Note 5 - Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Notes Tables

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

	2019			2018			2017
Current:
Domestic	$	(701	)	$	(454	)	$	22,171
Foreign		(7,289	)		(4,382	)		(22,526	)
Total current income tax benefit (provision)		(7,990	)		(4,836	)		(355	)
Deferred:
Domestic		15,243			7,147			(30,766	)
Foreign		16,848			4,390			10,158
Total deferred income tax benefit (provision)		32,091			11,537			(20,608	)
Total income tax benefit (provision)	$	24,101		$	6,701		$	(20,963	)

Schedule of Income before Income Tax, Domestic and Foreign [Table Text Block]

	2019			2018			2017
Domestic	$	(49,874	)	$	(44,513	)	$	(7,920	)
Foreign		(73,784	)		11,249			363
Total	$	(123,658	)	$	(33,264	)	$	(7,557	)

Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation [Table Text Block]

	2019					2018					2017
Computed “statutory” benefit (provision)	$	25,968		21	%	$	6,986		21	%	$	2,645		35	%
Percentage depletion		3,030		2			3,158		10			5,174		68
Change in valuation allowance		686		1			(2,304	)	(7	)		24,464		324
Federal rate change		—		—			—		—			(37,546	)	(497	)
State taxes, net of federal taxes		2,648		2			(849	)	(3	)		1,112		15
Foreign currency remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities		(8,629	)	(7	)		6,747		20			(12,812	)	(169	)
Rate differential on foreign earnings		2,705		2			(3,970	)	(12	)		(1,438	)	(19	)
Compensation		(1,056	)	(1	)		(970	)	(3	)		(661	)	(9	)
Foreign withholding taxes		—		—			278		1			(278	)	(4	)
Expiration of U.S. foreign tax credits		—		—			—		—			(2,300	)	(30	)
Other		(1,251	)	(1	)		(2,375	)	(7	)		677		9
Total benefit (provision)	$	24,101		19	%	$	6,701		20	%	$	(20,963	)	(277	)%

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

	December 31,
	2019			2018
Deferred tax assets:
Accrued reclamation costs	$	28,306		$	29,064
Deferred exploration		13,762			16,500
Foreign net operating losses		12,013			13,231
Domestic net operating losses		175,024			152,320
Pension and benefit obligation		13,866			12,345
Foreign exchange loss		21,719			24,849
Foreign tax credit carryforward		4,149			4,149
Miscellaneous		32,926			26,290
Total deferred tax assets		301,765			278,748
Valuation allowance		(86,634	)		(94,981	)
Total deferred tax assets		215,131			183,767
Deferred tax liabilities:
Miscellaneous		(904	)		(5,234	)
Properties, plants and equipment		(348,972	)		(350,083	)
Total deferred tax liabilities		(349,876	)		(355,317	)
Net deferred tax liability	$	(134,745	)	$	(171,550	)

Summary of Positions for which Significant Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits is Reasonably Possible [Table Text Block]

	2019			2018			2017
Balance at beginning of year	$	(94,981	)	$	(78,684	)	$	(99,602	)
Valuation allowance on deferred tax assets acquired with the Klondex acquisition		5,905			(11,470	)		—
Increase related to non-utilization of net operating loss carryforwards and non-recognition of deferred tax assets due to uncertainty of recovery		2,442			(5,700	)		(14,964	)
Decrease related to utilization and expiration of deferred tax assets, other		—			873			35,882
Balance at end of year	$	(86,634	)	$	(94,981	)	$	(78,684	)