Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2024

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

The Company uses a full year projected effective tax rate approach to calculate year-to-date taxes. In determining the full year projected tax rate, the Company considers the realizability of deferred tax assets, including those associated with unrealized investment losses, and has determined based upon the weight of available evidence that no valuation allowance is necessary related to unrealized investment losses. In addition, certain items impacting total income tax expense are recorded in the periods in which they occur. The projected effective tax rate is the ratio of projected “Income tax expense (benefit)” divided by projected “Income (loss) from operations before income taxes and equity in earnings of operating joint venture”. Taxes attributable to operating joint venture are recorded within “Equity in earnings of operating joint venture, net of taxes.” The interim period tax expense (or benefit) is the difference between the year-to-date income tax provision and the amounts reported for the previous interim periods of the fiscal year.

The Company's income tax provision, on a consolidated basis, amounted to an income tax expense of $70.8 million, or 16.94% of income (loss) from operations before income taxes and equity in earnings of operating joint venture, in the first six months of 2024, compared to $96.6 million, or 16.25%, in the first six months of 2023. The Company's current and prior effective tax rates differed from the U.S. statutory tax rate of 21% primarily due to non-taxable investment income and tax credits.

Inflation Reduction Act. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “Inflation Reduction Act”), (House of Representatives, 5376). One of the most significant provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act is a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) based on the Company’s GAAP income, with certain adjustments. This provision, which is applicable only to companies with average applicable financial statement income in excess of $1 billion for any three-year period ending in 2022 or later, is effective in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. The impact of the book-income alternative minimum tax, if any, will vary from year to year based on the relationship of the Company’s GAAP income to the Company’s taxable income. Any tax paid pursuant to this provision is available as a tax credit in future years when the Company’s tax rate exceeds the 15% minimum tax threshold. The Company is subject to CAMT for 2024 which may or may not result in a CAMT cash tax liability and will have no impact to the full year effective tax rate.