Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Income Taxes.
Income Taxes	12. Income Taxes CWH is organized as a Subchapter C corporation and, as of September 30, 2018, is a 41.8% owner of CWGS, LLC (see Note 14 — Stockholders’ Equity and Note 15 — Non-Controlling Interests). CWGS, LLC is organized as a limited liability company and treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes, with the exception of Americas Road and Travel Club, Inc., Camping World and FreedomRoads RV, Inc. (“FRRV”) and their wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are Subchapter C corporations. On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 Tax Act”). The 2017 Tax Act significantly revised the U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering the statutory corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and eliminating certain deductions. The 2017 Tax Act also enhanced and extended through 2026 the option to claim accelerated depreciation deductions on qualified property. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had not completed its accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act on its tax accruals. However, the Company has reasonably estimated the effects of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in its financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The final impact of the 2017 Tax Act may differ from these estimates, due to, among other things, changes in interpretations, analysis and assumptions made by management, additional guidance that may be issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, and any updates or changes to estimates the Company has utilized to calculate the transition impact. Pursuant to the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), the Company's measurement period for implementing the accounting changes required by the 2017 Tax Act will close before December 22, 2018 and the Company will complete the accounting under ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, in the next reporting period prior to the close of the measurement period provided under SAB 118. Shortly after the 2017 Tax Act was enacted, the SEC staff issued SAB 118 to address the application of GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. In accordance with SAB 118, the Company has determined that the $118.4 million of the deferred tax expense recorded in connection with the remeasurement of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities during the three months ended December 31, 2017 was a provisional amount and a reasonable estimate at December 31, 2017. At September 30, 2018, this estimate was decreased by $1.4 million primarily as a result of the filing of the Company’s tax returns related to the allocation of taxable income to non-controlling interests, and adjustments made to other deferred tax assets. Further, in connection with its adjusted estimate of the December 31, 2017 tax return amounts, the Company as of September 30, 2018 increased its income tax receivable by approximately $6.5 million, increased its Tax Receivable Agreement liability by approximately $2.0 million, and decreased its deferred income tax assets by approximately $2.2 million. In connection with this adjustment, the Company also made a corresponding adjustment to equity for the impact to distributions payable under its Tax Receivable Agreement. As the Company completes its analysis of the 2017 Tax Act, collects and prepares necessary data, and interprets any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, the Company may continue to make adjustments to the provisional amounts. Any subsequent adjustment to these amounts will be finalized in the next reporting period prior to the close of the measurement period provided under SAB 118. For the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s effective income tax rate was 19.2% and 9.1%, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s effective income tax rate was 17.3% and 10.6%, respectively. The amount of income tax expense and the effective income tax rate increased in 2018 partially due to operating losses recorded by its retail segment for which no tax benefit was recognized on account of the valuation allowance recorded against such losses, and partially due to an increased ownership percentage of CWGS, LLC for which the Company is subject to U.S., federal and state taxes on its allocable share of income of CWGS, LLC. The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to a portion of the Company’s earnings being attributable to non-controlling interests in limited liability companies which are not subject to corporate level taxes. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, measurement period adjustments discussed above increased the effective income tax rate by 188 basis points for the three months ended September 30, 2018, and decreased the effective income tax rate by 81 basis points for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was significantly lower than the federal statutory rate of 35.0% primarily due to a portion of the Company’s earnings being attributable to non-controlling interests in limited liability companies which are not subject to corporate level taxes. The Company evaluates its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine if they can be realized and establishes valuation allowances when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets may not be realized. At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company determined that all of its deferred tax assets, except those pertaining to Camping World and the direct investment in CWGS, LLC, are more likely than not to be realized. The Company maintains a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets of Camping World, since it was determined that it would have insufficient taxable income in the current or carryforward periods under the tax laws to realize the future tax benefits of its deferred tax assets. The Company also maintains a valuation allowance against the portion of the deferred tax asset pertaining to its direct investment in CWGS, LLC. The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements related to a particular tax position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than a 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is adjusted as appropriate for changes in facts and circumstances, such as significant amendments to existing tax law, new regulations or interpretations by the taxing authorities, new information obtained during a tax examination, or resolution of an examination. As of September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $0.3 million of uncertain tax positions and none at December 31, 2017. The Company recorded $0.1 million of interest and penalties relating to income taxes for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018, and none for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2017. On October 6, 2016, the Company entered into a tax receivable agreement (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) that provides for the payment by the Company to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. of 85% of the amount of tax benefits, if any, the Company actually realizes, or in some circumstances is deemed to realize, as a result of (i) increases in the tax basis from the purchase of common units from Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. in exchange for Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of the IPO and the related transactions and any future redemptions that are funded by the Company and any future redemptions or exchanges of common units by Continuing Equity Owners as described above and (ii) certain other tax benefits attributable to payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The above payments are predicated on CWGS, LLC making an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code effective for each tax year in which a redemption or exchange (including a deemed exchange) of common units for cash or stock occur. These tax benefit payments are not conditioned upon one or more of the Continuing Equity Owners or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. maintaining a continued ownership interest in CWGS, LLC. In general, the Continuing Equity Owners’ or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P.’s rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement are assignable, including to transferees of its common units in CWGS, LLC (other than the Company as transferee pursuant to a redemption or exchange of common units in CWGS, LLC). The Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of the tax benefits, if any, which may be realized. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, 215,486 and 6,525,610 common units in CWGS, LLC, respectively, were exchanged for Class A common stock subject to the provisions of the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Company recognized a liability for the Tax Receivable Agreement payments due to those parties that redeemed common units, representing 85% of the aggregate tax benefits the Company expects to realize from the tax basis increases related to the exchange, after concluding it was probable that the Tax Receivable Agreement payments would be paid based on estimates of future taxable income. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the amount of Tax Receivable Agreement payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement was $133.7 million and $137.7 million, respectively, of which $10.4 million and $8.1 million, respectively, were included in current portion of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

