Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Income Taxes

v2.4.0.6
Income Taxes
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

Note 5 — Income Taxes

Income (loss) before income taxes is summarized below:

 

                         
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2011     2010     2009  
    (Dollars in Thousands)  

United States

  $ (61,434   $ 1,865     $ (62,265

Foreign

    (3,978     9,640       72,092  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    $ (65,412   $ 11,505     $ 9,827  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Income tax expense (benefit) is summarized as follows:

 

                         
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2011     2010     2009  
    (Dollars in Thousands)  

Current:

       

United States:

                       

Federal

  $ 17,168     $ (273   $ (4,541

State

    1,264       184       128  

Foreign

    15,176       27,610       19,837  

Deferred:

                       

United States:

                       

Federal

    (46,694     (3,981     (14,818

State

    1,864       1,459       (1,793

Foreign

    (3,545     1,214       1,747  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 
    $ (14,767   $ 26,213     $ 560  
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total income tax expense differs from the amount computed by multiplying income before income taxes by the U.S. federal income tax statutory rate. The reasons for this difference are as follows:

 

                                                 
    Year Ended December 31,  
    2011     2010     2009  
    Amount     % of Pre-Tax
Income
    Amount     % of Pre-Tax
Income
    Amount     % of Pre-Tax
Income
 

Computed Expected Tax Expense

  $ (22,894     35   $ 4,027       35   $ 3,439       35

Foreign Taxes

    15,644       (24 )%      18,951       165     20,432       208

Tax Effect Different From Statutory Rates

    (1,571     2     (7,996     (70 )%      (10,658     (108 )% 

State Taxes, net of federal benefit

    2,689       (4 )%      1,579       14     (1,355     (14 )% 

Foreign Tax Credits

    (14,595     22     (15,442     (134 )%      (14,152     (144 )% 

Kazakhstan Tax Settlement

    (536     1     13,304       116           0

Mexico Tax Settlement

          0     1,022       9           0

Change in Valuation Allowance

    2,542       (4 )%      506       4     638       6

Foreign Corporation Income

          0           0     5,116       52

FIN 48-Uncertain Tax Positions

    1,348       (2 )%      983       9     2,982       30

State NOL

          0           0     (165     (2 )% 

Permanent Differences

    6,356       (10 )%      6,003       52     2,893       29

Prior Year Return to Provision Adjustments

    835       (1 )%      1,775       15     (3,237     (33 )% 

Foreign Tax Credits-Prior Years

          0           0     (5,389     (55 )% 

Other

    899       (1 )%      1,501       13     16       0

Unremitted Foreign Earnings-Current Year Adjustment

    (5,484     8           0           0
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Actual Tax Expense

  $ (14,767     22   $ 26,213       228   $ 560       5
   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

The components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2011 and 2010 are shown below:

 

                 
    December 31,  
    2011     2010  
    (Dollars in Thousands)  

Deferred tax assets

               

Current deferred tax assets:

               

Reserves established against realization of certain assets

  $ 3,284     $ 4,287  

Accruals not currently deductible for tax purposes

    3,065       4,991  

Other state deferred tax asset, net

    301        
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross current deferred tax assets

    6,650       9,278  

Current deferred tax valuation allowance

           
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net current deferred tax assets

    6,650       9,278  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Non-current deferred tax assets:

               

Federal net operating loss carryforwards

    361       4,337  

State net operating loss carryforwards

    6,393       7,879  

Other state deferred tax asset, net

    656       702  

Foreign tax credits

    28,146       29,594  

Other long term liabilities

          369  

Note hedge interest

    1,318       4,925  

Percentage of completion construction projects

    22       18  

Goodwill

          1,156  

FIN 48

    8,188       10,487  

Foreign tax local

    9,824       6,244  

Asset impairment

    59,500        

Other

    370       837  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Gross long-term deferred tax assets

    114,778       66,548  

Valuation allowance

    (6,467     (5,532
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net non-current deferred tax assets

    108,311       61,016  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net deferred tax assets

    114,961       70,294  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Deferred tax liabilities:

               

Non-current deferred tax liabilities:

               

