NOTE 9 – INCOME TAXES

 

The components of net income before taxes are as follows:

 

  

For the year ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

  

2024

  

2023

 
             

Domestic

 $107,739  $26,470  $13,583 

Foreign

  (349)  (876)  (521)

Net income before taxes

 $107,390  $25,594  $13,062 

 

Income tax (benefit) expense consists of the following:

 

  

For the year ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

  

2024

  

2023

 

Current:

            

Federal

 $  $  $ 

State

  8,211   2,211   390 

Foreign

         

Total current tax expense

 $8,211  $2,211  $390 
             

Deferred:

            

Federal

 $(335,077) $  $ 

State

  (12,923)      

Foreign

         

Total deferred tax (benefit) expense

 $(348,000) $  $ 
             

Income tax (benefit) expense

 $(339,789) $2,211  $390 

 

 The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) was enacted on August 16, 2022. The IRA provided for a Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax (“Corp AMT”), applicable to tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. The Corp AMT will impose a 15% tax on companies with adjusted financial statement income of over $1 billion for U.S. based organizations. At this time, it is not anticipated that the Corp AMT will be applicable for the Company.

 

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the OBBBA) was enacted in the United States. Among other changes, the OBBBA modifies key business tax provisions, including restoring 100% bonus depreciation under Section 168(k), reverting to the higher, EBITDA-based, business interest expense limitation under Section 163(j) and reinstatement of expensing domestic research and development costs including those previously capitalized under Section 174.

 

Beginning in 2025 annual reporting, the Company adopted ASU 2023-09 prospectively. See Note 1 - Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Recently Issued Accounting Standards for additional details on the adoption of ASU 2023-09. A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to our effective tax rate for the year ending December 31, 2025 is as follows:

 

  

For the Year Ended

 
  

December 31, 2025

 

(in thousands)

 

Tax Effect

  

Effective Tax Rate

 
         

U.S. federal statutory income tax rate

 $22,552   21.0%

State and local income tax, net of federal income tax effect

  (6,440)  (6.0)%

Tax credits:

        

Research and development (R&D) tax credit

  (7,352)  (6.8)%

Changes in valuation allowance

  (357,904)  (333.3)%

Nontaxable or nondeductible items:

        

Officer compensation limit

  6,213   5.8%

Excess tax benefit on stock-based compensation

  (8,118)  (7.6)%

Other

  324   0.3%

Other adjustments:

        

Limitation to tax attribute utilization

  9,477   8.8%

Other

  1,459   1.4%

Tax effect and effective tax rate

 $(339,789)  (316.4)%

 

Income tax expense differed from amounts computed by applying the US federal income tax rate of 21% for the years ending  December 31, 2024 and 2023, to pretax income as follows:

 

  

For the year ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2024

  

2023

 
         

Income before income taxes, as reported in the consolidated statements of operations

 $25,594  $13,062 

 

  

 

Computed “expected” tax benefit

 $5,375  $2,743 

        

Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:

        

State and local taxes

  780   (700)

Research and development credits

  (4,637)  (3,402)

Officer Compensation Limitation

  2,164   (740)

Provision-to-return

  11,733   (9,235)

Prior period state tax benefit

  (3,508)   

Other

  646   245 

Stock options

  (1,602)  (10,616)

Change in state tax rates

  (4,970)  4,141 

Change in the balance of the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets

  (3,770)  17,954 

 $2,211  $390 

 

Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received, by jurisdiction for the years ended December 31, 2025 are as follows:

 

  

For the year ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2025

 
     

Federal

 $300 

State:

    

California

  710 

Kentucky

  1,100 

Mississippi

  500 

Tennessee

  4,519 

Other

  750 

Foreign

   
     

Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received

 $7,879 

 

Our deferred tax assets (liabilities) are as follows:

 ​

(in thousands)

 

2025

  

2024

 

Deferred tax assets:

      

Net operating loss carryforwards

 $275,710  $294,046 

Research and development credit

 58,045  50,693 

Noncash compensation

 15,400  12,267 

Capitalized R&D Expenses

 14,753  49,681 

Other

 27,966  10,335 

Gross deferred tax assets

  391,874   417,022 

Deferred tax liabilities:

      

Other

  (3,897)  (2,408)

Net deferred tax assets, excluding valuation allowance

  387,977   414,614 

Less valuation allowance

 (39,977) (414,614)

Net deferred tax assets

 $348,000  $ 

 

As of December 31, 2025, the Company has U.S. federal net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of approximately $1.1 billion and research and development credit carryforwards (R&D credits) of approximately $58.0 million. For income tax purposes, these NOLs and R&D credits will expire in various amounts starting in 2029 and through 2046, respectively. NOLs generated after 2017 do not expire. The Tax Reform Act of 1986 contains provisions which limit the ability to utilize net operating loss carryforwards and R&D credit carryforwards in the case of certain events including significant changes in ownership interests. Stock issuance activities may have resulted in a “change in ownership” as defined by IRC Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Accordingly, a portion of the Company’s NOLs have been identified as subject to annual limitations in reducing any future year’s taxable income. The Company has recorded approximately $9.5 million of tax expense to reflect this limitation. In addition, a portion of the R&D Credit carryforwards may be subject to annual limitations in reducing any future year’s tax.

 

A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. In determining the need for a valuation allowance, management reviews both positive and negative evidence, including current and historical results of operations, future income projections and the overall prospects of our business. Based on the relevant weight of positive and negative evidence, including improved and sustained profitability trends as well as consideration of the Company's expected future taxable earnings, the Company concluded that it is more likely than not that its U.S. federal and certain state deferred tax assets are realizable at December 31, 2025. The Company continues to maintain a full or partial valuation allowance against certain state attributes as of December 31, 2025, because the Company concluded it is not more likely than not to be realized, as the Company expects certain state attribute generation in future years to exceed its ability to use these deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance for deferred tax assets was approximately $40.0 million and $414.6 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. 

 

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S Federal and various state and local jurisdictions. With certain exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. Federal and state income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2022. However, NOLs and tax credits generated from those prior years could still be adjusted upon audit.

 

The Company would recognize interest and penalties, if any, to uncertain tax position in income tax expense in the statement of operations. There was no accrual for interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions for 2025. 
 

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2025Feb 27, 2026Showing above
2024Mar 3, 2025
2023Feb 29, 2024
2022Mar 1, 2023
2021Mar 1, 2022
2020Mar 1, 2021
2019Mar 2, 2020
2018Mar 1, 2019
2017Mar 15, 2018
2016Mar 16, 2017
2015Mar 15, 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.