2.0.0.10falseINCOME TAXES006070 - Disclosure - INCOME TAXEStruefalsefalsefalse1usd$falsefalseu000Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170u001Standardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0u002Dividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli020fe_NotesToFinancialStatementsAbstractfefalsenadurationstringNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalseNo definition available.false31us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlockus-gaaptruenadurationstringNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterselabelfalse1falsefalsefalsefalse00<div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">7. INCOME TAXES</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">FirstEnergy accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in its financial statements. Accounting guidance prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a company's tax return. After reaching a tentative agreement with the IRS on a tax item at appeals related to the capitalization of certain costs, FirstEnergy reduced the amount of unrecognized tax benefits by $57 million, with a corresponding adjustment to accumulated deferred income taxes for this temporary tax item. There was no impact on FirstEnergy’s effective tax rate for this tax item for the first three months of 2010. Upon completion of the federal tax examination for the 2007 tax year in the first quarter of 2009, FirstEnergy recognized $13 million in tax benefits, which favorably affected FirstEnergy's effective tax rate.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As of March 31, 2010, it is reasonably possible that approximately $107 million of the unrecognized benefits may be resolved within the next twelve months, of which approximately $12 million, if recognized, would affect FirstEnergy's effective tax rate. The potential decrease in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits is primarily associated with issues related to the capitalization of certain costs, gains and losses recognized on the disposition of assets and various other tax items.</font></div><br /><div style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><div><div style="WIDTH: 100%" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">  </font></div></div><div style="PAGE-BREAK-AFTER: always; WIDTH: 100%"><div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">37</font></div><div style="WIDTH: 100%; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><hr style="COLOR: black" noshade="noshade" size="2" /></div></div><div><div style="WIDTH: 100%" align="right"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman">  </font></div></div></div><br /><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Company recognizes interest expense or income related to uncertain tax positions. That amount is computed by applying the applicable statutory interest rate to the difference between the tax position recognized and the amount previously taken or expected to be taken on the tax return. FirstEnergy includes net interest and penalties in the provision for income taxes. The reversal of accrued interest associated with the $57 million in recognized tax benefits in 2010 favorably affected FirstEnergy’s effective tax rate by $5 million in the first quarter of 2010. During the first three months of 2009, there were no material changes to the amount of interest accrued. The net amount of accumulated interest accrued as of March 31, 2010 was $20<font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </font>million, as compared to $21 million as of December 31, 2009.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act signed into law on March 23, 2010 and March 30, 2010, respectively, beginning in 2013 the tax deduction available to FirstEnergy will be reduced to the extent that drug costs are reimbursed under the Medicare Part D retiree subsidy program. As retiree healthcare liabilities and related tax impacts are already reflected in FirstEnergy’s consolidated financial statements, the change resulted in a charge to FirstEnergy’s earnings in the first quarter of 2010 of approximately $12.6 million and a reduction in accumulated deferred tax assets associated with these subsidies.  This change reflects the anticipated increase in income taxes that will occur as a result of the change in tax law.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">FirstEnergy has tax returns that are under review at the audit or appeals level by the IRS and state tax authorities. All state jurisdictions are open from 2001-2008. The IRS began reviewing returns for the years 2001-2003 in July 2004 and several items were under appeal. In the fourth quarter of 2009, these items were settled at appeals and sent to Joint Committee on Taxation for final review. The federal audits for years 2004-2006 were completed in the third quarter of 2008 and several items are under appeal. The IRS began auditing the year 2007 in February 2007 under its Compliance Assurance Process program and was completed in the first quarter of 2009 with two items under appeal. The IRS began auditing the year 2008 in February 2008 and the audit is expected to close before December 2010. The 2009 tax year audit began in February 2009 and the 2010 tax year began in February 2010. Neither audit is expected to close before December 2010. Management believes that adequate reserves have been recognized and final settlement of these audits is not expected to have a material adverse effect on FirstEnergy’s financial condition or results of operations.</font></div><div style="DISPLAY: block; TEXT-INDENT: 0pt"><br /></div>7. INCOME TAXESFirstEnergy accounts for uncertainty in income taxes recognized in its financial statements. Accounting guidance prescribes a recognitionfalsefalsefalseDescription containing the entire income tax disclosure. Examples include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. This element may be used as a single block of text to encapsulate the entire disclosure including data and tables.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Article 4
Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 136, 172
Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 109
-Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
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