Entity information:
NOTE
1
1
- INCOME TAXES
 
The Company operates in such a manner as to qualify as a REIT, under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986,
as amended (the "Code"); therefore, applicable REIT taxable income is included in the taxable income of its shareholders, to the extent distributed by the Company. To maintain REIT status for federal income tax purposes, the Company is generally required to distribute at least
90%
of its REIT taxable income to its shareholders as well as comply, generally, with certain other qualification requirements as defined under the Code. As a REIT, the Company is
not
subject to federal corporate income tax to the extent that it distributes
100%
of its REIT taxable income each year. During
2017,
2016
and
2015,
the Company distributed at or in excess of
100%
of its REIT taxable income to its stockholders. During
2017,
2016
and
2015,
the Company had net capital gains from the sales of real estate properties totaling approximately
$2,297,000,
$4,451,000
and
$3,753,000,
respectively. Management decided to retain all or a portion of capital gains in
2017,
2016
and
2015
within the Company and
not
distribute them as is permitted for REITs. However, the retention of capital gains required the Company to make a payment to the U.S. Treasury Department on behalf of shareholders at the highest corporate tax rate (
35%
) in the total amount of approximately
$640,000,
$583,000
and
$1,314,000
in
January 2018,
2017
and
2016,
respectively. This tax payment was accrued as dividends payable in the Company’s financial statements as of
December 31, 2017,
2016
and
2015.
Shareholders’ pro-rata portion of the amount paid is to be reflected as tax payments on the individual shareholders’ tax returns.
 
Taxable income from non-REIT activities managed through the Company's taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) (Lone Star Golf, Inc., Zalanta Resort at the Village, LLC and East G, LLC) is subject to federal, state and local income taxes. The Company did
not
record a provision for current income taxes related to Lone Star for the years ended
December 31, 2017,
2016
and
2015
as it was in a net loss position. In addition, deferred taxes related to temporary differences in book and taxable income as well as net operating losses (“NOLs”) of Lone Star would likely
not
be realizable due to Lone Star’s loss history (full amount of deferred tax assets offset by a valuation allowance). The NOLs totaled approximately
$785,000
for Federal and California as of
December 31, 2017
and expire between
2033
and
2037.
 
During
2016,
the Company established a new entity, East G, LLC (“East G”) and contributed an office property that was obtained via foreclosure of a loan in
2016
into this new entity along with a unit in the same building that had been purchased in
2015.
The Company then converted East G into a TRS.
No
taxes have been recorded. Deferred taxes related to temporary differences in book and taxable income were
not
significant and tax loss carryforwards are
not
significant and the deferred taxes will
not
be realized. The Company sold the East G property during
2017
and dissolved the LLC.
 
During
2016,
the Company converted ZRV into a TRS and contributed
two
additional real estate assets into ZRV. These properties included
75
improved, residential lots previously held within Baldwin Ranch Subdivision, LLC and a medical office condominium complex previously held within AMFU, LLC. The conversion of ZRV into a TRS and contribution of the additional real estate assets resulted in the Company recording a deferred tax asset and income tax benefit in the amount of approximately
$7,249,000
primarily due to a
$15,450,000
aggregate remaining difference between the book and tax basis of the subject real estate assets as of
December 31, 2016.
During
2017,
ZRV recorded income tax expense of
$4,041,655
that was primarily the result of an increase in the valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets as a result of higher construction costs and lower expected gains from the sales of ZRV assets in the future and due to a decrease in the Federal corporate tax rate from
34%
to
21%
in
2018
and beyond as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by President Trump on
December 22, 2017,
which required ZRV to remeasure its net deferred tax asset at the lower rate.
 
During the year ended
December 31, 2015,
the Company had a
$267,000
taxable gain on sale of a real estate property. The gain was taxable because the subject property was designated as foreclosure property pursuant to the related REIT taxation rules. As a result, the Company recorded income tax expense of approximately
$93,000
for the year ended
December 31, 2015.
 
As of
December 31, 2017
and
2016,
the Company has
not
recorded a reserve for any uncertain income tax positions. There has been
no
interest or penalties incurred to date.
 