12. Income Taxes

CWH is organized as a Subchapter C corporation and, as of September 30, 2018, is a 41.8% owner of CWGS, LLC (see Note 14 — Stockholders’ Equity and Note 15 — Non-Controlling Interests). CWGS, LLC is organized as a limited liability company and treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes, with the exception of Americas Road and Travel Club, Inc., Camping World and FreedomRoads RV, Inc. (“FRRV”) and their wholly-owned subsidiaries, which are Subchapter C corporations.

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 Tax Act”). The 2017 Tax Act significantly revised the U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering the statutory corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and eliminating certain deductions. The 2017 Tax Act also enhanced and extended through 2026 the option to claim accelerated depreciation deductions on qualified property. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had not completed its accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the 2017 Tax Act on its tax accruals. However, the Company has reasonably estimated the effects of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in its financial statements as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017. The final impact of the 2017 Tax Act may differ from these estimates, due to, among other things, changes in interpretations, analysis and assumptions made by management, additional guidance that may be issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service, and any updates or changes to estimates the Company has utilized to calculate the transition impact. Pursuant to the SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), the Company's measurement period for implementing the accounting changes required by the 2017 Tax Act will close before December 22, 2018 and the Company will complete the accounting under ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, in the next reporting period prior to the close of the measurement period provided under SAB 118.

Shortly after the 2017 Tax Act was enacted, the SEC staff issued SAB 118 to address the application of GAAP in situations when a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. In accordance with SAB 118, the Company has determined that the $118.4 million of the deferred tax expense recorded in connection with the remeasurement of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities during the three months ended December 31, 2017 was a provisional amount and a reasonable estimate at December 31, 2017. At September 30, 2018, this estimate was decreased by $1.4 million primarily as a result of the filing of the Company’s tax returns related to the allocation of taxable income to non-controlling interests, and adjustments made to other deferred tax assets. Further, in connection with its adjusted estimate of the December 31, 2017 tax return amounts, the Company as of September 30, 2018 increased its income tax receivable by approximately $6.5 million, increased its Tax Receivable Agreement liability by approximately $2.0 million, and decreased its deferred income tax assets by approximately $2.2 million. In connection with this adjustment, the Company also made a corresponding adjustment to equity for the impact to distributions payable under its Tax Receivable Agreement. As the Company completes its analysis of the 2017 Tax Act, collects and prepares necessary data, and interprets any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, the Company may continue to make adjustments to the provisional amounts. Any subsequent adjustment to these amounts will be finalized in the next reporting period prior to the close of the measurement period provided under SAB 118.

