Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

The Company's effective tax rate was 26.9% for the nine months ended September 30, 2022, as compared to 16.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2022 was higher than the rate of the prior comparable period, primarily due to the recognition of excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation related to the departure of the Company's previous chief executive officer in the first quarter of 2021.

The total gross unrecognized tax benefit as of September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 was $2.2 million and $1.9 million, respectively, excluding interest, penalties and related tax benefits. The Company estimates the unrecognized tax benefit as of September 30, 2022 may decrease over the upcoming 12 months by an amount up to $0.3 million related to settlements with taxing authorities and expiring statutes of limitations. For the remaining liability, due to the uncertainties related to these tax matters, the Company is unable to make a reasonable estimate as to when cash settlement with a taxing authority will occur.    

As of September 30, 2022, accrued interest was $0.7 million and accrued penalties were less than $0.1 million, excluding any related income tax benefits. As of December 31, 2021, accrued interest was $0.6 million and accrued penalties were less than $0.1 million, excluding any related income tax benefits. The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits and penalties as a component of its income tax provision recognized in its Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The Company files federal income tax returns and the Company or one of its subsidiaries file income tax returns in various state and international jurisdictions. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to federal tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2017 and state or non-United States tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2011. The Company believes that adequate reserves have been provided related to all matters contained in the tax periods open to examination.

On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“Inflation Reduction Act”) was signed into law in the United States. The Company will monitor regulatory developments and will continue to evaluate the impact, if any, on our consolidated financial statements.