Note 12 - Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2024

Notes to Financial Statements

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

12. Income Taxes

The income tax expense was $2.3 million and $3.2 million for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024, resulting in effective tax rates of (8.4%) and (10.2%), respectively. The income tax benefit was $0.5 million and $2.5 million for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2023, resulting in an effective tax rate of 6.6% and 11.1%, respectively.

The net change in the effective tax rate for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024, as compared to the same periods in 2023, was primarily due to the impact of the valuation allowance in the US in both the current and prior periods and the impact of recording of $1.5 million of discrete items during the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024.  The Company’s effective tax rate for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2024 was primarily driven by the full valuation on the Company's deferred tax assets in the US and the projected taxable income for the Company resulting in expected current tax expense in 2024.

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that it believes that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such a determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, projected future taxable income, tax-planning strategies, carryback potential if permitted under the tax law, and results of recent operations. The Company has incurred operating losses in recent years. As a result, the Company anticipates that deferred tax assets originating during the year ended December 31, 2024 will exceed the availability of reversing taxable temporary differences. Due to significant negative evidence, including the Company’s prior year operating losses, the Company concluded its anticipated net deferred tax assets in the U.S. are not more likely than not to be realizable. Accordingly, the estimated annual effective tax rate used to compute the income tax provision for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2024 includes an adjustment for the valuation allowance required against the U.S. deferred tax assets. As of September 30, 2024, the Company continues to believe its foreign deferred tax assets are realizable based upon future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences and projected future taxable income.

The Company files income tax returns in the United States on a federal basis, in certain U.S. states, and in certain foreign jurisdictions. The associated tax filings remain subject to examination by applicable tax authorities for a certain length of time following the tax year to which those filings relate, which varies by jurisdiction. In September 2024, the Company was notified by the Italian tax authorities that it had selected the Company’s tax returns for its Italian subsidiary for 2021 for examination and remains under review.