Income Tax Matters

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2021

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Matters

12. Income Tax Matters

The income tax (provision) benefit consisted of the following (in millions of dollars):

	Quarter Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2021			2020			2021			2020
Domestic	$	(8.8	)	$	0.9		$	8.5		$	(9.6	)
Foreign		0.4			(0.2	)		(1.1	)		(0.6	)
Total	$	(8.4	)	$	0.7		$	7.4		$	(10.2	)

The income tax (provision) benefit for the quarters ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020 was $(8.4) million and $0.7 million, respectively, reflecting an effective tax rate of 137% and 222%, respectively. The difference between the effective tax rate and the projected blended statutory tax rate for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 was primarily due to an increase of 116% of taxable income for a change in forecasted earnings and its impact on the annual effective tax rate, partially offset by a decrease of 2% related to the valuation allowance for certain state net operating losses and a decrease of 1% for the recognition of excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.

The difference between the effective tax rate and the projected blended statutory tax rate for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was primarily due to a decrease of 211% of taxable income for a change in forecasted earnings and its impact on the annual effective tax rate, partially offset by an increase of 22% of taxable income to the valuation allowance for certain state net operating losses.

The income tax benefit (provision) for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and September 30, 2020 was $7.4 million and $(10.2) million, respectively, reflecting an effective tax rate of 27% and 31% respectively. The difference between the effective tax rate and the projected blended statutory tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 was primarily due to: (i) an increase of 4% related to the valuation allowance for certain state net operating losses; (ii) an increase of 3% related to tax credits; (iii) an increase of 2% for the recognition of excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation; and (iv) an increase of 2% for a change in state tax rate due to the Warrick acquisition, partially offset by a decrease related to permanent items of 7%, including non-deductible compensation expense and foreign withholding tax.

The difference between the effective tax rate and the projected blended statutory tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, was primarily due to an increase of 4% of taxable income related to non-deductible compensation expense and an increase of 4% of taxable income to the valuation allowance for certain state net operating losses, partially offset by a decrease of 2% of taxable income for the recognition of excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation.

Our gross unrecognized benefits relating to uncertain tax positions were $4.1 million and $3.8 million at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, of which, $4.1 million and $3.8 million would be recorded through our income tax provision and thus impact the effective tax rate at September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively, if the gross unrecognized tax benefits were to be recognized.

We do not expect our gross unrecognized tax benefits to significantly change within the next 12 months.