Income Taxes |
6 Months Ended |
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Jun. 30, 2017 | |
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Income Taxes |
Income Taxes
The Company typically provides for income taxes at a statutory rate of 35% adjusted for permanent differences expected to be realized, which primarily relate to non-deductible executive compensation expenses and state income taxes. As a result of the write-down of oil and natural gas properties in the latter part of 2015 and the first half of 2016, the Company has incurred a cumulative three years loss. Because of the impact the cumulative loss has on the determination of the recoverability of deferred tax assets through future earnings, the Company assessed the ability to realize its deferred tax assets based on the future reversals of existing deferred tax liabilities. Accordingly, the Company established a full valuation allowance for all of the deferred tax asset. The valuation allowance was $115,879 as of June 30, 2017.
The Company recently adopted a new accounting standard that simplified the accounting for stock-based compensation. As a result, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of January 1, 2017 for all windfall tax benefits that were not previously recognized because the related tax deduction had not reduced current taxes payable. Due to the Company’s valuation allowance position, a cumulative-effect adjustment was recorded to retained earnings as of January 1, 2017, and therefore, the net effect of this new accounting standard was zero. See Note 1 for additional information about this new accounting standard.
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