15. Income Taxes

 

The components of earnings (loss) before income taxes are (in thousands):

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

 

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

 

February 1, 2025

 

 

February 3, 2024

 

United States

 

$

42,901

 

 

$

21,562

 

 

$

(4,269

)

Foreign

 

 

(18,838

)

 

 

(17,485

)

 

 

(57,609

)

Total earnings (loss) before income taxes

 

$

24,063

 

 

$

4,077

 

 

$

(61,878

)

The components of the provision for income taxes are (in thousands):

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

 

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

 

February 1, 2025

 

 

February 3, 2024

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

6,764

 

 

$

4,833

 

 

$

(270

)

State and local

 

 

1,622

 

 

 

256

 

 

 

242

 

Foreign

 

 

(96

)

 

 

1,277

 

 

 

1,810

 

Total current

 

 

8,290

 

 

 

6,366

 

 

 

1,782

 

Deferred:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

 

2,230

 

 

 

(50

)

 

 

(1,485

)

State and local

 

 

564

 

 

 

(246

)

 

 

(413

)

Foreign

 

 

(398

)

 

 

(280

)

 

 

848

 

Total deferred

 

 

2,396

 

 

 

(576

)

 

 

(1,050

)

Provision for income taxes

 

$

10,686

 

 

$

5,790

 

 

$

732

 

The reconciliation of the income tax provision at the U.S. federal statutory rate to our effective income tax rate is as follows (in thousands, except percentages):

 

Fiscal Year Ended

 

January 31, 2026

U.S. federal statutory tax rate

$

 

5,053

 

 

21.0

 

%

State and local income taxes, net of federal effect (1)

 

 

1,529

 

 

6.4

 

 

Foreign tax effects

 

 

 

 

 

 

Austria

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rate differential between Austria and the United States

 

 

(422

)

 

(1.8

)

 

Changes in valuation allowance

 

 

4,853

 

 

20.2

 

 

Other, net

 

 

1

 

 

0.1

 

 

Switzerland

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAAP to stat adjustment

 

 

(4,147

)

 

(17.2

)

 

Changes in valuation allowance

 

 

2,382

 

 

9.9

 

 

Discrete impact of loss carryforwards

 

 

(1,304

)

 

(5.4

)

 

Other, net

 

 

47

 

 

0.2

 

 

Australia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rate differential between Australia and the United States

 

 

(253

)

 

(1.1

)

 

Changes in valuation allowance

 

 

1,792

 

 

7.4

 

 

Other, net

 

 

(210

)

 

(0.9

)

 

Other Foreign Jurisdictions

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other, net

 

 

445

 

 

1.9

 

 

Tax Credits

 

 

 

 

 

 

WOTC

 

 

(265

)

 

(1.1

)

 

FTC

 

 

(434

)

 

(1.8

)

 

Stock-based Compensation

 

 

252

 

 

1.0

 

 

Nontaxable or Nondeductible Items

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other nontaxable or nondeductible items

 

 

412

 

 

1.7

 

 

Changes in unrecognized tax benefits

 

 

(448

)

 

(1.9

)

 

Other Adjustments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tax account roll forward adjustment

 

 

935

 

 

3.9

 

 

Other

 

 

468

 

 

1.9

 

 

Provision for income taxes

$

 

10,686

 

 

44.4

 

%

 

(1) State taxes in California, New York, New York City, Oregon, and Texas, made up a majority (greater than 50%) of the tax effect in this category.

 

The following table presents required disclosures prior to the adoption of ASU 2023-09 and displays the reconciliation between the income tax provision at the U.S. federal statutory tax rate to our effective income tax rate.

 

 

 

February 1, 2025

 

February 3, 2024

 

U.S. federal statutory tax rate

 

21.0

%

21.0

%

State and local income taxes, net of federal effect

 

13.3

 

0.3

 

Change in valuation allowance

 

124.5

 

(19.8)

 

Foreign earnings, net

 

(5.4)

 

2.9

 

Stock-based compensation

 

12.2

 

(0.8)

 

Tax credits

 

(9.5)

 

1.0

 

Uncertain Tax Positions

 

(9.9)

 

(0.2)

 

Goodwill impairment

 

 

(4.3)

 

Foreign tax audit

 

 

(1.2)

 

Permanent Taxable Differences

 

6.0

 

(0.3)

 

Adjustments to Prior Year Taxes

 

(10.3)

 

0.3

 

Effective tax rate

 

142.0

%

(1.2)

%

 

The components of deferred income taxes are (in thousands):

 

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

 

February 1, 2025

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease liability

 

 

$

51,686

 

 

$

50,075

 

Net operating losses

 

 

 

44,965

 

 

 

