NOTE 11 – INCOME TAXES

The Company recorded income tax expense of $78,800 and $0 for the three months ended February 29, 2020 and February 28 2019, respectively, and $1,966,000 and $0 for the six months ended February 29, 2020 and February 28, 2019, respectively. The net expense during the three months ended February 29, 2020 consisted of current income tax expense of $75,700 and deferred income tax expense of $3,100. The net expense during the six months ended February 29, 2020 consisted of current income tax expense of $1,244,000 and deferred income tax expense of $722,000. The deferred tax expense consists of the usage of the Company's remaining $2.5 million net operating loss carryforwards and payment of deferred compensation in the period.

The income tax provision for interim periods is determined using an estimate of the annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items. At February 29, 2020 the Company is estimating an annual effective tax rate of approximately 25%. Each quarter, the estimate of the annual effective tax rate is updated, and if the estimated effective tax rate changes, a cumulative adjustment is made. There is a potential for volatility of the effective tax rate due to various factors.

The provision for income taxes is recorded at the end of each interim period based on the Company’s best estimate of its effective income tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 22.3% and 24.6% for the three and six months ended February 29, 2020,  respectively. The Company did not record income tax expense for the three or six months ended February 28, 2019.

The Company paid Federal and State tax installments of $877,400 and $193,500, respectively, during the three and six months ended February 29, 2020. No taxes were paid during the three and six months ended February 28,2019.

Deferred income taxes reflect the tax effects of net operating loss carryforwards and temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets as of February 29, 2020 and August 31, 2019 are as follows:

The Company maintained a valuation allowance on the net deferred tax asset other than AMT credit carryforwards as of August 31, 2018. For the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019, the Company has determined it is more likely than not that the Company will realize its deferred tax assets, which consist primarily of net operating loss carryforwards. The Company assessed the realizability of its deferred tax assets using all available evidence; considering both historical results and projections of profitability for the reasonably foreseeable future periods. As a result of the Company’s annual reassessment of its conclusions regarding the realization of its deferred tax assets at each financial reporting date, the Company concluded that its deferred tax assets are realizable, and therefore, the valuation allowance is no longer necessary.

At August 31, 2019, the Company had $2.5 million of net operating loss carryforwards available for income tax purposes. The net operating loss carryforwards expire at various times beginning in 2036 and ending in 2038 for federal income tax purposes and expire at various times beginning in 2035 and ending in 2036 for state income tax purposes. As of November 30, 2019, the Company used the remaining balance of its net operating loss carryforwards.