Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes

v3.20.1
Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

NOTE 12 - INCOME TAXES



Income tax (benefit) expense from continuing operations consists of the following:





 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Year Ended December 31



 

2019

 

2018

Current year income taxes (benefit):

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

(45,000)

 

$

3,000 

State

 

 

20,000 

 

 

133,000 

Foreign

 

 

 -

 

 

249,000 



 

 

(25,000)

 

 

385,000 



 

 

 

 

 

 

Deferred income taxes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal

 

$

10,000 

 

$

19,000 



 

 

10,000 

 

 

19,000 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

$

(15,000)

 

$

404,000 



The Company’s Austin Taylor Communications, Ltd. unit operated in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and is subject to U.K. rather than U.S. income taxes. Austin Taylor had no activity in 2019 and 2018. At the end of 2019, Austin Taylor’s net operating loss carry-forward was $7,462,000. The Company remains uncertain whether it will be able to generate the future income needed to realize the tax benefit of the carry-forward. Accordingly, the Company has continued to maintain its deferred tax valuation allowance against any potential carry-forward benefit from Austin Taylor.



Net2Edge, Ltd., formally known as Transition Networks EMEA, Ltd., operates in the U.K. and is subject to U.K. rather than U.S. income taxes. Net2Edge, Ltd. had pretax losses of $1,519,000 and $2,772,000 in 2019 and 2018, respectively. At the end of 2019, Net2Edge, Ltd.’s net operating loss carry-forward was $8,745,000, of which a full valuation allowance is recorded.



In 2007, Transition Networks China began operations in China and is subject to Chinese taxes rather than U.S. income taxes. Transition Networks China had no activity in 2019 and 2018. At the end of 2019, Transition Networks China's net operating loss carry-forward was $29,000. Due to the history of losses in China, the Company remains uncertain whether it will be able to generate the future income needed to realize the tax benefit of the carry-forward. Accordingly, the Company has continued to maintain its deferred tax valuation reserve against any potential carry-forward benefit. Transition Networks China ceased operations in 2014 and incurred minor non-operating expenditures in 2015 to close the operations. As of 2016, Transition Networks China no longer has any operational activity.



Suttle Costa Rica operated in Costa Rica and was subject to Costa Rica income taxes. As of December 31, 2019, the amount of unremitted earnings outside of the United States was not significant to the Company’s liquidity and was available to fund investments abroad. The Company closed its Costa Rica facility in 2017 and no longer has any operational activity in Costa Rica. Suttle Costa Rica had no activity in 2019 and pretax losses of $45,000 in 2018. At the end of 2019, Suttle Costa Rica’s net operating loss carry-forward was $0.



The provision for income taxes for continuing operations varied from the federal statutory tax rate as follows:





 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

Year Ended December 31



 

2019

 

2018

Tax at U.S. statutory rate

 

21.0% 

 

21.0% 

State income taxes, net of federal benefit

 

26.2 

 

(0.4)

Foreign income taxes, net of

 

 

 

 

  foreign tax credits

 

98.9 

 

(6.2)

Other nondeductible items

 

(2.1)

 

(0.6)

Effect of increase in uncertain tax positions

 

17.2 

 

(0.4)

Change in valuation allowance

 

(181.7)

 

(20.6)

Expense of prior year tax receivable

 

 -

 

(5.5)

Other

 

14.0 

 

3.8 

Effective tax rate

 

(6.5%)

 

(8.9%)





Deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31 related to the following:





 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



 

2019

 

 

2018

Deferred tax assets:

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for doubtful accounts

$

29,000 

 

$

25,000 

Inventory

 

1,254,000 

 

 

1,718,000 

Accrued and prepaid expenses

 

302,000 

 

 

348,000 

Lease liability

 

44,000 

 

 

 -

Domestic net operating loss carry-forward

 

2,141,000 

 

 

3,425,000 

Long-term compensation plans

 

248,000 

 

 

233,000 

Nonemployee director stock compensation

 

514,000 

 

 

499,000 

Other stock compensation

 

51,000 

 

 

19,000 

Intangible assets

 

253,000 

 

 

275,000 

Foreign net operating loss carry-forwards and credits

 

3,087,000 

 

 

2,885,000 

Federal and state credits

 

767,000 

 

 

845,000 

Other

 

17,000 

 

 

17,000 



 

 

 

 

 

Gross deferred tax assets

 

8,707,000 

 

 

10,289,000 

Valuation allowance

 

(8,170,000)

 

 

(9,834,000)



 

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax assets

 

537,000 

 

 

455,000 



 

 

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation

 

(485,000)

 

 

(436,000)

Lease right-of-use asset

 

(42,000)

 

 

 -



 

 

 

 

 

Net deferred tax liability

 

(527,000)

 

 

(436,000)



 

 

 

 

 

Total net deferred tax asset

$

10,000 

 

$

19,000 



 

 

 

 

 

The Company assesses available positive and negative evidence to estimate if sufficient future taxable income will be generated to use the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ending December 31, 2019. This objective evidence limits the ability to consider other subjective evidence such as the projections for future growth. On the basis of this evaluation, as of December 31, 2019, a valuation allowance of $8,170,000 has been recorded to reflect the portion of the deferred tax asset that is more likely to not be realized. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be adjusted if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are reduced or increased or if objective negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is no longer present and additional weight may be given to subjective evidence such as the Company’s projections for growth.



At December 31, 2019, the Company has a federal net operating loss carryforward from 2015 through 2019 activity of approximately $7,687,000 that is available to offset future taxable income and begins to expire in 2035. The Company also has a federal capital loss carryforward from 2018 of approximately $1,930,000 that is available to offset future capital gains and expires in 2023.



During 2015, the Company engaged in a research and development tax credit study for the tax years 2011 to 2014. As a result of this study, the Company claimed $1,554,000 of federal and $1,024,000 of state research and development credits. The Company amended prior year tax returns to claim these credits and offset prior year taxes paid. Credits not used to reduce taxes are available to be carried forward. At December 31, 2019, the Company has an estimated federal research and development credit carryforward of approximately $467,000 and a state research and development credit carryforward of approximately $594,000.



The Company assesses uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740. Under this method, the Company must recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from these uncertain tax positions are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent likelihood of being realized upon ultimate resolution. The Company’s practice is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.

Changes in the Company’s uncertain tax positions are summarized as follows:







 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

2019

 

2018

Uncertain tax positions – January 1

$

60,000 

$

41,000 

Gross increases - current period tax positions

 

41,000 

 

28,000 

Settlements

 

 -

 

 -

Expiration of statute of limitations

 

 -

 

(9,000)

Uncertain tax positions – December 31, 2019

$

101,000 

$

60,000 



Included in the balance of uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2019 are $101,000 of tax benefits that if recognized would affect the tax rate. The Company’s unrecognized tax benefits will be reduced by $1,000 in the next twelve months due to statute of limitations expirations. There are no other expected significant changes in the Company’s uncertain tax positions in the next twelve months. The Company’s income tax liability accounts included accruals for interest and penalties of $0 at December 31, 2019. The Company’s 2019 income tax expense decreased by $0 due to net decreases for accrued interest and penalties.



The Company’s federal and state tax returns and tax returns it has filed in Costa Rica and the United Kingdom are open for review going back to the 2016 tax year.