Income Taxes (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Earliest Open Tax Years Subject to Examination by State Taxing Authorities in the Major Operating Jurisdictions

State Audits — Xcel Energy files consolidated state tax returns based on income in its major operating jurisdictions of Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, and Wisconsin, and various other state income-based tax returns. As of March 31, 2017, Xcel Energy’s earliest open tax years that are subject to examination by state taxing authorities in its major operating jurisdictions were as follows:



State		Year
Colorado		2009
Minnesota		2009
Texas		2009
Wisconsin		2012

Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of the amount of unrecognized tax benefit is as follows:



(Millions of Dollars)	March 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Unrecognized tax benefit — Permanent tax positions	$	30.1	$	29.6
Unrecognized tax benefit — Temporary tax positions	105.3		104.1
Total unrecognized tax benefit	$	135.4	$	133.7

Tax Benefits Associated with NOL and Tax Credit Carryforwards

The unrecognized tax benefit amounts were reduced by the tax benefits associated with NOL and tax credit carryforwards. The amounts of tax benefits associated with NOL and tax credit carryforwards are as follows:



(Millions of Dollars)	March 31, 2017			Dec. 31, 2016
NOL and tax credit carryforwards	$	(45.6	)	$	(43.8	)

Interest Payable related to Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Table Text Block]

The payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits is partially offset by the interest benefit associated with NOL and tax credit carryforwards. A reconciliation of the amount of the payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits reported are as follows:



(Millions of Dollars)	March 31, 2017			Dec. 31, 2016
Payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of period	$	(3.4	)	$	(0.1	)
Interest expense related to unrecognized tax benefits recorded during the period	(0.9		)	(3.3		)
Payable for interest related to unrecognized tax benefits at end of period	$	(4.3	)	$	(3.4	)