Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Income Taxes and Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes

Schedule of components of the (provision for) benefit from income taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2023		2022		2021
	(In thousands)
Current (benefit) provision:
Federal	$	(29,307)	$	(23,571)	$	126,435
State		29,254		59,690		31,944
Foreign		3,301		(7,118)		2,387
Total current (benefit) provision		3,248		29,001		160,766
Deferred (benefit) provision:
Federal		(293,666)		615,323		509,405
State		(152,725)		85,045		86,822
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance		71,481		2,367		5,817
Total deferred (benefit) provision		(374,910)		702,735		602,044
Total (benefit) provision	$	(371,662)	$	731,736	$	762,810

Schedule of reconciliation of amounts computed by applying the statutory Federal tax rate to income before taxes

	For the Years Ended December 31,
	2023	2022	2021
	% of pre-tax income/(loss)
Statutory rate	(21.0)	21.0	21.0
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	(5.0)	3.1	2.9
Rates different than statutory	0.1	—	—
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance	4.8	—	0.2
Tax credits	(2.7)	(0.5)	(0.3)
Impairments	0.7	—	—
Other, net	(1.7)	-	(0.1)
Total (benefit) provision for income taxes	(24.8)	23.6	23.7

Schedule of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	As of December 31,
	2023		2022
	(In thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
NOL, interest, credit and other carryforwards	$	1,054,749	$	445,389
Accrued and prepaid expenses		866,277		672,854
Stock-based compensation		20,934		23,738
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments (1)		198,587		—
Discount on convertible notes and convertible note hedge transaction, net		46,636		64,643
Deferred revenue		13,197		6,903
Total deferred tax assets		2,200,380		1,213,527
Valuation allowance		(153,453)		(81,972)
Deferred tax asset after valuation allowance		2,046,927		1,131,555
Deferred tax liabilities:
Depreciation		(1,554,517)		(1,374,276)
Unrealized (gains) losses on available for sale and other investments (1)		—		(244,397)
Regulatory authorizations and other intangible amortization		(3,869,784)		(3,400,772)
Bases differences in partnerships and cost method investments (2)		(1,179,888)		(1,042,245)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(6,604,189)		(6,061,690)
Net deferred tax asset (liability)	$	(4,557,262)	$	(4,930,135)

(1) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, changes in the probability weighted fair value of our option to purchase certain of T-Mobile’s 800 MHz spectrum licenses. See Note 5 for further information.

(2) Included in this line item are deferred taxes related to, among other things, our noncontrolling investments in Northstar Spectrum and SNR HoldCo, including deferred taxes created by the tax amortization of the Northstar Licenses and SNR Licenses. See Note 2 for further information.

Schedule of reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits

	For the Years Ended December 31,
Unrecognized tax benefit	2023		2022		2021
	(In thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	431,640	$	388,837	$	378,467
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		3,601		35,180		303
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years		9,292		14,723		12,095
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years		(7,219)		(7,100)		(1,400)
Reductions based on tax positions related to settlements with taxing authorities		(834)		—		—
Reductions based on tax positions related to the lapse of the statute of limitations		(352)		—		(628)
Balance as of end of period	$	436,128	$	431,640	$	388,837