Property, plant and equipment

    (8,986     (1,747

Deferred tax impact of foreign earnings-APB 23

          (5,484

Foreign tax local

    (6,379     (8,912

Federal benefit of foreign tax

          (1,039

Convertible debt-State

    (31     (46

Convertible debt-Federal

    (1,151     (3,198

Deferred compensation

    1,243       255  

Other

    (630      
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net non-current deferred tax liabilities

    (15,934     (20,171
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Net deferred tax asset

  $ 99,027     $ 50,123  
   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

As part of the process of preparing the consolidated financial statements, the Company is required to determine its provision for income taxes. This process involves estimating the annual effective tax rate and the nature and measurements of temporary and permanent differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences and the NOL carryforwards result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. In each period, we assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from existing deferred tax liabilities or future taxable income in each taxing jurisdiction. To the extent the Company believes that it does not meet the test that recovery is more likely than not, it establishes a valuation allowance. To the extent that the Company establishes a valuation allowance or changes this allowance in a period, it adjusts the tax provision or tax benefit in the consolidated statement of operations. We use our judgment in determining provisions or benefits for income taxes, and any valuation allowance recorded against previously established deferred tax assets.

The 2011 results include an income tax benefit of $60.9 million (federal and state combined) related to the $170.0 million non-cash pretax impairment charge relating to our AADU rigs in Alaska. In addition, we increased our valuation allowance by $2.5 million primarily related to foreign NOL’s.

The 2010 results include income tax expense primarily related to an unfavorable ruling by the Atyrau Oblast Court upholding a lower court’s decision allowing the revised Tax Notification to stand as further discussed in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements The Kazakhstan tax matter increased tax expense by approximately $14.5 million ($6.8 million net of anticipated tax benefits), which includes approximately $6.5 million in tax, $4.8 million in interest and $3.2 million in penalties. PKD Kazakhstan intends to submit a further discretionary appeal to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In addition, tax expense increased from our settlement of a foreign tax audit for one of our subsidiaries for $1.2 million, which includes approximately $0.6 million of tax, $0.1 million in interest, and $0.5 million in penalties.

The 2009 results include a $5.4 million benefit related to our ability to claim foreign tax credits from prior years due to a change from deductions to credits, and additional valuation allowances related to state NOL carryforwards and current year foreign tax credits. After considering all available evidence, both positive and negative, we concluded that a valuation allowance of approximately $0.5 million was appropriate relating to the utilization of our current year foreign tax credits. At December 31, 2009, we had $124 million of gross state NOL carryforwards. For tax purposes, the state NOL carryforwards expire over a 15-year period from December 31, 2010 through 2024 for which a $0.6 million state valuation allowance has been established. During 2009, we paid $17.5 million for income taxes, net of refunds of $6.2 million received during the year.

The company applies the accounting guidance related to accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. This guidance prescribes a recognition threshold and a measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition and measurement of tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. For those benefits to be recognized, a tax position must be more likely than not to be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:

 

         
    In Millions  

Balance at January 1, 2011

    (15.5

Additions based on tax positions taken during a prior period

    (0.1

Reductions based on tax positions taken during a prior period

    0.0  

Additions based on tax positions taken during the current period

    (0.7

Reductions based on tax positions taken during the current period

    0.1  

Reductions related to settlement of tax matters

    0.7  

Reductions related to a lapse of applicable statute of limitations

    0.0  
   

 

 

 

Balance at December 31, 2011

    (15.5
   

 

 

 

 

In many cases, our uncertain tax positions are related to tax years that remain subject to examination by tax authorities. The following describes the open tax years, by major tax jurisdiction, as of December 31, 2011:

 

     

Colombia

  2007-present

Kazakhstan

  2008-present

Mexico

  2006-present

Papua New Guinea

  2007-present

Russia

  2008-present

United States — Federal

  1992-present

At December 31, 2011, we had a liability for unrecognized tax benefits of $15.5 million (8.5 million of which, if recognized, would favorably impact our effective tax rate).

The Company recognized interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010 we had approximately $8.4 million and $7.0 million of accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions, respectively. We recognized an increase of $1.3 million of interest and an increase of $0.1 million of penalties on unrecognized tax benefits for the year ended December 31, 2011.