Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") was signed into law in March 2020. The CARES Act lifts certain deduction limitations originally imposed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "2017 Tax Act"). Among other provisions, the CARES Act makes qualified improvement property generally eligible for 15-year cost-recovery and 100% bonus depreciation. The tax effects of the CARES Act are not significant and have been recognized in the current reporting period.

Income tax expense was comprised of the following:



	FISCAL YEARS ENDED APRIL 30
(in thousands)	2020			2019			2018

CURRENT EXPENSE
Federal	$	29,072		$	25,649		$	8,668
State	7,581			8,231			1,290
Foreign	533			1,125			257
Total current expense	37,186			35,005			10,215

DEFERRED EXPENSE
Federal	(7,167		)	(4,498		)	17,833
State	(4,190		)	(3,266		)	3,642
Foreign	(142		)	(41		)	(71		)
Total deferred (benefit) expense	(11,499		)	(7,805		)	21,404
Total expense	25,687			27,200			31,619
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(573		)	190			50
Total comprehensive income tax expense	$	25,114		$	27,390		$	31,669

The Company's effective income tax rate varied from the federal statutory rate as follows:



	FISCAL YEARS ENDED APRIL 30
	2020		2019		2018
Federal statutory rate	21.0	%	21.0	%	30.4	%
Effect of:
Federal income tax credits	(0.9	)%	(1.4	)%	(0.5	)%
Acquisition and integration costs	—		—		1.2
Stock compensation	(0.1	)	(0.5	)	(2.4	)
Meals and entertainment	0.3		0.3		0.3
Effect of Tax Act	—		(1.1	)	1.2
Domestic production deduction	—		—		(0.8	)
Valuation allowance for deferred taxes	0.7		0.6		—
Foreign	0.4		0.8		—
Other	0.7		1.2		0.4
Total	1.1	%	(0.1	)%	(0.6	)%

Effective federal income tax rate	22.1	%	20.9	%	29.8	%
State income taxes, net of federal tax effect	3.4		3.6		3.6
Effective income tax rate	25.5	%	24.5	%	33.4	%

The significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities were as follows:



	APRIL 30
(in thousands)	2020			2019
Deferred tax assets:
Accounts receivable	$	1,730		$	1,852
Product liability	862			2,133
Employee benefits	5,189			6,192
Tax credit carryforwards	4,995			4,439
Operating leases	33,258			—
Other	4,330			3,272
Gross deferred tax assets, before valuation allowance	50,364			17,888
Valuation allowance	(4,415		)	(3,630		)
Gross deferred tax assets, after valuation allowance	45,949			14,258

Deferred tax liabilities:
Pension benefits	—			119
Inventory	125			76
Depreciation	24,147			23,721
Intangibles	40,677			53,259
Operating leases	32,325			—
Other	695			1,059
Gross deferred tax liabilities	97,969			78,234

Net deferred tax liability	$	52,020		$	63,976

We have not recorded deferred income taxes applicable to undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries that are indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations. Undistributed earnings that are indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations are not significant as of April 30, 2020.

The Company recorded a valuation allowance related to deferred tax assets for certain state investment tax credit ("ITC") carryforwards and foreign tax credit ("FTC") carryforwards. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, after considering all positive and negative evidence, it is determined that it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax asset will not be realized. In fiscal 2019, the Company determined that there will not be sufficient income in states for which an ITC deferred tax asset exists and that there will not be sufficient foreign source income to utilize the FTCs. Therefore, the Company reassessed the valuation allowance and recorded an additional valuation allowance in the amount of $0.2 million and $0.5 million related to ITCs and FTCs, respectively.

The gross amount of state tax credit carryforwards related to state ITCs as of April 30, 2020 and 2019 was $3.9 million and $4.6 million. These credits expire in various years beginning in fiscal 2028. Net of the federal impact and related valuation allowance, the Company recorded $0.6 million and $0.8 million of deferred tax assets related to these credits, as of April 30, 2020 and 2019. The Company accounts for ITCs under the deferral method, under which the tax benefit from the ITC is deferred and amortized into income tax expense over the book life of the related property. As of April 30, 2020 and 2019, a deferred credit balance of $0.8 million and $1.0 million, respectively, is included in other liabilities on the balance sheet.

The gross amount of foreign tax credit carryforwards as of April 30, 2020 and 2019 is $1.2 million and $0.7 million, respectively, which begin to expire in fiscal 2029.

The following table summarizes the activity related to unrecognized tax benefits, excluding the federal tax benefit of state tax deductions:



	APRIL 30
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Change in Unrecognized Tax Benefits
Balance at beginning of year	$	2,240	$	928
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	65		120
Additions for tax positions of prior years	—		1,192
Balance at end of year	$	2,305	$	2,240

The Company operates in multiple tax jurisdictions and, in the normal course of business, its tax returns are subject to examination by various taxing authorities. Such examinations may result in future assessments by these taxing authorities, and the Company has accrued a liability when it believes that it is not more likely than not that it will realize the benefits of tax positions that it has taken or for the amount of any tax benefit that exceeds the cumulative probability threshold in accordance with accounting standards. As of April 30, 2020, federal tax years 2016 through 2019 remain subject to examination. The Company believes that adequate provisions have been made for all tax returns subject to examination. The Company is currently not under federal audit. If the liability for uncertain tax positions is released the entire amount would impact the Company’s effective tax rate.