14. INCOME TAXES

Income tax benefit (provision) for the indicated periods is comprised of the following (in thousands):


	Successor		Predecessor
	Period from		Period from
	October 2, 2019		January 1, 2019
	through		through		Years Ended December 31,
	December 31, 2019		October 1, 2019		2018		2017
Current:
Federal	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	5,000
State		—		—		—		—
		—		—		—		5,000
Deferred:
Federal		—		95,791		(95,791)		—
State		—		—		—		—
		—		95,791		(95,791)		—
Total income tax benefit (provision)	$	—	$	95,791	$	(95,791)	$	5,000

The actual income tax benefit (provision) differs from the expected income tax benefit (provision) as computed by applying the United States federal corporate income tax rate of 21% for the period from October 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019 (Successor), the period from January 1, 2019 through October 1, 2019 (Predecessor) and the year ended December 31, 2018 (Predecessor) and 35% for the year ended December 31, 2017 (Predecessor), as follows (in thousands):


	Successor		Predecessor
	Period from		Period from
	October 2, 2019		January 1, 2019
	through		through		Years Ended December 31,
	December 31, 2019		October 1, 2019		2018		2017
Expected tax benefit (provision)	$	2,196	$	262,888	$	(29,767)	$	(185,740)
State income tax expense, net of federal benefit		—		—		—		(2,587)
Stock-based compensation		—		(6,093)		(350)		—
Change in state rate		—		—		—		(10,121)
Capital loss		—		271,248		—		—
Increase (reduction) in deferred tax asset		—		(9,287)		(201,903)		95,907
Change in valuation allowance and related items		(1,506)		(186,851)		136,432		392,846
Attribute reduction				(229,385)		—		—
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017		—		—		—		(280,874)
Permanent adjustments		(690)		(7,241)		(203)		—
Other		—		512		—		(4,431)
Total income tax benefit (provision)	$	—	$	95,791	$	(95,791)	$	5,000

The components of net deferred income tax assets (liabilities) recognized are as follows (in thousands):


	Successor		Predecessor
	December 31, 2019		December 31, 2018
Deferred noncurrent income tax assets:
Net operating loss carry-forwards	$	46,382	$	204,751
Built in loss adjustment Section 382		142,285		88,835
Capital loss carryforward		74,848		—
Stock-based compensation expense		—		8,509
Asset retirement obligations		2,224		1,011
Book-tax differences in property basis		200,478		—
Unrealized hedging transactions		1,618		—
Disallowed interest Section 163(j)		7,722		3,370
Basis difference in debt		2,142		—
Operating lease liability		666		—
Other		991		1,917
Gross deferred noncurrent income tax assets		479,356		308,393
Valuation allowance		(478,690)		(290,333)
Deferred noncurrent income tax assets	$	666	$	18,060

Deferred noncurrent income tax liabilities:
Basis difference in debt	$	—	$	(5,507)
Book-tax differences in property basis		—		(96,414)
Unrealized hedging transactions		—		(11,930)
Lease right of use		(666)		—
Deferred noncurrent income tax liabilities	$	(666)	$	(113,851)
Net noncurrent deferred income tax assets (liabilities)	$	—	$	(95,791)

The Company emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on October 8, 2019. Under the Plan, a substantial portion of the Company’s pre-petition debt securities were extinguished. Absent an exception, a debtor recognizes cancellation of indebtedness income (CODI) upon discharge of its outstanding indebtedness for an amount of consideration that is less than its adjusted issue price. The IRC provides that a debtor in bankruptcy may exclude CODI from taxable income but must first reduce its tax attributes by the amount any CODI realized as a result of the consummation of a plan of reorganization. The amount of CODI realized by a taxpayer is the adjusted issue price of any indebtedness discharged less the sum of (i) the amount of cash paid, (ii) the issue price of any new indebtedness issued and (iii) the fair market value of any other consideration, including equity, issued. As a result of the market value of equity upon emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, U.S. CODI was approximately $524.8 million, which reduced the value of the Company’s net operating losses and capital losses on January 1, 2020. The deferred tax balances disclosed above reflect the estimated impact of the attribute reduction on January 1, 2020.

IRC Section 382 provides an annual limitation with respect to the ability of a corporation to utilize its tax attributes, as well as certain built-in-losses, against future U.S. taxable income in the event of a change in ownership. The Company's emergence from chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings is considered a change in ownership for purposes of IRC Section 382. The limitation under the IRC is based on the value of the corporation as of the emergence date. The ownership changes and resulting annual limitation resulted in the expiration of approximately $454.2 million of net operating losses generated prior to the emergence date. The expiration of these tax attributes was fully offset by a corresponding decrease in the Company's U.S. valuation allowance, which results in no net tax provision. An additional ownership change was experienced in December 2018 (Predecessor). This ownership change and resulting annual limitation generated the estimated expiration of approximately $891.5 million of net operating loss. The expiration of these tax attributes was partially offset by a corresponding decrease in the Company’s U.S. valuation allowance, which resulted in a $95.8 million deferred tax expense placing the Company in a net deferred tax liability position.

The amount of U.S. consolidated NOLs available as of December 31, 2019 (Successor) after attribute reduction is estimated to be approximately $675.1 million, but the amount after attribute reduction and the Section 382 limitation is $220.0 million.. Of this amount, $103.2 million is subject to the 20 year carryforward period and will expire in 2037. The remaining $117.7 million may be carried forward indefinitely but in part subject to a Section 382 limitation.

The Company assesses the recoverability of its deferred tax assets each period by considering whether it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company considers all available evidence (both positive and negative) in determining whether a valuation allowance is required. The Company evaluated possible sources of taxable income that may be available to realize the benefit of deferred tax assets, including projected future taxable income, the reversal of existing temporary differences, taxable income in carryback years and available tax planning strategies in making this assessment. As a result of the Company’s analysis, it was concluded that as of December 31, 2019 (Successor), a valuation allowance should continue to be applied against the Company’s net deferred tax asset. The Company recorded a valuation allowance as of December 31, 2019 (Successor) of $478.7 million, an increase of $188.4 million from December 31, 2018 (Predecessor). The Company will continue to monitor facts and circumstances in the reassessment of the likelihood that operating loss carryforwards, credits and other deferred tax assets will be utilized.

ASC 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740) prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of income tax positions taken or expected to be taken in an income tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, an income tax position must be more‑likely‑than‑not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities. The Company has no unrecognized tax benefits for the period of October 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019 (Successor), the period of January 1, 2019 through October 1, 2019 (Predecessor), the years ended December 31, 2018 (Predecessor).

Generally, the Company’s income tax years 2016 through 2019 remain open for federal purposes and are subject to examination by Federal tax authorities. The Company's income tax returns are also subject to audit by the tax authorities in Louisiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio and certain other state taxing jurisdictions where the Company has, or previously had, operations. In certain jurisdictions the Company operates through more than one legal entity, each of which may have different open years subject to examination. The open years for state purposes can vary from the normal three year statue expiration period for federal purposes.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties accrued to unrecognized benefits in “Interest expense and other” in its consolidated statements of operations. For the period of October 2, 2019 through December 31, 2019 (Successor), the period of January 1, 2019 through October 1, 2019 (Predecessor), the years ended December 31, 2018 (Predecessor), the Company recognized no interest and penalties.