Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

The Company recognized income tax expense of $7.6 million and $7.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The decrease in tax expense in the current-year quarter was largely due to lower pre-tax income levels, and the recognition of $0.7 million more excess tax benefits from stock compensation activity, compared to the prior-year quarter. The Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 23.1%, compared to 21.8% in the prior-year quarter, when the Company also recognized a $0.6 million benefit associated with the completion of a tax audit.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, the Company recognized income tax expense of $20.9 million and $25.4 million, respectively. The decrease in tax expense in the current year was largely due to lower pre-tax income levels, and the recognition of $2.3 million more excess tax benefits from stock compensation activity, compared to the prior-year period. The Company’s effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was 23.0%, compared to 24.4% in the prior-year period.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) was enacted. The income tax provisions of the CARES Act had limited applicability to the Company and, therefore, did not have a material impact on the Company’s income tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. However, as permitted under the CARES Act, the Company elected to defer approximately $3.3 million of federal income tax payments, that would have otherwise been paid during the second quarter of 2020, to the third quarter of 2020.