<?xml version="1.0" encoding="us-ascii"?><InstanceReport xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"><Version>2.4.0.8</Version><ReportLongName>1120 - Disclosure - INCOME TAXES</ReportLongName><DisplayLabelColumn>true</DisplayLabelColumn><ShowElementNames>false</ShowElementNames><RoundingOption /><HasEmbeddedReports>false</HasEmbeddedReports><Columns><Column FlagID="0"><Id>1</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>false</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><CurrencyCode /><FootnoteIndexer /><hasSegments>false</hasSegments><hasScenarios>false</hasScenarios><MCU><KeyName /><CurrencySymbol /><contextRef><ContextID>D2013Q2YTD</ContextID><EntitySchema>http://www.sec.gov/CIK</EntitySchema><EntityValue>0000813779</EntityValue><PeriodDisplayName /><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><PeriodStartDate>2013-01-01T00:00:00</PeriodStartDate><PeriodEndDate>2013-06-30T00:00:00</PeriodEndDate><Segments /><Scenarios /></contextRef><UPS /><CurrencyCode /><OriginalCurrencyCode /></MCU><CurrencySymbol /><Labels><Label Key="CalendarSupplement" Id="0" Label="6 Months Ended" /><Label Key="Calendar" Id="1" Label="Jun. 30, 2013" /></Labels></Column></Columns><Rows><Row FlagID="0"><Id>1</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>true</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><Level>1</Level><ElementName>us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstract</ElementName><ElementPrefix>us-gaap_</ElementPrefix><IsBaseElement>true</IsBaseElement><BalanceType>na</BalanceType><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><IsReportTitle>false</IsReportTitle><IsSegmentTitle>false</IsSegmentTitle><IsCalendarTitle>false</IsCalendarTitle><IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow>false</IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow><IsEquityAdjustmentRow>false</IsEquityAdjustmentRow><IsBeginningBalance>false</IsBeginningBalance><IsEndingBalance>false</IsEndingBalance><IsReverseSign>false</IsReverseSign><FootnoteIndexer /><Cells><Cell FlagID="0" ContextID="" UnitID=""><Id>1</Id><IsNumeric>false</IsNumeric><IsRatio>false</IsRatio><DisplayZeroAsNone>false</DisplayZeroAsNone><NumericAmount>0</NumericAmount><RoundedNumericAmount>0</RoundedNumericAmount><NonNumbericText /><FootnoteIndexer /><CurrencyCode /><CurrencySymbol /><IsIndependantCurrency>false</IsIndependantCurrency><ShowCurrencySymbol>false</ShowCurrencySymbol><DisplayDateInUSFormat>false</DisplayDateInUSFormat></Cell></Cells><ElementDataType>xbrli:stringItemType</ElementDataType><SimpleDataType>string</SimpleDataType><IsTotalLabel>false</IsTotalLabel><UnitID>0</UnitID><Label>INCOME TAXES</Label></Row><Row FlagID="0"><Id>2</Id><IsAbstractGroupTitle>false</IsAbstractGroupTitle><LabelSeparator>

</LabelSeparator><Level>2</Level><ElementName>us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlock</ElementName><ElementPrefix>us-gaap_</ElementPrefix><IsBaseElement>true</IsBaseElement><BalanceType>na</BalanceType><PeriodType>duration</PeriodType><IsReportTitle>false</IsReportTitle><IsSegmentTitle>false</IsSegmentTitle><IsCalendarTitle>false</IsCalendarTitle><IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow>false</IsEquityPrevioslyReportedAsRow><IsEquityAdjustmentRow>false</IsEquityAdjustmentRow><IsBeginningBalance>false</IsBeginningBalance><IsEndingBalance>false</IsEndingBalance><IsReverseSign>false</IsReverseSign><PreferredLabelRole>terseLabel</PreferredLabelRole><FootnoteIndexer /><Cells><Cell FlagID="0" ContextID="D2013Q2YTD" UnitID=""><Id>1</Id><IsNumeric>false</IsNumeric><IsRatio>false</IsRatio><DisplayZeroAsNone>false</DisplayZeroAsNone><NumericAmount>0</NumericAmount><RoundedNumericAmount>0</RoundedNumericAmount><NonNumbericText>&lt;div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"&gt;
&lt;p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold;" size="2"&gt;12.&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160;&amp;#160; INCOME TAXES&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="TEXT-INDENT: 0.25in; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"&gt;&lt;font style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 10pt;" size="2"&gt;Inc&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt;" size="2"&gt;ome tax benefit for the six months ended June&amp;#160;30, 2013 was approximately $2.2&amp;#160;million compared to $12&amp;#160;thousand for the six months ended June&amp;#160;30, 2012.&amp;#160; The six months income tax provision is based on our estimate of the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full year.&amp;#160; Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, we believe it is more likely than not that we will realize the benefits of these deductible differences net of a previously recorded tax-adjusted $13.3&amp;#160;million valuation allowance.&amp;#160; The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable could be reduced in the future if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt;"&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</NonNumbericText><FootnoteIndexer /><CurrencyCode /><CurrencySymbol /><IsIndependantCurrency>false</IsIndependantCurrency><ShowCurrencySymbol>false</ShowCurrencySymbol><DisplayDateInUSFormat>false</DisplayDateInUSFormat></Cell></Cells><ElementDataType>nonnum:textBlockItemType</ElementDataType><SimpleDataType>na</SimpleDataType><ElementDefenition>The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.</ElementDefenition><ElementReferences>Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 740

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 15

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6907707&amp;loc=d3e32718-109319



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 235

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section S99

 -Paragraph 1

 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6881521&amp;loc=d3e23780-122690



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher SEC

 -Name Regulation S-X (SX)

 -Number 210

 -Section 08

 -Paragraph h

 -Article 4



Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 740

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 9

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6907707&amp;loc=d3e32639-109319



Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 740

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 2

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6907707&amp;loc=d3e32537-109319



Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Accounting Standards Codification

 -Topic 740

 -SubTopic 10

 -Section 50

 -Paragraph 3

 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&amp;oid=6907707&amp;loc=d3e32559-109319



Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

 -Number 109

 -Paragraph 136, 172

 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.



Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

 -Publisher FASB

 -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

 -Number 109

 -Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49

 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.



</ElementReferences><IsTotalLabel>false</IsTotalLabel><UnitID>0</UnitID><Label>INCOME TAXES</Label></Row></Rows><Footnotes /><IsEquityReport>false</IsEquityReport><ReportName>INCOME TAXES</ReportName><MonetaryRoundingLevel>UnKnown</MonetaryRoundingLevel><SharesRoundingLevel>UnKnown</SharesRoundingLevel><PerShareRoundingLevel>UnKnown</PerShareRoundingLevel><ExchangeRateRoundingLevel>UnKnown</ExchangeRateRoundingLevel><HasCustomUnits>true</HasCustomUnits><IsEmbedReport>false</IsEmbedReport><IsMultiCurrency>false</IsMultiCurrency><ReportType>Sheet</ReportType><RoleURI>http://www.crimsonexploration.com/role/DisclosureIncomeTaxes</RoleURI><NumberOfCols>1</NumberOfCols><NumberOfRows>2</NumberOfRows></InstanceReport>
