INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

INCOME TAXES [Abstract]

Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Attributable to Continuing Operations

Income tax expense (benefit) attributable to Cablevision's continuing operations consists of the following components:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Current expense (benefit):
Federal	$	6,122		$	(144	)	$	(3,493	)
State	2,788			(3,510		)	19,800
	8,910			(3,654		)	16,307
Deferred expense (benefit):
Federal	135,873			69,258			48,441
State	23,906			198			(6,111		)
	159,779			69,456			42,330
Tax benefit relating to uncertain tax positions, including accrued interest	(52,921		)	(167		)	(6,643		)
Income tax expense	$	115,768		$	65,635		$	51,994

Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate from Continuing Operations

The income tax expense attributable to Cablevision's continuing operations differs from the amount derived by applying the statutory federal rate to pretax income principally due to the effect of the following items:
	Years Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Federal tax expense at statutory rate	$	148,803		$	67,536		$	44,212
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	19,059			3,607			4,763
Changes in the valuation allowance	(344		)	5,631			5,480
Changes in the state apportionment rates used to measure deferred taxes, net of federal benefit	(322		)	(11,228		)	2,273
Tax benefit relating to uncertain tax positions, including accrued interest, net of deferred tax benefits	(52,914		)	(124		)	(2,659		)
Impact of New York State tax reform enacted on March 31, 2014	(2,050		)	—			—
Impact of non-deductible officers' compensation	1,532			796			470
Other non-deductible expenses	3,697			3,628			3,363
Increase in the deferred tax asset for certain state tax loss carry forwards pursuant to LLC conversions of certain subsidiaries	—			—			(3,935		)
Research credit	(2,634		)	(3,739		)	—
Tax benefit from exclusion of pretax income of an entity that is not consolidated for income tax purposes	—			—			(2,605		)
Other, net	941			(472		)	632
Income tax expense	$	115,768		$	65,635		$	51,994

Significant Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

For Cablevision, the tax effects of temporary differences which give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets or liabilities and the corresponding valuation allowance at December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:

	December 31,
	2014			2013
Deferred Tax Asset (Liability)
Current
NOLs and tax credit carry forwards	$	144,833		$	224,968
Compensation and benefit plans	74,220			44,629
Allowance for doubtful accounts	4,557			5,502
Other liabilities	4,909			13,389
Deferred tax asset	228,519			288,488
Valuation allowance	(3,496		)	(6,988		)
Net deferred tax asset, current	225,023			281,500
Investments	(159,475		)	(97,565		)
Prepaid expenses	(27,605		)	(24,111		)
Deferred tax liability, current	(187,080		)	(121,676		)
Net deferred tax asset, current	37,943			159,824
Noncurrent
NOLs and tax credit carry forwards	25,427			65,322
Compensation and benefit plans	99,076			106,595
Newsday Holdings and other partnership investments	123,243			132,384
Investments	22,294			—
Other	7,345			4,896
Deferred tax asset	277,385			309,197
Valuation allowance	(3,901		)	(7,488		)
Net deferred tax asset, noncurrent	273,484			301,709
Fixed assets and intangibles	(884,120		)	(840,375		)
Investments	—			(29,563		)
Other	(452		)	(1,827		)
Deferred tax liability, noncurrent	(884,572		)	(871,765		)
Net deferred tax liability, noncurrent	(611,088		)	(570,056		)
Total net deferred tax liability	$	(573,145	)	$	(410,232	)

Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Associated with Uncertain Tax Positions, Excluding Associated Deferred Tax Benefits and Accrued Interest

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits associated with uncertain tax positions, excluding associated deferred tax benefits and accrued interest, is as follows:

Balance at December 31, 2013	$	57,407
Increases related to prior year tax positions	58
Decreases related to prior year tax positions	(53,460		)
Increases related to current year tax positions	6
Balance at December 31, 2014	$	4,011

CSC Holdings, LLC

INCOME TAXES [Abstract]

Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Attributable to Continuing Operations

Income tax expense (benefit) attributable to continuing operations consists of the following components:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Current expense:
Federal	$	189,609		$	66,800		$	47,250
State	46,573			21,579			39,561
	236,182			88,379			86,811
Deferred expense (benefit):
Federal	35,445			89,832			79,731
State	17,744			10,035			(7,352		)
	53,189			99,867			72,379
Tax benefit relating to uncertain tax positions, including accrued interest	(52,921		)	(167		)	(6,643		)
Income tax expense	$	236,450		$	188,079		$	152,547

Reconciliation of Effective Tax Rate from Continuing Operations

The income tax expense attributable to CSC Holdings' continuing operations differs from the amount derived by applying the statutory federal rate to pretax income principally due to the effect of the following items:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Federal tax expense at statutory rate	$	243,740		$	167,098		$	132,864
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	42,769			27,177			22,542
Changes in the valuation allowance	(382		)	(101		)	1,038
Changes in the state apportionment rates used to measure deferred taxes, net of federal benefit	379			(6,484		)	1,188
Tax benefit relating to uncertain tax positions, including accrued interest, net of deferred tax benefits	(52,914		)	(124		)	(2,659		)
Impact of New York State tax reform enacted on March 31, 2014	(1,502		)	—			—
Impact of non-deductible officers' compensation, net	1,532			796			470
Other non-deductible expenses	3,697			3,628			3,363
Increase in the deferred tax asset for certain state tax loss carry forwards pursuant to LLC conversions of certain subsidiaries	—			—			(3,935		)
Research credit	(2,634		)	(3,739		)	—
Tax benefit from exclusion of pretax income of an entity that is not consolidated for income tax purposes	—			—			(2,605		)
Other, net	1,765			(172		)	281
Income tax expense	$	236,450		$	188,079		$	152,547

Significant Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

For CSC Holdings, the tax effects of temporary differences which give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets or liabilities and the corresponding valuation allowance at December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows: 

	December 31,
	2014			2013
Deferred Tax Asset (Liability)
Current
Compensation and benefit plans	$	74,220		$	44,629
Allowance for doubtful accounts	4,557			5,502
Other liabilities	4,909			13,389
Deferred tax asset	83,686			63,520
Valuation allowance	(1,891		)	(2,426		)
Net deferred tax asset, current	81,795			61,094
Investments	(159,475		)	(97,565		)
Prepaid expenses	(27,605		)	(24,111		)
Deferred tax liability, current	(187,080		)	(121,676		)
Net deferred tax liability, current	(105,285		)	(60,582		)
Noncurrent
Tax credit carry forwards	11,702			20,137
Compensation and benefit plans	99,076			106,595
Newsday Holdings and other partnership investments	123,243			132,384
Investments	22,294			—
Other	7,345			4,896
Deferred tax asset	263,660			264,012
Valuation allowance	(5,454		)	(10,084		)
Net deferred tax asset, noncurrent	258,206			253,928
Fixed assets and intangibles	(884,120		)	(840,375		)
Investments	—			(29,563		)
Other	(453		)	(1,827		)
Deferred tax liability, noncurrent	(884,573		)	(871,765		)
Net deferred tax liability, noncurrent	(626,367		)	(617,837		)
Total net deferred tax liability	$	(731,652	)	$	(678,419	)