Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

The Company’s income tax expense for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 was $153.1 million and $350.5 million, respectively, compared to $162.5 million and $458.9 million in the prior year periods. The effective tax rate was 24.4% and 23.9% for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, compared to 26.4% and 31.6% in the prior year periods. The higher effective tax rate for the nine months ended June 30, 2018 was primarily due to the remeasurement of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Tax Act), which was enacted into law on December 22, 2017. The effective tax rates for all periods include an expense for state income taxes, reduced by tax benefits related to stock-based compensation.

The Tax Act reduced the federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% for all corporations effective January 1, 2018. For fiscal year companies, the change in law required the application of a blended tax rate in the year of change, which for the Company was 24.5% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019 and thereafter, the applicable statutory federal tax rate is 21%. The Tax Act also repealed the domestic production activities deduction effective for the Company for fiscal 2019.

The Company’s deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, were $190.5 million at June 30, 2019 compared to $211.7 million at September 30, 2018. The Company has a valuation allowance related to state deferred tax assets for net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of $16.6 million at June 30, 2019 and $17.7 million at September 30, 2018. The Company will continue to evaluate both the positive and negative evidence in determining the need for a valuation allowance with respect to the remaining state NOL carryforwards. Any reversal of the valuation allowance in future periods will impact the Company’s effective tax rate.

The accounting for deferred taxes is based upon estimates of future results. Differences between the anticipated and actual outcomes of these future results could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial position. Also, changes in existing federal and state tax laws and tax rates could affect future tax results and the valuation of the Company’s deferred tax assets.