Entity information:

10.

INCOME TAXES

The Company’s loss before income taxes is primarily derived from the operations in Taiwan and income tax expense is primarily incurred in Taiwan.

The statutory income tax rate in Taiwan is 17%. An additional 10% corporate income tax is assessed on undistributed income for the entities in Taiwan, but only to the extent such income is not distributed or set aside as a legal reserve before the end of the following year. The 10% surtax is recorded in the period the income is earned, and the reduction in the surtax liability is recognized in the period the distribution to stockholders or the setting aside of legal reserve is finalized in the following year.

The Company’s loss before income taxes for the years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016 consist of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Years Ended August 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

U.S. operations

 

$

(628

)

 

$

(973

)

Foreign operations

 

 

(3,476

)

 

 

(20,331

)

Loss before income taxes

 

$

(4,104

)

 

$

(21,304

)

 

Income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the statutory U.S. federal income tax rate of 34% to loss before income taxes for the years ended August 31, 2017 and 2016 as a result of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

Years Ended August 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Computed “expected” income tax benefit

 

$

(1,396

)

 

$

(7,243

)

Foreign tax rate differential

 

 

337

 

 

 

2,078

 

Valuation allowance

 

 

1,036

 

 

 

5,097

 

Other

 

 

23

 

 

 

68

 

Income tax expense

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

Net deferred tax assets (liabilities) as of August 31, 2017 and 2016 consist of the following (in thousands):

 

 

 

August 31,

 

 

 

2017

 

 

2016

 

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inventories, primarily due to inventory obsolescence and

   lower of cost or market provisions

 

$

1,179

 

 

$

1,659

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

 

 

161

 

 

 

155

 

Accruals and other

 

 

86

 

 

 

196

 

Property, plant and equipment

 

 

3,604

 

 

 

4,126

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

615

 

 

 

609

 

Investments in unconsolidated entities

 

 

5,557

 

 

 

5,560

 

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

 

22,741

 

 

 

21,396

 

Net operating loss carryforwards-undistributed earnings tax

 

 

10,486

 

 

 

9,679

 

Total gross deferred tax assets

 

 

44,429

 

 

 

43,380

 

Less: Valuation allowance

 

 

(44,429

)

 

 

(43,380

)

Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

A valuation allowance is provided when it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible and operating loss carryforwards utilizable. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, carryback availability, projected future income, and tax-planning strategies in making this assessment. The Company established full valuation allowances to offset all of its deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of realizing future tax benefits from its net operating loss carryforwards and other deferred tax assets.

As of August 31, 2017, unused net operating loss carryforwards were as follows (in thousands):

 

 

 

August 31,

 

 

Expiration

 

 

 

2017

 

 

Year

 

U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards

 

$

12,490

 

 

2025-2037

 

Foreign net operating loss carryforwards (expiring over the next

   5 years)

 

 

21,950

 

 

2018-2022

 

Foreign net operating loss carryforwards (expiring in more than

   5 years)

 

 

85,810

 

 

2023-2027

 

Foreign net operating loss carryforwards (indefinite life)

 

 

116,512

 

 

 

 

Total unused net operating loss carryforwards and income tax

   credits

 

$

236,762

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

As of both August 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits.

The Company files income tax returns in the United States federal and certain foreign jurisdictions. The tax years 2005 through 2016 remain open in most jurisdictions, and previously filed in various U.S. states. Below is a summary of open tax years by major tax jurisdiction:

 

 

 

Open

 

 

Tax Year

U.S. federal

 

2005-2016

U.S. state

 

2005-2014

Foreign—Taiwan

 

2016

 

The Company is not currently under examination by income tax authorities in any federal, state or foreign jurisdictions. The Company does not expect that the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits will change significantly within the next 12 months.