Note 13 - Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2022

Notes to Financial Statements

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

13. INCOME TAXES:

The tax provisions are summarized as follows (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2022			2021			2020
Income before income taxes:
Domestic	$	502,141		$	307,260		$	146,055
Foreign		7,186			6,423			5,668
Total		509,327			313,683			151,723
Current provision
Federal	$	93,942		$	47,475		$	67,988
State		16,516			10,759			6,706
Foreign		2,523			-			-
Total		112,981			58,234			74,694
Deferred provision (benefit)
Federal		7,975			13,809			(37,683	)
State		(565	)		(631	)		(1,254	)
Foreign		(3,149	)		856			1,079
Total		4,261			14,034			(37,858	)
Provision for income taxes	$	117,242		$	72,268		$	36,836

A reconciliation of taxes based on the federal statutory rates and the provisions (benefits) for income taxes are summarized as follows (in thousands):

	Year Ended December 31,
	2022			2021			2020
Income taxes at the federal statutory rate	$	106,959		$	65,694		$	31,862
State income taxes, net of federal benefit		12,708			7,874			4,487
Tax effect of permanent differences		(488	)		(2,502	)		283
Foreign tax rate differential		(2,134	)		(313	)		(111	)
Other, net		197			1,515			315
Provision for income taxes	$	117,242		$	72,268		$	36,836

The following summarizes the components of net deferred income tax liabilities included in the balance sheet (in thousands):

	December 31,
	2022			2021
Deferred income tax (assets) liabilities:
Inventory	$	(4,710	)	$	(2,704	)
Accounts receivable		(430	)		(349	)
Finance lease obligations		(28,514	)		(27,242	)
Finance and operating leases		(25,283	)		(16,379	)
Stock options		(7,525	)		(6,993	)
Accrued liabilities		(3,632	)		(5,768	)
State net operating loss carry forward		(1,268	)		(1,438	)
State tax credit		(77	)		(120	)
Other		(5,519	)		(2,765	)
Difference between book and tax basis- Operating lease assets		24,989			16,132
Difference between book and tax basis- Depreciation and amortization		203,939			188,099
Net deferred income tax liability	$	151,970		$	140,473

The increase in the net deferred income tax liability from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022 includes $7.2 million in deferred income tax liability related to the inclusion of RTC Canada in the Company’s consolidated financial statements subsequent to the acquisition of the additional 30% equity interest on May 2, 2022.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $23.5 million in state net operating loss carry forwards that expire from 2022 to 2041, which result in a deferred tax asset of approximately $1.3 million. The Company has evaluated whether its state net operating losses are realizable and has not recorded a valuation allowance against them. The valuation allowance did not change over the prior year ending December 31, 2021.

The Company had unrecognized income tax benefits totaling $5.3 million as a component of accrued liabilities as of December 31, 2022, and $4.3 million as of December 31, 2021, the total of which, if recognized, would impact the Company’s effective tax rate. An unfavorable settlement would require a charge to income tax expense and a favorable resolution would be recognized as a reduction to income tax expense. The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. During the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the Company recognized approximately $22,800, $129,660, and $6,150 in interest expense. No amounts were accrued for penalties. The Company had approximately $302,000, $279,000 and $150,000 of interest accrued as of December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Undistributed earnings of certain of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries amounted to approximately $18.9 million at December 2022. Those earnings are considered to be indefinitely reinvested. Upon repatriation of those earnings in the form of dividends or otherwise, the Company may be subject to state and local taxes, and/or withholding taxes payable to the various foreign countries. The Company expects to be able to take a 100% dividends received deduction to offset any U.S. federal income tax liability on the distribution of untaxed earnings and profits.

The Company does not anticipate a significant change in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months. As of December 31, 2022, the tax years ended December 31, 2019 through 2022 remained subject to audit by federal tax authorities and the tax years ended December 31, 2018 through 2022, remained subject to audit by state tax authorities.

The table below presents the reconciliation of the change in the unrecognized tax benefits (in thousands):

	2022			2021			2020
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of period	$	4,309		$	3,306		$	3,007
Gross increases – tax positions in current year		2,025			1,512			651
Reductions due to lapse of statute of limitations		(957	)		(509	)		(352	)
Unrecognized tax benefits at end of period	$	5,377		$	4,309		$	3,306