Income Taxes



	Three Months Ended
	March 31,
	2019			2018
Current income tax (expense) benefit	$	(9	)	$	—
Deferred income tax (expense) benefit	(70		)	—
Total income tax (expense) benefit	$	(79	)	$	—

The effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was (1.3)%, which differs from the federal statutory rate of 21.0%. The difference is primarily due to the increase in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets resulting from current year losses.

We recorded no income tax expense during the three months ended March 31, 2018. As a result, the effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was 0.0%, which differed from the federal statutory rate of 21.0%. The difference is primarily due to the increase in the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets resulting from current year losses.

We have significant deferred tax assets, consisting primarily of net operating losses, which have a limited life, generally expiring between the years 2032 and 2037, and capital losses, which begin to expire in 2020. We regularly assess the positive and negative evidence available to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative losses incurred in recent years. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence such as our projections for future taxable income.

In light of our continued ordinary losses, at March 31, 2019 we determined that our deferred tax liabilities were not sufficient to fully realize our deferred tax assets. Accordingly, a valuation allowance continues to be required against the portion of our deferred tax assets that is not offset by deferred tax liabilities. We expect our effective income tax rate to be near zero for the remainder of 2019.