STEEL DYNAMICS INC Income Taxes Disclosure
Note 4. Income Taxes
Components of earnings before income taxes and noncontrolling interests for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
United States income | $ | 1,489,479 | $ | 1,992,814 | $ | 3,198,048 | ||||
Foreign income (loss) | 3,492 | (9,933) | 20,895 | |||||||
Total income before income taxes | $ | 1,492,971 | $ | 1,982,881 | $ | 3,218,943 | ||||
The company files a consolidated federal income tax return. The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31 is as follows (in thousands):
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
Current income tax expense | ||||||||||
Federal | $ | 172,988 | $ | 409,586 | $ | 600,499 | ||||
State | 32,559 | 57,942 | 91,965 | |||||||
Foreign | 4,850 | 7,980 | 3,482 | |||||||
Total current | 210,397 | 475,508 | 695,946 | |||||||
Deferred income tax expense (benefit) | ||||||||||
Federal | 96,693 | (26,311) | 38,172 | |||||||
State | 7,322 | (12,476) | 15,355 | |||||||
Foreign | (8,752) | (3,796) | 2,138 | |||||||
Total deferred | 95,263 | (42,583) | 55,665 | |||||||
$ | 305,660 | $ | 432,925 | $ | 751,611 | |||||
A reconciliation of the statutory rates to the actual effective tax rates for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in thousands, except percentages):
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |||||||||||||||
U.S. Federal Statutory Tax Rate | $ | 313,524 | 21.0 | % | $ | 416,405 | 21.0 | % | $ | 675,978 | 21.0 | % | |||||
State and local income taxes, net of federal income tax effect(a) | 31,505 | 2.1 | 35,918 | 1.8 | 84,784 | 2.6 | |||||||||||
Foreign tax effects | (4,635) | (0.3) | 6,270 | 0.3 | 1,232 | 0.1 | |||||||||||
Effect of cross-border tax laws | (2,388) | (0.2) | (5,411) | (0.3) | (2,445) | (0.1) | |||||||||||
Tax credits - federal research & development | (35,050) | (2.3) | (18,036) | (0.9) | (11,329) | (0.4) | |||||||||||
Nontaxable or nondeductible items | 2,240 | 0.2 | (1,557) | (0.1) | (784) | ||||||||||||
Changes in unrecognized tax expense (benefits) | 464 | (664) | 4,175 | 0.1 | |||||||||||||
Effective tax rate | $ | 305,660 | 20.5 | % | $ | 432,925 | 21.8 | % | $ | 751,611 | 23.3 | % | |||||
(a) State taxes in , , and made up the majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category. | |||||||||||||||||
Note 4. Income Taxes (Continued)
Cash taxes paid, net of refunds, by jurisdiction for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||
U.S. Federal | $ | 116,060 | $ | 399,306 | $ | 560,000 | ||
U.S. State and Local | ||||||||
Indiana | - | 25,863 | 13,897 | |||||
Other States (combined)(b) | 27,531 | 36,672 | 64,630 | |||||
8,409 | 1,922 | 4,140 | ||||||
Total income taxes paid, net | $ | 152,000 | $ | 463,763 | $ | 642,667 | ||
(b) All other U.S. state/local jurisdictions individually represented less than 5% and are aggregated into "Other States" | ||||||||
Significant components of the company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
2025 | 2024 | ||||||
Deferred tax assets | |||||||
Accrued expenses and allowances | $ | 55,029 | $ | 41,031 | |||
Inventories | 76,218 | 6,892 | |||||
Net operating loss carryforwards | 61,893 | 24,381 | |||||
Amortizable assets | - | 39,657 | |||||
Other | 20,500 | 5,916 | |||||
213,640 | 117,877 | ||||||
Less: valuation allowance | (1,360) | (1,150) | |||||
Total net deferred tax assets | 212,280 | 116,727 | |||||
Deferred tax liabilities | |||||||
Property, plant and equipment | (1,194,237) | (1,014,515) | |||||
Amortizable assets | (4,187) | - | |||||
Other | (11,305) | (4,398) | |||||
Total deferred tax liabilities | (1,209,729) | (1,018,913) | |||||
Net deferred tax liability | $ | (997,449) | $ | (902,186) | |||
Certain wholly-owned and controlled subsidiaries of the company file separate federal and state income tax returns. These subsidiaries generated state net operating loss carryforwards, which will expire in the years 2034 through 2045 if not utilized. Annually, the company evaluates the realizability of the net deferred tax assets for this controlled subsidiary. In completing this evaluation, the company considers all available positive and negative evidence in order to determine whether, based on the weight of the evidence, a valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets is necessary. Such evidence includes current operating results, historical results, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and expectations for future taxable income (exclusive of the reversal of temporary differences and carryforwards), as well as the implementation of feasible and prudent tax planning strategies. Based on the evidence, the company maintained a valuation allowance of $1,360,000 and $1,150,000 as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively, with respect to certain state tax credits of the controlled subsidiary.
Note 4. Income Taxes (Continued)
A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
2025 | 2024 | 2023 | ||||||||
Balance at January 1 | $ | 29,687 | $ | 31,258 | $ | 28,646 | ||||
Increases related to current year tax positions | 7,245 | 5,115 | 1,500 | |||||||
Increases related to prior year tax positions | 2,764 | 263 | 1,798 | |||||||
Decreases related to prior year tax positions | (399) | (504) | - | |||||||
Decreases related to lapse of applicable statute of limitations | (8,614) | (6,445) | (686) | |||||||
Balance at December 31 | $ | 30,683 | $ | 29,687 | $ | 31,258 | ||||
Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2025 and 2024 are potential benefits of $27.2 million and $26.4 million, respectively, that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. The company recognizes interest and penalties related to its tax contingencies on a net-of-tax basis in income tax expense. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the company recognized income from the decrease of interest expense and penalties of $340,000, net of tax. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the company recognized expense from the increase of interest expense and penalties of $710,000 and $1,560,000, respectively, net of tax. In addition to the unrecognized tax benefits in the table above, the company had $3.7 million and $4.2 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction as well as income tax returns in various state jurisdictions. The tax years 2022 through 2025 remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and various state and local jurisdictions.
Historical Timeline
| Fiscal Year | Filed | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Feb 27, 2026 | Showing above |
| 2024 | Feb 28, 2025 | |
| 2023 | Feb 29, 2024 | |
| 2022 | Feb 28, 2023 | |
| 2021 | Feb 28, 2022 | |
| 2020 | Mar 1, 2021 | |
| 2019 | Feb 27, 2020 | |
| 2018 | Feb 27, 2019 | |
| 2017 | Feb 27, 2018 | |
| 2016 | Feb 28, 2017 | |
| 2015 | Feb 26, 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.