Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Schedule Of Provision For Income Taxes

	Years Ended December 31,
		2019		2018		2017
Current:
Federal	$	(4,415)	$	-	$	1,297
State		1,834		1,281		1,837
		(2,581)		1,281		3,134
Deferred:
Federal		(3,906)		(8,721)		21,376
State		(6,530)		(6,229)		(7,596)
		(10,436)		(14,950)		13,780
Total tax expense (benefit)	$	(13,017)	$	(13,669)	$	16,914

Schedule Of Reasons For Differences Between Statutory Federal Income Tax Rate To Income Before Income Tax Expense

	Years Ended December 31,
		2019		2018		2017
Computed Federal tax expense at statutory rate	$	44,420	$	37,447	$	89,828
Decrease in Federal tax expense related to an income tax accounting change for qualifying utility asset improvement costs		(48,518)		(44,089)		(69,325)
State income taxes, net of Federal tax benefit		(3,616)		(4,964)		(3,743)
Increase in tax expense for depreciation expense to be recovered in future rates		347		328		199
Stock-based compensation		(167)		(414)		(595)
Deduction for Essential Utilities common dividends paid under employee benefit plan		(315)		(312)		(455)
Amortization of deferred investment tax credits		(361)		(373)		(376)
Impact of Federal rate change and amortization of excess deferred income tax		(6,323)		(313)		3,141
Other, net		1,516		(979)		(1,760)
Actual income tax expense (benefit)	$	(13,017)	$	(13,669)	$	16,914

Unrecognized Tax Benefits Table

	2019		2018
Balance at January 1,	$	17,792	$	17,583
Additions based on tax position related to the current year		879		209
Balance at December 31,	$	18,671	$	17,792

Schedule Of Deferred Tax Assets And Liabilities

	December 31,
	2019		2018
Deferred tax assets:
Customers' advances for construction	$	22,664	$	13,188
Costs expensed for book not deducted for tax, principally accrued expenses		1,473		27,711
Utility plant acquisition adjustment basis differences		-		1,053
Post-retirement benefits		20,575		39,515
Tax loss and credit carryforwards		65,438		43,637
Operating lease liabilities		3,540		-
Other		2,798		2,761
		116,488		127,865
Less valuation allowance		22,873		18,082
		93,615		109,783
Deferred tax liabilities:
Utility plant, principally due to depreciation and differences in the basis of fixed assets due to variation in tax and book accounting		909,219		837,057
Deferred taxes associated with the gross-up of revenues necessary to recover, in rates, the effect of temporary differences		101,126		72,258
Tax effect of regulatory asset for post-retirement benefits		8,973		39,515
Utility plant acquisition adjustment basis differences		827
Deferred investment tax credit		6,088		6,356
Operating lease right-of-use assets		3,540		-
		1,029,773		955,186
Net deferred tax liability	$	936,158	$	845,403