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 Tax Act also created a new minimum tax on certain future foreign earnings. The Tax 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 2019 and 2018 annual effective tax rate is estimated to be a combined 26% for the combined US federal and state statutory tax rates. The Company reviews tax uncertainties in light of changing facts and circumstances and adjust them accordingly. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, 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, 2019 and 2018, 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 $87.8 million at December 31, 2019, that is potentially available to offset future taxable income. The TaxAct 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. The $87.8 million available at December 31, 2019 includes $25.1 million of post 2017 NOLs without expiration dates and $62.7 million of pre-2018 NOLs expiring from 2021 to 2037. The NOL’s expiring in the next 5 years total approximately $0.4 million.

For financial reporting purposes, no deferred tax asset was recognized because at December 31, 2019 and 2018, 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 the Company 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 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):