Entity information:
Income Taxes
The Partnership is not a taxable entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and taxes are generally borne by unitholders through the allocation of taxable income. In connection with the Offering, Predecessor current and deferred tax liabilities of $104.0 million were eliminated upon consummation of the Partnership. At December 31, 2017, the net difference between the tax bases and reported amounts of the Partnership’s assets and liabilities is $31.7 million.
The provision for income taxes included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the periods presented relates to the Predecessor. The Predecessor is not a separate taxable entity for U.S. federal and certain states purposes, and its results are included in the consolidated income tax returns of Oasis Petroleum. The provision for income taxes recorded by the Predecessor was determined as if the Predecessor was a stand-alone taxpayer for the period prior to the Offering on September 25, 2017.
The Predecessor’s income tax expense consists of the following:
 
 
December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
Current:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
$
15,571

 
$
21,272

 
$
14,811

State
 
2,047

 
2,797

 
1,985

 
 
17,618

 
24,069

 
16,796

Deferred:
 
 
 
 
 
 
Federal
 
4,631

 
772

 
3,191

State
 
609

 
16

 
352

 
 
5,240

 
788

 
3,543

Total income tax expense
 
$
22,858

 
$
24,857

 
$
20,339


The reconciliation of income taxes calculated at the U.S. federal statutory rate to the Predecessor’s effective tax rate for the years presented is as follows:
 
 
December 31,
 
 
2017
 
2016
 
2015
 
 
(%)
 
(In thousands)
 
(%)
 
(In thousands)
 
(%)
 
(In thousands)
U.S. federal statutory rate
 
35.00
 %
 
33,392

 
35.00
%
 
22,745

 
35.00
%
 
18,648

Earnings not subject to tax subsequent to the Offering
 
(12.83
)%
 
(12,239
)
 
%
 

 
%
 

State income taxes, net of federal income tax benefit
 
1.81
 %
 
1,727

 
2.90
%
 
1,882

 
2.94
%
 
1,565

Other
 
(0.02
)%
 
(22
)
 
0.35
%
 
230

 
0.23
%
 
126

Annual effective tax rate
 
23.96
 %
 
22,858

 
38.25
%
 
24,857

 
38.17
%
 
20,339