As of
December 31, 2017,
income tax returns for the calendar years ended
2013
through
2017
remain subject to examination by IRS and/or any state or local taxing jurisdiction. Additionally, certain state tax returns from the predecessor entity (OMIF) remain open for the short year ended
May 19, 2013.
 
The components of the income tax expense (benefit) as it relates to the Company’s taxable income (loss) from domestic TRSs during the years ended
December 31, 2017
and
2016
were as follows:
 
   
Year Ended December 31, 201
7
 
   
Federal
   
State and Local
   
Total
 
Change in valuation allowance
  $
2,602,441
    $
418,020
    $
3,020,461
 
Reduction in Federal
corporate tax rate
   
1,358,272
     
     
1,358,272
 
Other
   
(293,814
)
   
(43,264
)
   
(337,078
)
Income tax
expense (benefit)
  $
3,666,899
    $
374,756
    $
4,041,655
 
 
   
Year Ended December 31, 2016
 
   
Federal
   
State and Local
   
Total
 
Deferred expense (benefit)
  $
(6,655,774
)
  $
(1,387,947
)
  $
(8,043,721
)
Change in valuation allowance
   
794,744
     
     
794,744
 
Income tax expense (benefit)
  $
(5,861,030
)
  $
(1,387,947
)
  $
(7,248,977
)
 
A reconciliation of the income tax provision (benefit) based upon the statutory tax rates to the effective rates of our taxable REIT subsidiaries is as follows for the year ended
December 31, 2017
and
2016:
 
   
Year Ended
December 31
,
201
7
   
Year Ended
December 31
,
2016
 
Tax
(benefit) expense at Federal statutory rate
  $
(149,766
)
  $
(423,847
)
State income tax expense (benefit), net of
Federal effect
   
250,193
     
(916,045
)
Real estate basis differences at TRS conversion
   
     
(6,753,272
)
Other
   
(19,485
)
   
49,443
 
Change in
Federal valuation allowance
   
2,602,441
     
794,744
 
Reduction in Federal corporate tax rate
   
1,358,272
     
 
Income tax expense (benefit)
  $
4,041,655
    $
(7,248,977
)
 
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets (liabilities) for its TRS entities are as follows as of
December 31, 2017
and
2016:
 
Deferred tax assets (liabilities):
 
December 31
,
201
7
   
December 31
,
2016
 
Real estate basis differences
  $
4,255,681
     
6,154,411
 
Net operating losses
   
1,380,138
     
1,889,310
 
Total deferred tax assets
   
5,635,819
     
8,043,721
 
Valuation allowance
   
(2,428,497
)
   
(794,744
)
Net deferred tax assets
  $
3,207,322
     
7,248,977
 
 
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts for income tax purposes, as well as operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. The Company evaluates the realizability of its deferred tax assets and recognizes a valuation allowance if, based on the available evidence, both positive and negative, it is more likely than
not
that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will
not
be realized. When evaluating the realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers, among other matters, estimates of expected future taxable income, nature of current and cumulative losses and tax planning strategies available.
 
Management has estimated future taxable gains and losses on sale of ZRV real estate assets to determine how much of the deferred tax assets are realizable. This realizability analysis is inherently subjective and actual results could differ from these estimates. Based on an assessment of all factors, it was determined that a valuation allowance of
$2,428,000
and
$795,000
related to Federal and State NOLs and differences in the book and tax basis of assets in ZRV was required as of
December 
31,
2017
and
2016,
respectively, as management does
not
expect that ZRV will generate enough taxable income in the future to realize all of the NOL and basis benefits. The Company’s Federal and California NOLs within ZRV totaled
$6,245,000
and
$982,000,
respectively, as of
December 31, 2017. 
ZRV has Arizona NOLs of
$3,511,000
as of
December 31, 2017;
however, ZRV did
not
record a deferred tax asset related to the Arizona NOLs as it does
not
expect to file another Arizona tax return, and thus, the NOLs will
not
be used. All of the NOLs expire in
2036
and
2037.