Bristow Group Inc. Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

INCOME TAXES

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

For financial reporting purposes, income (loss) before income taxes and equity earnings for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (in thousands):



	2019			2018		2017
U.S.	$	(13,317	)	$	12,633	$	(148,248	)
Foreign	(1,430		)	1,559		(4,457		)
Total	$	(14,747	)	$	14,192	$	(152,705	)

The components of income tax expense (benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (in thousands):



	2019			2018			2017
Current:
Federal	$	2,935		$	924		$	—
State	(69		)	219			7
Foreign	937			38			(3,530		)
Total current	3,803			1,181			(3,523		)
Deferred:
Federal	(4,266		)	2,154			(121,359		)
State	70			(390		)	1,923
Foreign	(338		)	(5		)	294
Total deferred	(4,534		)	1,759			(119,142		)
Income tax (benefit) expense	$	(731	)	$	2,940		$	(122,665	)

The following table reconciles the difference between the statutory federal income tax rate for the Company and the effective income tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017:



Provision (benefit):	2019		2018		2017
Statutory rate	21.0	%	21.0	%	35.0	%
State taxes, net of federal tax benefit	10.9	%	(1.9	)%	5.3	%
State valuation allowance	(11.0	)%	0.4	%	(6.6	)%
Sale of investment in JV	(8.7	)%	—	%	—	%
Foreign tax credit valuation allowance	(4.2	)%	—	%	—	%
Foreign valuation allowance	0.3	%	(2.3	)%	(1.0	)%
Brazilian PERT Program	—	%	—	%	2.2	%
Other	(3.3	)%	3.5	%	(0.6	)%
Tax Act	—	%	—	%	46.0	%
	5.0	%	20.7	%	80.3	%

The components of net deferred income tax liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (in thousands):



	2019			2018
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	$	111,411		$	116,178
Buy-in on maintenance contracts	223			423
Total deferred tax liabilities	111,634			116,601
Deferred tax assets:
Tax loss carryforwards	47,243			44,919
Stock compensation	690			691
Reserves	742			788
Other	658			(285		)
Valuation allowance	(41,492		)	(37,869		)
Total deferred tax assets	7,841			8,244
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	103,793		$	108,357

The Company had no federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards in 2019 or 2018. The Company had state income tax NOL carryforwards of $388.7 million and $377.7 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively, in various states and foreign NOL carryforwards of $63.2 million and $56.9 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively, in various foreign jurisdictions. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had foreign tax credits of $0.6 million. The Company’s state NOL carryforwards expire from 2024 to 2039, and the foreign NOL carryforwards have unlimited carryforward periods.

After considering all available evidence in assessing the need for the valuation allowance, the Company believes that it is more likely than not the benefit from certain foreign and state deferred tax assets will not be realized. As of December 31, 2019, the Company has provided a valuation allowance of $19.7 million with respect to the state deferred tax assets and $21.8 million valuation allowance with respect to the foreign deferred tax assets included in the table above, made up of $19.9 million related to Aeróleo, $1.3 million related to Sicher, and $0.6 million related to foreign tax credits. If the assumptions change and the Company determines it will be able to realize those deferred tax assets, the tax benefits relating to any reversal of the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets would be recorded in the income tax provision in the period in which such adjustments are identified.

The Company’s operations are subject to the jurisdiction of multiple tax authorities, which impose various types of taxes on it including income taxes. Determining taxes owed in any jurisdiction requires the interpretation of relevant tax laws, regulations, judicial decisions and administrative interpretation of the local tax authority. As a result, the Company is subject to tax assessments in such jurisdictions including the re-determination of taxable amounts by tax authorities that may not agree with the Company’s interpretations and positions taken. The examination of the Company’s 2015 federal income tax return concluded with no adjustments during 2019.

Pursuant to ASC 740-35-25, the Company asserts permanent reinvestment on its controlled foreign corporations within Brazil, Colombia, and the British Virgin Islands.

The effects of a tax position are recognized in the period in which it is determined that it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. The Company remains subject to examination for U.S. federal and multiple state tax jurisdictions for tax years after 2015 and in Brazil for 2015 and subsequent years.

Pursuant to a shareholders’ agreement entered into on October 1, 2015 with the Company’s partner in Aeróleo (see Note 5), the Company is the primary beneficiary, and Aeróleo became a consolidated entity. The Company has analyzed filing positions of Aeróleo in Brazil where it is required to file income tax returns for all open tax years (2014 to 2019).

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, is as follows (in thousands):



	2019		2018		2017
Unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning of the year	$	11	$	11	$	261
Reductions due to settlements with taxing authorities	—		—		(250		)
Unrecognized tax benefits at the end of the year	$	11	$	11	$	11

Amounts accrued for interest and penalties associated with unrecognized income tax benefits are included in other expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. As of December 31, 2019, the gross amount of liability for accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits was $0.1 million. While amounts could change in the next twelve months, the Company does not anticipate such changes having a material impact on its financial statements.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the valuation allowance is as follows (in thousands):



	2019		2018		2017
Valuation allowance at the beginning of the year	$	37,869	$	34,967	$	21,575
Increases to state valuation allowance	1,616		50		10,010
Increases due to foreign valuation allowances	2,007		2,852		7,578
Decrease due to Brazilian PERT Program	—		—		(4,196		)
Valuation allowance at the end of the period	$	41,492	$	37,869	$	34,967

During the fourth quarter of 2017, Aeróleo elected to enter certain settled and open tax claims in the Tax Special Regularization Program (the “PERT Program”) pursuant to Brazil Provisional Measure No. 783 issued on May 31, 2017. The PERT Program allows for the partial settling of debts, both income tax debts and non-income-based tax debts, due by April 30, 2017 to Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service with the use of tax credits, including income tax loss carryforwards. A utilization of $3.5 million income tax benefit was recorded during the fourth quarter attributable to income tax loss carryforwards under the PERT Program partially offset by the accrual of operating expense associated with certain indirect tax claims enrolled into the PERT program.