Income Taxes

We are not a taxable entity for federal income tax purposes. As such, we do not directly pay federal income taxes. Other than with respect to our corporate subsidiaries and the Texas Margin Tax, our taxable income or loss is includible in the federal income tax returns of each of our partners.

A few of our operations are owned by wholly-owned corporate subsidiaries that are taxable as corporations. We pay federal and state income taxes on these operations.

Our income tax (benefit) expense is as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Current:
Federal	$	—	$	—	$	—
State	1,200		1,200		1,100
Total current income tax expense (benefit)	$	1,200	$	1,200	$	1,100
Deferred:
Federal	$	1,862	$	2,478	$	1,508
State	280		309		237
Total deferred income tax expense (benefit)	$	2,142	$	2,787	$	1,745
Total income tax expense	$	3,342	$	3,987	$	2,845

Deferred income taxes relate to temporary differences based on tax laws and statutory rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following:



	December 31,
	2016			2015
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards	$	10,787		$	9,542
Total long-term deferred tax asset	10,787			9,542
Valuation allowances	(869		)	(787		)
Total deferred tax assets	$	9,918		$	8,755
Deferred tax liabilities:
Long-term:
Fixed assets	$	(4,480	)	$	(4,384	)
Intangible assets	(20,693		)	(17,473		)
Other	(716		)	(729		)
Total long-term liability	(25,889		)	(22,586		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	(25,889	)	$	(22,586	)
Total net deferred tax liability	$	(15,971	)	$	(13,831	)

We record a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of the deferred tax assets depends on the ability to generate sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character in the future and in the appropriate taxing jurisdictions.

Our income tax expense (benefit) varies from the amount that would result from applying the federal statutory income tax rate to income from continuing operations before income taxes as follows:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$	114,424		$	425,572		$	109,047
Partnership income not subject to tax	(109,111		)	(418,500		)	(104,751		)
Income subject to income taxes	$	5,313		$	7,072		$	4,296
Tax expense at federal statutory rate	$	1,860		$	2,475		$	1,504
State income taxes, net of federal tax	949			928			992
Return to provision, federal and state	(198		)	(193		)	(232		)
Other	731			777			581
Income tax expense	$	3,342		$	3,987		$	2,845
Effective tax rate on income from continuing operations before income taxes	3		%	1		%	3		%

At December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we had no uncertain tax positions.