INCOME TAXES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

16. INCOME TAXES

The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2015. As such, the Company’s income is generally not subject to U.S. Federal, state and local corporate income taxes other than as described below.

Certain of the Company’s subsidiaries have elected to be treated as TRSs. TRSs permit the Company to participate in certain activities from which REITs are generally precluded, as long as these activities meet specific criteria, are conducted within the parameters of certain limitations established by the Code, and are conducted in entities which elect to be treated as taxable subsidiaries under the Code. To the extent these criteria are met, the Company will continue to maintain its qualification as a REIT. The Company’s TRSs are not consolidated for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but are instead taxed as corporations. For financial reporting purposes, a provision for current and deferred taxes is established for the portion of earnings recognized by the Company with respect to its interest in TRSs. Current income tax expense (benefit) was $(1.3) million and $(7.4) million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively. Current income tax expense (benefit) was $(0.5) million and $3.0 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively.

As of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company’s net deferred tax assets (liabilities) were $(4.1) million and $2.3 million, respectively, and are included in other assets (other liabilities) in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Deferred income tax expense (benefit) included within the provision for income taxes was $3.5 million and $6.7 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively. Deferred income tax expense (benefit) included within the provision for income taxes was $1.0 million and $1.5 million for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. The Company’s net deferred tax liability is comprised of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities. The Company believes it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets (aside from the exception noted below) will be realized in the future. Realization of the deferred tax assets is dependent upon our generation of sufficient taxable income in future years in appropriate tax jurisdictions to obtain benefit from the reversal of temporary differences. The amount of deferred tax assets considered realizable is subject to adjustment in future periods if estimates of future taxable income change.

As of June 30, 2019, the Company has a deferred tax asset of $6.3 million relating to capital losses which it may only use to offset capital gains. These tax attributes will begin to expire if unused in 2020. As the realization of these assets are not more likely than not before their expiration, the Company has provided a full valuation allowance against this deferred tax asset.

The Company’s tax returns are subject to audit by taxing authorities. Generally, as of June 30, 2019, the tax years 2015-2018 remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions in which the Company is subject to taxes. The Company acquired certain corporate entities at the time of its IPO. The related acquisition agreements provided an indemnification to the Company by each transferor of any amounts due for any potential tax liabilities owed by these entities for tax years prior to their acquisition. In January 2019, a settlement was reached with New York State pertaining to an audit of these corporate entities for the years 2013-2015. As a result of the settlement, during the year ended December 31, 2018, management recorded income tax expense in the amount of $3.3 million and a corresponding payable to the State of New York. Pursuant to the indemnification, management expects to recover $2.5 million of such amounts and, accordingly, recorded fee and other income in the amount of $2.5 million as well as a corresponding receivable from the indemnity counterparties. As of July 31, 2019, the Company has collected all amounts owed by the indemnity counterparties related to the 2013-2015 audit. The IRS recently completed its audit of the 2014 tax year and did not recommend any changes to the Company’s tax return. The Company is currently under New York City audit for tax years 2012-2014. The Company does not expect the audit to result in any material changes to the Company’s financial position. The Company does not expect tax expense to have an impact on either short or long-term liquidity or capital needs.

Under U.S. GAAP, a tax benefit related to an income tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on the technical merits of the position. A position that meets this standard is measured at the largest amount of benefit that will more likely than not be realized upon settlement. As of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, the Company’s unrecognized tax benefit is a liability for $0.9 million and $0.8 million, respectively, and is included in the accrued expenses in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. This unrecognized tax benefit, if recognized, would have a favorable impact on our effective income tax rate in future periods. As of June 30, 2019, the Company has not recognized a significant amount of any interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions. In addition, the Company does not believe that it has any tax positions for which it is reasonably possible that it will be required to record a significant liability for unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

Tax Receivable Agreement

Upon consummation of the IPO, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement with the Continuing LCFH Limited Partners. Under the Tax Receivable Agreement the Company generally is required to pay to those Continuing LCFH Limited Partners that exchange their interests in LCFH and Class B shares of the Company for Class A shares of the Company, 85% of the applicable cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income tax that the Company realizes (or is deemed to realize in certain circumstances) as a result of (i) the increase in tax basis in its proportionate share of LCFH’s assets that is attributable to the Company as a result of the exchanges and (ii) payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement, including any tax benefits related to imputed interest deemed to be paid by the Company as a result of such agreement. The Company may make future payments under the Tax Receivable Agreement if the tax benefits are realized.  We would then benefit from the remaining 15% of cash savings in income tax that we realize. For purposes of the Tax Receivable Agreement, cash savings in income tax will be computed by comparing our actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes that we would have been required to pay had there been no increase to the tax basis of the assets of LCFH as a result of the exchanges and had we not entered into the Tax Receivable Agreement.

Payments to a Continuing LCFH Limited Partner under the Tax Receivable Agreement are triggered by each exchange and are payable annually commencing following the Company’s filing of its income tax return for the year of such exchange.  The timing of the payments may be subject to certain contingencies, including the Company having sufficient taxable income to utilize all of the tax benefits defined in the Tax Receivable Agreement.

As of June 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement, the Company recorded a liability of $1.6 million, included in amount payable pursuant to tax receivable agreement in the consolidated balance sheets for Continuing LCFH Limited Partners. The amount and timing of any payments may vary based on a number of factors, including the absence of any material change in the relevant tax law, the Company continuing to earn sufficient taxable income to realize all tax benefits, and assuming no additional exchanges that are subject to the Tax Receivable Agreement. Depending upon the outcome of these factors, the Company may be obligated to make substantial payments pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement. The actual payment amounts may differ from these estimated amounts, as the liability will reflect changes in prevailing tax rates, the actual benefit the Company realizes on its annual income tax returns, and any additional exchanges.

To determine the current amount of the payments due, the Company estimates the amount of the Tax Receivable Agreement payments that will be made within twelve months of the balance sheet date. As described in Note 1 above, the Tax Receivable Agreement was amended and restated in connection with our REIT Election, effective as of December 31, 2014 (the “TRA Amendment”), in order to preserve a portion of the potential tax benefits currently existing under the Tax Receivable Agreement that would otherwise be reduced in connection with our REIT Election. The purpose of the TRA Amendment was to preserve the benefits of the Tax Receivable Agreement to the extent possible in a REIT, although, as a result, the amount of payments made to the TRA Members under the TRA Amendment is expected to be less than the amount that would have been paid under the original Tax Receivable Agreement. The TRA Amendment continues to share such benefits in the same proportions and otherwise has substantially the same terms and provisions as the prior Tax Receivable Agreement.