Entity information:

12. Income Taxes

The following table summarizes the components of the income tax provision (in thousands):

 

 

Year Ended September 30,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

Current:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

$

52,718

 

 

$

23,403

 

 

$

17,414

 

Foreign

 

1,366

 

 

 

1,183

 

 

 

1,765

 

State

 

8,975

 

 

 

2,426

 

 

 

7,579

 

Total current taxes

$

63,059

 

 

$

27,012

 

 

$

26,758

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

$

(656

)

 

$

25,935

 

 

$

14,798

 

Foreign

 

-

 

 

 

321

 

 

 

(657

)

State

 

78

 

 

 

3,347

 

 

 

2,868

 

Total deferred taxes

$

(578

)

 

$

29,603

 

 

$

17,009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Provision for income taxes

$

62,481

 

 

$

56,615

 

 

$

43,767

 

 

The following table is a reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective income tax rate for the periods presented:

 

 

Year Ended September 30,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

U.S. federal income taxes at statutory rate

 

35.0

%

 

 

35.0

%

 

 

35.0

%

State income taxes, net of federal benefit

 

3.9

%

 

 

4.2

%

 

 

4.6

%

Non-deductible professional fees related to RSG acquisition

 

0.0

%

 

 

0.4

%

 

 

2.2

%

Other

 

(0.6

%)

 

 

(1.0

%)

 

 

(0.5

%)

Effective tax rate

 

38.3

%

 

 

38.6

%

 

 

41.3

%

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the tax consequences of temporary differences between the amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and such amounts as measured by tax law. These temporary differences are determined according to ASC 740 Income Taxes. Temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

 

 

September 30,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred compensation

$

14,237

 

 

$

15,166

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

1,318

 

 

 

2,060

 

Accrued vacation and other

 

6,602

 

 

 

6,616

 

Unrealized loss on financial derivatives

 

-

 

 

 

279

 

Inventory valuation

 

10,564

 

 

 

6,193

 

Tax loss carryforwards

 

20,575

 

 

 

34,505

 

Other

 

958

 

 

 

913

 

Total deferred tax assets

$

54,254

 

 

$

65,732

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excess tax over book depreciation and amortization

$

(192,637

)

 

$

(201,214

)

Total deferred tax liabilities

 

(192,637

)

 

 

(201,214

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net deferred income tax liabilities

$

(138,383

)

 

$

(135,482

)

 

Due to the RSG acquisition on October 1, 2015, the Company acquired $135.3 million of federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards related to its domestic operations. The federal losses are subject to an annual Section 382 limit of $37.3 million. The Company utilized $37.3 million of federal NOLs and $2.3 million of state NOLs for the year ended September 30, 2017. These NOLs are scheduled to expire at various dates through 2035. The deferred tax asset of $20.6 million remaining as of September 30, 2017 is related to the federal and state NOL carryforward and AMT credit carryforward.

The Company’s Canadian subsidiary, Beacon Roofing Supply Canada Company (“BRSCC”), is treated as a Controlled Foreign Corporation (“CFC”). BRSCC’s taxable income, which reflects all of the Company’s Canadian operations, is being taxed only in Canada and would generally be taxed in the United States only upon an actual or deemed distribution. The Company expects that BRSCC’s earnings will be indefinitely reinvested for the foreseeable future and therefore no United States deferred tax asset or liability for the differences between the book basis and the tax basis of BRSCC has been recorded at September 30, 2017. Unremitted earnings of $44.5 million were considered permanently reinvested at September 30, 2017. Of this amount, $22.4 million of the unremitted earnings were previously taxed in the United States and the remittance on these earnings would not generate additional United States tax.

As of September 30, 2017, goodwill was $1.25 billion, of which there remains an amortizable basis of $297.4 million for income tax purposes. The Company had $34.5 million of excess tax benefits available for potential deferred tax write-offs as of September 30, 2017, primarily related to previously recognized stock-based compensation.

As of September 30, 2017, there were no uncertain tax positions which, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company’s accounting policy is to recognize any interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense in the consolidated statements of operations. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of the gross unrecognized income tax benefits is as follows:

 

 

Year Ended September 30,

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Balance, beginning of year

$

-

 

 

$

82

 

Current year uncertain tax positions

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Settlements

 

-

 

 

 

(82

)

Balance, end of year

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

The Company has operations in 48 U.S. states and 6 provinces in Canada. The Company is currently under audit in certain state and local jurisdictions for various years. These audits may involve complex issues, which may require an extended period of time to resolve. The Company has provided for its estimate of taxes payable in the accompanying financial statements. Additional taxes are reasonably possible; however the amounts cannot be estimated at this time. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for any fiscal years ended on or before September 30, 2013. For the majority of states, the Company is also no longer subject to tax examinations for any fiscal years ended on or before September 30, 2013. In Canada, the Company is no longer subject to tax examinations for any fiscal years ended on or before September 30, 2013. For the Canadian provinces, the Company is no longer subject to tax examinations for any fiscal years ended on or before September 30, 2014.