(8) Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

(8) Income Taxes

We file numerous consolidated and separate income tax returns with the United States and with many states. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, or local examinations by tax authorities for years before 2007.

We have subsidiaries in various states that are currently under audit for years ranging from 2003 through 2006. To date, no material adjustments have been proposed as a result of these audits.

We do not anticipate that total unrecognized tax benefits will significantly change due to any settlements of audits or expirations of statutes of limitations over the next twelve months.

The Company and its subsidiaries file a consolidated federal income tax return and combined or stand-alone state franchise tax returns for certain states. We utilize the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes, under which deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement values of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. We have estimated a valuation allowance against that portion of the deferred tax asset whose utilization in future periods is not more than likely. Our net deferred tax asset of $15.0 million as of March 31, 2012 is net of a valuation allowance of $61.4 million.

On a quarterly basis, we determine whether a valuation allowance is necessary for our deferred tax asset. In performing this analysis, we consider all evidence currently available, both positive and negative, in determining whether, based on the weight of that evidence, the deferred tax asset will be realized. We establish a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that a recorded tax benefit will not be realized. The expense to create the valuation allowance is recorded as additional income tax expense in the period the valuation allowance is established. During the first three months of 2012, we decreased our valuation allowance by $330,000, which was offset by the decrease in our gross deferred tax assets, resulting in no change to the our deferred tax assets and no income tax expense for the period.

In determining the possible future realization of deferred tax assets, we have considered the taxes paid in the current and prior years that may be available to recapture, as well as future taxable income from the following sources: (a) reversal of taxable temporary differences; and (b) tax planning strategies that, if necessary, would be implemented to accelerate taxable income into years in which net operating losses might otherwise expire. Our tax planning strategies include the prospective sale of certain assets such as finance receivables, residual interests in securitized finance receivables, charged off receivables and base servicing rights.  The expected proceeds for such asset sales have been estimated based on our expectation of what buyers of the assets would consider to be reasonable assumptions for net cash flows and required rates of return for each of the various asset types.  Our estimates for net cash flows and required rates of return are subjective and inherently subject to future events that may significantly affect actual net proceeds we may receive from executing our tax planning strategies.

We believe such asset sales can produce at least $37.5 million in taxable income within the relevant carryforward period. Such strategies could be implemented without significant effect on our core business or our ability to generate future growth. The costs related to the implementation of these tax strategies were considered in evaluating the amount of taxable income that could be generated in order to realize our deferred tax assets.