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Income Taxes
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2023
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes
Earnings before income taxes of $4.9 billion, $5.4 billion and $5.0 billion for years ended 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, represent earnings from domestic operations. The breakdown of income tax expense between current and deferred is as follows:
Years Ended
(Dollars in Millions)202320222021
Current:
Federal$852 $928 $827 
State184 203 176 
Subtotal Current$1,036 $1,131 $1,003 
Deferred:   
Federal122 166 166 
State18 (49)1 
Subtotal Deferred$140 $117 $167 
Total Income Tax Expense$1,176 $1,248 $1,170 

The Company recorded a 2023 income tax benefit of $22 million primarily from a change in the valuation of deferred taxes as a result of filing the 2022 tax returns. In 2022, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $78 million primarily as a result of state legislative changes and a change in the valuation of deferred taxes as a result of filing the 2021 tax returns. In 2021, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $48 million primarily as a result of favorable state legislative changes, additional tax benefits associated with the vesting of share-based awards and adjustments to deferred taxes as a result of filing the 2020 state tax returns.

Income tax expense reconciled to the tax computed at statutory rates is presented in the following table. 
 Years Ended
(Dollars in Millions)
202320222021
Federal Income Taxes$1,027 21.0 %$1,137 21.0 %$1,040 21.0 %
State Income Taxes153 3.1 %121 2.2 %139 2.8 %
Other(4)(0.1)%(10)(0.1)%(9)(0.2)%
Income Tax Expense/ Rate$1,176 24.0 %$1,248 23.1 %$1,170 23.6 %
    
NOTE 12.  Income Taxes, continued

The primary factors in the change in year-end net deferred income tax liability balances include the annual provision for deferred income tax expense and accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The significant components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities include:

 20232022
(Dollars in Millions)AssetsLiabilitiesAssetsLiabilities
Other Employee Benefit Plans$103 $— $105 $— 
Accelerated Depreciation— 7,678 — 7,600 
Other459 630 553 627 
Total$562 $8,308 $658 $8,227 
Net Deferred Income Tax Liabilities $7,746  $7,569 

The Company files a consolidated federal income tax return, which includes its principal domestic subsidiaries. CSX and its subsidiaries are subject to U.S. federal income tax as well as income tax of multiple state jurisdictions. CSX participated in a contemporaneous IRS audit of tax years 2023, 2022, and 2021. Federal examinations of original federal income tax returns for all years through 2020 are resolved.

As of December 2023 and 2022, the Company had approximately $19 million and $18 million, respectively, of total unrecognized tax benefits as a result of uncertain tax positions. Net tax benefits of $15 million and $14 million as of December 2023 and 2022, respectively, could favorably impact the effective income tax rate in each year. The Company does not expect that unrecognized tax benefits as of December 2023 for various state and federal income tax matters will significantly change over the next 12 months. The final outcome of these uncertain tax positions is not yet determinable. There were no material changes to the total gross unrecognized tax benefits and prior year audit resolutions of the Company during the year ended December 2023.
    
CSX’s continuing practice is to recognize net interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. Accrued interest and penalties were not material as of December 2023 or 2022. Additionally, expenses from changes to the reserves for interest and penalties were not material in 2023, 2022 or 2021