | 1,756,345 | 1,480,148 | ||||||||||||
| Less: Valuation allowance | (189,335) | (165,000) | ||||||||||||
| Gross deferred tax assets | 1,567,010 | 1,315,148 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | ||||||||||||||
| Interest rate derivatives | 19,128 | 27,134 | ||||||||||||
| Capitalized costs to obtain a contract | 562,715 | 486,978 | ||||||||||||
| Fixed asset depreciation and amortization | 703,163 | 696,755 | ||||||||||||
| Deferred tax on investment in partnerships | 445,180 | 242,221 | ||||||||||||
| Gross deferred tax liabilities | 1,730,186 | 1,453,088 | ||||||||||||
| Net deferred tax liabilities | $ | (163,176) | $ | (137,940) | ||||||||||
The Company accounts for investment tax credits as a reduction of income tax expense in the year in which the credits arise (i.e. the flow-through method). As of December 31, 2025, the Company has an investment tax credit carryforward of approximately $109.1 million which begins to expire in the year 2033, and $1.1 million of other state tax credits which begin to expire in the year 2029. As of December 31, 2024, the Company has an investment tax credit carryforward of approximately $109.3 million and California enterprise zone credits of approximately $0.5 million.
The Company enters into investment tax credit (each, an "ITC" and collectively, the "ITCs") transfer agreements with third-party transferees to transfer to such third-parties, for cash, the ITCs generated by certain energy systems that have been or will be placed in service. The Company accounts for its share of ITC transfer proceeds under ASC 740, Income Taxes, as a reduction of income tax expense in the consolidated statement of operations during the year in which the credits arise (i.e., the flow-through method) and the tax equity investor’s share is distributed upon receipt. During the 12 months ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the Company recognized income tax benefit to the Company of $196.6 million and $70.0 million, respectively, from such transfers.
Generally, utilization of the net operating loss carryforwards and credits may be subject to a substantial annual limitation due to the ownership change limitations provided by the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986, as amended and similar state provisions. The Company performed an analysis to determine whether an ownership change under IRC section 382 had occurred and determined that no ownership changes were identified as of December 31, 2025.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately $7.1 million of federal and $7.1 million of state capital loss carryforwards. The Company believes its capital loss carryforwards are not likely to be realized.
Valuation allowances are provided against deferred tax assets to the extent that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. The Company’s management considers all available positive and negative evidence including its history of operating income or losses, future reversals of existing taxable temporary difference, taxable income in carryback years and tax-planning strategies. The Company has concluded that it is more likely than not that the benefit from certain federal, state, and foreign tax credits and net operating loss
carryforwards will not be realized. In recognition of this risk, the Company has provided a valuation allowance of $189.3 million on certain deferred tax assets, including those relating to federal, state, and foreign tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards, which is an increase of $24.3 million in 2025.
The Company sells energy systems to investment Funds. As the investment Funds are consolidated by the Company, the gain on the sale of the assets has been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements. However, this gain is recognized for tax reporting purposes. The Company accounts for the income tax consequences of these intra-entity transfers, both current and deferred, as a component of income tax expense and deferred tax liability, net during the period in which the transfers occur.
Uncertain Tax Positions
The Company files tax returns as prescribed by the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examination by federal, state and local, and foreign jurisdictions, where applicable. The statute of limitations for the tax returns varies by jurisdiction.
The Company determines whether a tax position is more likely than not to be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company uses a two-step approach to recognize and measure uncertain tax positions. The first step is to evaluate the tax position for recognition by determining if the weight of available evidence indicates that it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon tax authority examination, including resolution of related appeals or litigation processes, if any. The second step is to measure the tax benefit as the largest amount that is more than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The Company has analyzed its inventory of tax positions with respect to all applicable income tax issues for all open tax years (in each respective jurisdiction).
The Company’s policy is to include interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, if any, within the provision for taxes in the consolidated statements of operations.
The Company is subject to taxation and files income tax returns in the U.S., its territories, and various state and local jurisdictions. Due to the Company’s net losses, substantially all of its federal, state and local, and foreign income tax returns since inception are still subject to audit.
The following table summarizes the tax years that remain open and subject to examination by the tax authorities in the most significant jurisdictions in which the Company operates:
| Tax Years | |||||
| U.S. Federal | 2022 - 2025 | ||||
| State | 2021 - 2025 | ||||
| Foreign | 2021 - 2025 | ||||
Net Operating Loss Carryforwards
As a result of the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards as of December 31, 2025, the Company does not expect to pay income tax, including in connection with its income tax provision for the year ended December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had net operating loss carryforwards for federal, state, and foreign income tax purposes of approximately $720.7 million, $3.5 billion, and $1.3 billion, respectively, which will begin to expire in 2028 for federal purposes, in 2026 for state purposes, and in 2031 for foreign purposes. In addition, federal and certain state net operating loss carryforwards generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 total $2.6 billion and $371.4 million, respectively, and have indefinite carryover periods and do not expire.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 26, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 27, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 21, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 22, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 17, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Feb 25, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 27, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 28, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Mar 6, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Mar 8, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Mar 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.