30,256

 

Employee benefits, including stock-based compensation

 

 

 

3,158

 

 

 

2,783

 

Accrued liabilities

 

 

 

1,491

 

 

 

448

 

Deferred losses

 

 

 

1,351

 

 

 

1,531

 

Property and equipment

 

 

 

 

 

 

1,107

 

Inventories

 

 

 

785

 

 

 

386

 

Other

 

 

 

1,138

 

 

 

1,195

 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

 

104,574

 

 

 

87,781

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating lease right-of-use-assets

 

 

 

(47,415

)

 

 

(44,436

)

Goodwill and intangible assets

 

 

 

(5,640

)

 

 

(4,807

)

Property and equipment

 

 

 

(1,185

)

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses

 

 

 

(793

)

 

 

(473

)

Other

 

 

 

(640

)

 

 

(603

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

 

(55,673

)

 

 

(50,319

)

Net valuation allowances

 

 

 

(42,552

)

 

 

(28,778

)

Net deferred tax assets

 

 

$

6,349

 

 

$

8,684

 

At January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had foreign net operating loss carryovers that could be utilized to reduce future years’ tax liabilities of $210.8 million and $130.8 million, respectively. Net operating loss carryovers for the year ended January 31, 2026 included a $24.6 million increase due to change in foreign exchange rates, which consisted of increases in Europe and Australia amounting to $22.0 million and $2.6 million, respectively. Net operating loss carryovers for the year ended February 1, 2025 included a $5.7 million decrease due to change in foreign exchange rates in Europe. The tax-effected foreign net operating loss carryovers were $44.7 million and $30.0 million at January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, respectively. The net operating loss carryovers have an indefinite carryforward period and currently will not expire.

At January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had state net operating loss carryovers that could be utilized to reduce future years' tax liabilities of $21.5 million and $21.4 million, respectively, which, if unused will expire in 2044. The tax-effected state net operating loss carryovers were $0.3 million at January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025.

At January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had tax credit carryovers that could be utilized to reduce future years' tax liabilities of $0.3 million, which if unused will expire in years 2028 through 2044.

At January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had capital loss limitation carryovers that could be utilized to reduce future years' tax liabilities of $0.4 million, which if unused will expire in years 2026 through 2030.

At January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had valuation allowances on our deferred tax assets of $42.6 million and $28.8 million, respectively, primarily due to the uncertainty of the realization of certain deferred tax assets related to foreign net operating loss carryovers.

 

The following table summarizes the activity related to our unrecognized tax benefits (in thousands):

 

 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

 

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

 

February 1, 2025

 

 

February 3, 2024

 

Beginning unrecognized tax benefits

 

$

1,930

 

 

$

2,586

 

 

$

2,522

 

Increase related to prior year tax positions

 

 

85

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

 

Decrease in tax positions of prior periods

 

 

 

 

 

(316

)

 

 

 

Increase related to current year tax positions

 

 

332

 

 

 

229

 

 

 

721

 

Decrease related to lapsing of statute of limitations

 

 

(471

)

 

 

(569

)

 

 

(674

)

Ending unrecognized tax benefits

 

$

1,876

 

 

$

1,930

 

 

$

2,586

 

At January 31, 2026 we had $1.9 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits of which $1.0 million, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We recognized a benefit of $0.07 million, a benefit of $0.07 million, an expense of $0.01 million of interest and penalties in income tax expense, prior to the benefit of the federal tax deduction, for fiscal 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. As of January 31, 2026 and February 1, 2025, we had accrued interest and penalties of $0.2 million, within our consolidated balance sheets.

Net cash paid (refunds received) for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):
 

 

Fiscal Year Ended

 

 

January 31, 2026

 

Federal

$

4,050

 

Aggregated state and Local

 

748

 

Disaggregated State and local

 

 

   California

 

495

 

Foreign

 

(209

)

   Canada

 

792

 

Net cash paid (refunds received) for income taxes

$

5,876

 

The income taxes paid for the years ended February 1, 2025 and February 3, 2024 were $2.5 million and $2.1 million, respectively.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions. Our U.S. federal income tax returns are no longer subject to examination for years before fiscal 2021, and we are no longer subject to U.S. state and local examinations for years before fiscal 2021.We are no longer subject to examination for all foreign income tax returns before fiscal 2019.

Historical Timeline

Fiscal YearFiled
2026Mar 12, 2026Showing above
2025Mar 13, 2025
2024Mar 14, 2024
2023Mar 20, 2023
2022Mar 14, 2022
2021Mar 15, 2021
2020Mar 16, 2020
2019Mar 18, 2019
2018Mar 19, 2018
2017Mar 13, 2017
2016Mar 14, 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.