On December 22, 2017, the US enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), which significantly changed US tax law. The Act lowered the Company’s US statutory federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, while also imposing a deemed repatriation tax on previously deferred foreign income. The Act also created a new minimum tax on certain future foreign earnings. The Act will impact the Company’s income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations in future periods (approximate 26% effective combined federal and state corporate tax rate). The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets, therefore any impact on the value of the company’s deferred tax assets will be offset by a change in the valuation allowance.

The 2018 and 2017 annual effective tax rate is estimated to be a combined 26% for the combined US federal and state statutory tax rates. We review tax uncertainties in light of changing facts and circumstances and adjust them accordingly. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were no tax contingencies or unrecognized tax positions recorded.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting, and the amounts recognized for income tax purposes. The significant components of deferred tax assets (at an approximate 26% effective tax rate) as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, are as follows:

Deferred Tax Assets (rounded in millions)

The Company has a net operating loss carry-forward for federal and state tax purposes of approximately $76.6 million at December 31, 2018, that is potentially available to offset future taxable income. The Act changes the rules on NOL carryforwards. The 20-year limitation was eliminated for losses incurred after January 1, 2018, giving the taxpayer the ability to carry forward losses indefinitely. However, NOL carry forward arising after January 1, 2018, will now be limited to 80% of taxable income.

For financial reporting purposes, no deferred tax asset was recognized because at December 31, 2018 and 2017, management estimates that it is more likely than not that substantially all of the net operating losses will expire unused. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences are deductible. The timing and manner in which we can utilize our net operating loss carryforward and future income tax deductions in any year may be limited by provisions of the Internal Revenue Code regarding the change in ownership of corporations. Such limitation may have an impact on the ultimate realization of our carryforwards and future tax deductions. Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (“Section 382”) imposes limitations on a corporation’s ability to utilize net operating losses if it experiences an “ownership change.” In general terms, an ownership change may result from transactions increasing the ownership of certain stockholders in the stock of a corporation by more than 50 percentage points over a three-year period. Any unused annual limitation may be carried over to later years, and the amount of the limitation may under certain circumstances be increased by the built-in gains in assets held by us at the time of the change that are recognized in the five-year period after the change. Upon review of the ownership shifts, there has not been an ownership change as defined under Section 382.

The Company recognized, as a provisional estimate in 2017, a $9.6 million non-cash reduction of its deferred tax assets, with an offsetting reduction in the valuation allowance, for the re-measurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities due to changes in tax laws included in the 2017 Tax Act. This re-measurement of deferred taxes had no impact on cash flows and would not have had such an effect, even if not offset with the valuation allowance.

On December 22, 2017, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), which addresses income tax accounting implications of the 2017 Tax Act. The purpose of SAB 118 was to address any uncertainty or diversity of view in applying ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes in the reporting period in which the 2017 Tax Act was enacted. SAB 118 addresses situations where the accounting is incomplete for certain income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act upon issuance of a company’s financial statements for the reporting period, which include the enactment date. SAB 118 allows for a provisional amount to be recorded if it is a reasonable estimate of the impact of the 2017 Tax Act. Additionally, SAB 118 allows for a measurement period to finalize the impacts of the 2017 Tax Act, not to extend beyond one year from the date of enactment. The Company has completed the accounting for the tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act in 2018 which resulted in no further adjustments to its tax provision positions. The Company files a consolidated tax return with its subsidiaries. The Company is no longer subject to US federal, state, or non-US income tax examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2015, except that earlier years can be examined for the sole purpose of challenging the net operating loss carry-forwards arising in those years.

The reconciliation between income taxes (benefit) at the US and State statutory tax rates of approximately 26% and the amount recorded in the accompanying consolidated financial statements is as follows (rounded in millions):