Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes (Tables)

v3.8.0.1
Income Taxes (Tables)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Provision for Income Taxes for Continuing Operations - Benefit (Expense)

The provision for income taxes for continuing operations - benefit (expense) consists of the following:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

(34,877

)

 

$

(43,655

)

 

$

(36,241

)

State

 

 

(7,292

)

 

 

(3,766

)

 

 

(6,414

)

Total current

 

 

(42,169

)

 

 

(47,421

)

 

 

(42,655

)

Deferred

 

 

28,198

 

 

 

(13,275

)

 

 

(14,410

)

Total provision for income taxes for continuing operations - benefit (expense)

 

$

(13,971

)

 

$

(60,696

)

 

$

(57,065

)

 

Reconciliation of Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate with Federal and State Overall Effective Income Tax Rate from Continuing Operations

The reconciliation of the U.S. statutory federal income tax rate with Sonic’s federal and state overall effective income tax rate from continuing operations is as follows:

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

U.S. statutory federal income tax rate

 

 

35.00

%

 

 

35.00

%

 

 

35.00

%

Effective state income tax rate

 

 

4.58

%

 

 

2.04

%

 

 

3.26

%

Valuation allowance adjustments

 

 

(0.59

%)

 

 

0.85

%

 

 

(0.45

%)

Uncertain tax positions

 

 

0.71

%

 

 

0.17

%

 

 

(0.14

%)

Effect of change in future U.S. statutory federal income tax rate

 

 

(26.27

%)

 

 

0.00

%

 

 

0.00

%

Other

 

 

(0.51

%)

 

 

1.05

%

 

 

1.64

%

Effective income tax rate

 

 

12.92

%

 

 

39.11

%

 

 

39.31

%

 

Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Significant components of Sonic’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

 

 

December 31, 2017

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accruals and reserves

 

$

24,320

 

 

$

34,884

 

State net operating loss carryforwards

 

 

12,689

 

 

 

10,777

 

Fair value of interest rate swaps

 

 

-

 

 

 

1,406

 

Interest and state taxes associated with the liability for uncertain income tax positions

 

 

1,126

 

 

 

1,746

 

Other

 

 

712

 

 

 

774

 

Total deferred tax assets

 

 

38,847

 

 

 

49,587

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fair value of interest rate swaps

 

 

(696

)

 

 

-

 

Basis difference in inventories

 

 

(965

)

 

 

(1,506

)

Basis difference in property and equipment

 

 

(2,467

)

 

 

(9,335

)

Basis difference in goodwill

 

 

(73,803

)

 

 

(101,999

)

Other

 

 

(1,636

)

 

 

(3,540

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

 

(79,567

)

 

 

(116,380

)

Valuation allowance

 

 

(7,985

)

 

 

(7,211

)

Net deferred tax asset (liability)

 

$

(48,705

)

 

$

(74,004

)

 

Summary of Changes in Liability Related to Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A summary of the changes in the liability related to Sonic’s unrecognized tax benefits is presented below.

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

 

(In thousands)

 

Unrecognized tax benefit liability, January 1 (1)

 

$

4,357

 

 

$

4,755

 

 

$

5,740

 

New positions

 

 

653

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Prior period positions:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Increases

 

 

491

 

 

 

939

 

 

 

175

 

Decreases

 

 

(539

)

 

 

(415

)

 

 

-

 

Increases from current period positions

 

 

692

 

 

 

615

 

 

 

184

 

Settlements

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Lapse of statute of limitations

 

 

(781

)

 

 

(1,290

)

 

 

(1,114

)

Other

 

 

(228

)

 

 

(247

)

 

 

(230

)

Unrecognized tax benefit liability, December 31 (2)

 

$

4,645

 

 

$

4,357

 

 

$

4,755

 

(1)

Excludes accrued interest and penalties of $0.8 million, $1.1 million and $1.2 million at January 1, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

(2)

Excludes accrued interest and penalties of $0.6 million, $0.8 million and $1.1 million at December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Amount presented is net of state net operating losses of $0.1 million, $0.3 million and $0.6 million at December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.