In December 2017, the federal government enacted numerous amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 pursuant to an act known by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”). The TCJA will impact the Company’s income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations in future periods (approximate 25% effective combined Federal and State corporate tax rate). The Company has recorded a full valuation allowance on its net deferred tax assets and therefore any impact on the value of the company’s deferred tax assets will be offset by a change in the valuation allowance.

Our tax provision is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. The 2017 and 2016 annual effective tax rate is estimated to be a combined 38% for the U.S. 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, 2017 and 2016, 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 25% effective tax rate) as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are as follows:

Deferred Tax Assets ($ in millions)  

We have a net operating loss carry-forward for federal and state tax purposes of approximately $62.5 million at December 31, 2017, that is potentially available to offset future taxable income. The TCJA changes the rules on NOL carryforwards. The 20-year limitation was eliminated, 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 percent of taxable income.

For financial reporting purposes, no deferred tax asset was recognized because at December 31, 2017 and 2016, 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.

We recognized, as a provisional estimate, a $9.6 million non-cash tax expense through loss from operations 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.

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.

Due to the timing of the enactment and the complexity involved in applying the provisions of the 2017 Tax Act, we have made reasonable estimates for certain effects of the 2017 Tax Act and recorded provisional amounts in our financial statements as of December 31, 2017. As we collect and prepare necessary data,and interpret the 2017 Tax Act and any additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, and other standard-setting bodies, we may make adjustments to the provisional amounts. Those adjustments may materially impact our provision for income taxes tax rate in the period in which the adjustments are made. We expect to complete our accounting for the tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act in 2018.

As a result, the amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable was reduced 100% by a valuation allowance. The change in the valuation allowance was approximately $(6.8) million and $(0.3) million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Many of the Company’s operating expenses in its 2007 and 2006 tax years were classified under the Internal Revenue Code as capitalized “Startup Costs”, which did not begin to be deductible for tax purposes until 2008. The Company files a consolidated tax return with its subsidiaries. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2013, 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 U.S. and State statutory tax rates of 38% and the amount recorded in the accompanying consolidated financial statements is as follows: