(7) Income Taxes

The components of our income tax provision (benefit) are as follows (in millions):



	Year Ended December 31,
	2018		2017			2016
Current income tax provision	$	1.9	$	0.4		$	2.5
Deferred tax provision (benefit)	16.3		(197.2		)	2.1
Total income tax provision (benefit)	$	18.2	$	(196.8	)	$	4.6

The following schedule reconciles total income tax provision (benefit) and the amount calculated by applying the statutory U.S. federal tax rate to income before income taxes (in millions):



	Year Ended December 31,
	2018			2017			2016
Expected income tax provision (benefit) based on federal statutory rate (1)	$	1.0		$	5.6		$	(159.4	)
State income tax provision (benefit), net of federal benefit	0.1			0.4			(11.4		)
Statutory rate change (1)	—			(210.6		)	—
Income tax provision (benefit) from ENLK	(2.1		)	0.9			1.2
Unit-based compensation (2)	0.7			2.9			—
Non-deductible expense related to asset impairment	10.7			—			173.8
Other	7.8			4.0			0.4
Total income tax provision (benefit)	$	18.2		$	(196.8	)	$	4.6

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(1)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 resulted in a change in the federal statutory corporate rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. Accordingly, we reduced deferred tax liabilities and recorded a deferred tax benefit in the amount of $210.6 million as of December 31, 2017 due to a remeasurement of deferred tax liabilities. Of this amount, $185.7 million was related to ENLC’s standalone deferred tax liabilities, and $24.9 million was related to ENLK’s re-measurement of deferred tax liabilities of its wholly-owned corporate subsidiaries.


(2)	Related to tax deficiencies recorded upon the vesting of restricted incentive units.

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Our deferred income tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are as follows (in millions):



	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017
Deferred income tax assets:
Federal net operating loss carryforward	$	67.9		$	54.5
State net operating loss carryforward	11.7			14.2
Total deferred tax assets	79.6			68.7
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, equipment, and intangible assets (1)	(440.6		)	(414.9		)
Other	(1.4		)	—
Total deferred tax liabilities	(442.0		)	(414.9		)
Deferred tax liability, net	$	(362.4	)	$	(346.2	)

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(1)	Includes our investment in ENLK and primarily relates to differences between the book and tax bases of property and equipment.

As of December 31, 2018, we had federal net operating loss carryforwards of $323.6 million that represent a net deferred tax asset of $67.9 million. As of December 31, 2018, we had state net operating loss carryforwards of $208.6 million that represent a net deferred tax asset of $11.7 million. These carryforwards will begin expiring in 2028 through 2038. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the future results of operations will generate sufficient taxable income to utilize these net operating loss carryforwards before they expire.

For the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized $1.5 million of previously recorded unrecognized income tax benefit. For the three years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, there was no recorded unrecognized tax benefit.

Per our accounting policy election, penalties and interest related to unrecognized tax benefits are recorded to income tax expense. As of December 31, 2018, tax years 2014 through 2018 remain subject to examination by various taxing authorities.