INCOME TAXES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2020



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2020			2019
	(in thousands, except percentages)
Income tax benefit	$	3,061		$	7,752
Effective tax rate	(19.2		)%	107.6		%

For the first quarter of 2020, the effective tax rate varied from the federal statutory rate of 21% in part due to a tax benefit of $1.1 million recognized for excess tax benefits resulting from employee exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock in accordance with ASU 2016-09 and the effect of state taxes, as well as a tax benefit of $6.1 million for the impact of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act, as described below.

On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the CARES Act. This legislation is an economic relief package in response to the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 and includes various provisions that impact the Company, including, but not limited to, modifications for net operating losses, accelerated timeframe for refunds associated with prior minimum taxes and modifications of the limitation on business interest.

The Company revalued deferred tax assets related to net operating losses in light of the changes in the CARES Act, and recorded a net tax benefit of $6.1 million during the first quarter of 2020. These deferred tax assets are being revalued, as they will be carried back to 2016 and 2017, which are tax periods prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA") when the federal statutory tax rate was 35% versus the 21% federal statutory tax rate in effect after the enactment of the TCJA.

For the first quarter of 2019, the effective tax rate varied from the federal statutory rate of 21% primarily due to a tax benefit of $6.0 million recognized for excess tax benefits resulting from employee exercises of stock options and vesting of restricted stock in accordance with ASU 2016-09 and the effect of state taxes.



	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2020			2019
	(in thousands)
Income tax (expense) benefit - excluding excess tax benefit on stock compensation and CARES Act	$	(4,097	)	$	1,749
Excess tax benefit on stock compensation	1,054			6,003
Income tax benefit from CARES Act	6,104			—
Income tax benefit	$	3,061		$	7,752