Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2024

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

13. Income Taxes

CWH is organized as a Subchapter C corporation and, as of March 31, 2024, is a 53.0% owner of CWGS, LLC (see Note 16 — Non-Controlling Interests). CWGS, LLC is organized as a limited liability company and treated as a partnership for U.S. federal and most applicable state and local income tax purposes and as such, is generally not subject to any U.S. federal entity-level income taxes. However, certain CWGS, LLC subsidiaries, including Americas Road and Travel Club, Inc. and FreedomRoads RV, Inc. and their wholly-owned subsidiaries, are subject to entity-level taxes as they are Subchapter C corporations (“C-Corps”).

Effective Income Tax Rate

For the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company's effective income tax rate was 15.1% and 5.3%, respectively. The effective tax rate differed from the federal statutory rate of 21.0% primarily due to state taxes and a portion of the Company’s earnings being attributable to non-controlling interests in limited liability companies, which are not subject to entity level taxes. Additionally, the March 31, 2023 effective tax rate was further decreased by the benefit of the CWI LLC Conversion effective in January 2023.

Tax Receivable Agreement

The Company is party to 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 further redemptions of common units by Continuing Equity Owners 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 of common units for cash or stock occurs. 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 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.

On January 1, 2023, giftees of common units that had been gifted by CWGS Holding, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ML Acquisition Company, LLC, which is indirectly owned by Marcus Lemonis, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, redeemed 2.0 million common units in CWGS, LLC for 2.0 million shares of the Company’s Class A common stock (see Note 16 — Non-Controlling Interests). The increase in deferred tax assets, the non-current portion of the Tax Receivable Agreement liability, and additional paid-in capital resulting from these redemptions was $6.3 million, $5.4 million, and $0.9 million, respectively. Payments pursuant to the Tax Receivable Agreement relating to these redemptions will begin during the year ending December 31, 2024.

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, there were no redemptions of common units by Continuing Equity Owners.