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Income Taxes (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2013

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 June 30, 2013, 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		2006
Minnesota		2009
Texas		2008
Wisconsin		2008

Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits

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



(Millions of Dollars)	June 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Unrecognized tax benefit — Permanent tax positions	$	7.6	$	4.7
Unrecognized tax benefit — Temporary tax positions	31.7		29.8
Total unrecognized tax benefit	$	39.3	$	34.5

Tax Benefits Associated with NOL and Tax Credit Carryforwards

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



(Millions of Dollars)	June 30, 2013			Dec. 31, 2012
NOL and tax credit carryforwards	$	(38.1	)	$	(33.5	)

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

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