Note 16 - Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2015

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

16. Income Taxes

The total income tax benefit of $2.3 million and $17.5 million recognized for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2015, respectively, was primarily due to deferred taxes partially offset by state tax expenses and state tax reserves for uncertain tax positions. The total income tax benefit of $1.7 million and $0.5 million recognized for the three and nine months ended July 31, 2014, respectively, was primarily due to a refund received for a loss carryback to a previously profitable year, partially offset by various state tax expenses and state tax reserves for uncertain state tax positions

 Deferred federal and state income tax assets primarily represent the deferred tax benefits arising from temporary differences between book and tax income which will be recognized in future years as an offset against future taxable income. If the combination of future years’ income (or loss) and the reversal of the timing differences results in a loss, such losses can be carried forward to future years. In accordance with ASC 740, we evaluate our deferred tax assets quarterly to determine if valuation allowances are required. ASC 740 requires that companies assess whether valuation allowances should be established based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more likely than not” standard.  

As of October 31, 2014, and again at July 31, 2015, we concluded that it was more likely than not that a substantial amount of our deferred tax assets (“DTA”) would be utilized. This conclusion was based on a detailed evaluation of all relevant evidence, both positive and negative. The positive evidence included factors such as  positive earnings for the last two full fiscal years and the expectation of earnings going forward over the long term and evidence of a sustained recovery in the housing markets in which we operate. Such evidence is supported by significant increases in key financial indicators over the last few years, including new orders, revenues, backlog, community count and deliveries compared with the prior years. Economic data has also been affirming the housing market recovery. Housing starts, homebuilding volume and prices are increasing and forecasted to continue to increase. Historically low mortgage rates, affordable home prices, reduced foreclosures and a favorable home ownership to rental comparison are key factors in the recovery.

Potentially offsetting this positive evidence, we are currently in a three year cumulative loss position as of July 31, 2015. As per ASC 740, cumulative losses are one of the most objectively verifiable forms of negative evidence. Thus, an entity that has suffered cumulative losses in recent years may find it difficult to support an assertion that a DTA could be realized if such an assertion is based on forecasts of future profitable results rather than an actual return to profitability. In other words, an entity that has cumulative losses generally should not use an estimate of future earnings to support a conclusion that realization of an existing DTA is more likely than not if such a forecast is not based on objectively verifiable information. An objectively verifiable estimate of future income in that instance would be based on operating results from the reporting entity's recent history.

We determined that the positive evidence noted above, including our two fiscal years of sustained operating profitability, outweighed the existing negative evidence and because of our current backlog, we expect to be in a three year cumulative income position by the end of fiscal 2015. Given that ASC 740 suggests using recent historical operating results in the instance where a three year cumulative loss position still exists, we used our recent historical profit levels in projecting our pretax income over the future years in assessing the utilization of our existing DTAs. Therefore, we concluded that it is more likely than not that we will realize a substantial portion of our DTAs, and that a full valuation allowance is not necessary. This analysis resulted in a partial reversal equal to $285.1 million of our valuation allowance against DTAs at October 31, 2014, leaving a remaining valuation allowance of $642.0 million at October 31, 2014. Our valuation allowance for deferred taxes amounted to $642.1 million at July 31, 2015.