Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes

v3.19.1
Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]
13. Income Taxes
 
As of December 31, 2018, we had federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $256.1 million that expire at various dates through 2037 and $7.5 million which do not expire but are subject to 80% taxable income limitations. As of December 31, 2018, we had federal research and development tax credits of approximately $8.8 million that expire at various dates through 2038. We also had net operating loss carryforwards for California income tax purposes of approximately $107.8 million that expire at various dates through 2038 and state research and development tax credits of approximately $9.0 million which do not expire.
 
Current federal and California tax laws include substantial restrictions on the utilization of net operating losses and tax credits in the event of an ownership change of a corporation under Internal Revenue Code Section 382 and 383. We have performed a change in ownership analysis through December 31, 2018 and expect our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards to be available to offset future taxable income, if any.
  
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes and operating loss and credit carryforwards. Significant components of our deferred tax assets are as follows (in thousands):
 
 
 
December 31,
 
 
 
2018
 
 
2017
 
Deferred tax assets:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Net operating loss carryforwards
 
$
62,863
 
 
$
62,295
 
Research credit carryforwards
 
 
15,886
 
 
 
15,873
 
Other, net
 
 
1,321
 
 
 
1,705
 
Total deferred tax assets
 
 
80,070
 
 
 
79,873
 
Valuation allowance
 
 
(80,070
)
 
 
(79,873
)
Net deferred tax assets
 
$
 
 
$
 
 
Realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future earnings, if any, the timing and amount of which are uncertain. Accordingly, the net deferred tax assets have been fully offset by a valuation allowance. The valuation allowance increased by $0.2 million during 2018, decreased by $24.4 million during 2017 and decreased by $4.4 million during 2016.
 
The provision for income taxes consists of state minimum taxes due. The effective tax rate of our provision (benefit) for income taxes differs from the federal statutory rate as follows (in thousands):
 
 
 
Year Ending December 31,
 
 
 
2018
 
 
2017
 
 
2016
 
Computed at 21%
 
$
(1,879
)
 
$
(4,832
)
 
$
1,758
 
State taxes
 
 
(167
)
 
 
(157
)
 
 
(187
)
Change in valuation allowance
 
 
197
 
 
 
(28,555
)
 
 
(4,439
)
Other
 
 
121
 
 
 
388
 
 
 
659
 
Revaluation of warrant liability
 
 
(30
)
 
 
(210
)
 
 
(280
)
Research and development credits
 
 
144
 
 
 
(250
)
 
 
(252
)
Net operating loss carryforward expirations
 
 
975
 
 
 
1,007
 
 
 
2,741
 
Impact of 2017 Tax Act
 
 
 
 
 
32,609
 
 
 
 
Impact of IRC 162m
 
 
639
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total
 
$
 
 
$
 
 
$
 
 
 
We had no unrecognized tax benefits or any amounts accrued for interest and penalties for the three year period ended December 31, 2018. Our policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income taxes as a component of income tax expense. We do not expect the amount of unrecognized tax benefits will materially change in the next twelve months.
 
We file tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and some state jurisdictions. We are subject to the U.S. federal and state income tax examination by tax authorities for such years 1999 through 2018, due to net operating losses that are being carried forward for tax purposes.
 
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“2017 Tax Act”) was enacted in December 2017. The 2017 Tax Act, among other things, reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign earnings. We revalued our deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2018 based on a U.S. federal tax rate of 21%, which resulted in a reduction to our deferred tax assets of $32.6 million fully offset by a reduction to the valuation allowance.