For the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s effective income tax rate was 19.2% and 9.1%, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company’s effective income tax rate was 17.3% and 10.6%, respectively. The amount of income tax expense and the effective income tax rate increased in 2018 partially due to operating losses recorded by its retail segment for which no tax benefit was recognized on account of the valuation allowance recorded against such losses, and partially due to an increased ownership percentage of CWGS, LLC for which the Company is subject to U.S., federal and state taxes on its allocable share of income of CWGS, LLC. The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2018 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to a portion of the Company’s earnings being attributable to non-controlling interests in limited liability companies which are not subject to corporate level taxes. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, measurement period adjustments discussed above increased the effective income tax rate by 188 basis points for the three months ended September 30, 2018, and decreased the effective income tax rate by 81 basis points for the nine months ended September 30, 2018. The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2017 was significantly lower than the federal statutory rate of 35.0% primarily due to a portion of the Company’s earnings being attributable to non-controlling interests in limited liability companies which are not subject to corporate level taxes.

The Company evaluates its deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis to determine if they can be realized and establishes valuation allowances when it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the deferred tax assets may not be realized. At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company determined that all of its deferred tax assets, except those pertaining to Camping World and the direct investment in CWGS, LLC, are more likely than not to be realized. The Company maintains a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets of Camping World, since it was determined that it would have insufficient taxable income in the current or carryforward periods under the tax laws to realize the future tax benefits of its deferred tax assets. The Company also maintains a valuation allowance against the portion of the deferred tax asset pertaining to its direct investment in CWGS, LLC.

The Company recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements related to a particular tax position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than a 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is adjusted as appropriate for changes in facts and circumstances, such as significant amendments to existing tax law, new regulations or interpretations by the taxing authorities, new information obtained during a tax examination, or resolution of an examination. As of September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $0.3 million of uncertain tax positions and none at December 31, 2017. The Company recorded $0.1 million of interest and penalties relating to income taxes for the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2018, and none for the three or nine months ended September 30, 2017.

On October 6, 2016, the Company entered into a tax receivable agreement (the “Tax Receivable Agreement”) that provides for the payment by the Company to the Continuing Equity Owners and Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. of 85% of the amount of tax benefits, if any, the Company actually realizes, or in some circumstances is deemed to realize, as a result of (i) increases in the tax basis from the purchase of common units from Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. in exchange for Class A common stock in connection with the consummation of the IPO and the related transactions and any future redemptions that are funded by the Company and any future redemptions or exchanges of common units by Continuing Equity Owners as described above and (ii) certain other tax benefits attributable to payments made under the Tax Receivable Agreement. The above payments are predicated on CWGS, LLC making an election under Section 754 of the Internal Revenue Code effective for each tax year in which a redemption or exchange (including a deemed exchange) of common units for cash or stock occur. These tax benefit payments are not conditioned upon one or more of the Continuing Equity Owners or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P. maintaining a continued ownership interest in CWGS, LLC. In general, the Continuing Equity Owners’ or Crestview Partners II GP, L.P.’s rights under the Tax Receivable Agreement are assignable, including to transferees of its common units in CWGS, LLC (other than the Company as transferee pursuant to a redemption or exchange of common units in CWGS, LLC). The Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of the tax benefits, if any, which may be realized. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, 215,486 and 6,525,610 common units in CWGS, LLC, respectively, were exchanged for Class A common stock subject to the provisions of the Tax Receivable Agreement. The Company recognized a liability for the Tax Receivable Agreement payments due to those parties that redeemed common units, representing 85% of the aggregate tax benefits the Company expects to realize from the tax basis increases related to the exchange, after concluding it was probable that the Tax Receivable Agreement payments would be paid based on estimates of future taxable income. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the amount of Tax Receivable Agreement payments due under the Tax Receivable Agreement was $133.7 million and $137.7 million, respectively, of which $10.4 million and $8.1 million, respectively, were included in current portion of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.