Note 14. Income taxes

The components of the loss from continuing operations before income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:

The components of income tax benefit are as follows:

Riot Blockchain, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(in thousands, except for share and per share amounts)

The tax effects of temporary differences and tax loss and credit carry forwards that give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2020 and 2019 are comprised of the following:

The Company has approximately $210.6 million of federal and state tax Net Operating Losses (“NOLs”) that may be available to offset future taxable income, if any. The federal net operating loss carryforwards of $110.3 million, if not utilized, will expire in 2037. Under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, all NOLs incurred after December 31, 2017 are carried forward indefinitely for federal tax purposes. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) signed in to law on March 27, 2020, provided that NOLs generated in a taxable year beginning in 2018, 2019, or 2020, may now be carried back five years and forward indefinitely. In addition, the 80% taxable income limitation is temporarily removed, allowing NOLs to fully offset net taxable income.

Furthermore, as a result of changes in the ownership of our common stock and changes in our business operations, our ability to use our federal NOLs may be limited under Internal Revenue Code Section 382 and 383. State NOLs are subject to similar limitations in many cases. As a result, our substantial NOLs may not have any value to us.

The statute of limitations for assessment by the IRS and state tax authorities is open for tax years ending December 31, 2016 through 2020, although carryforward attributes that were generated prior to tax year 2016 may still be adjusted upon examination by the IRS or state tax authorities if they either have been or will be used in a future period. Currently, no federal or state income tax returns are under examination by the respective taxing authorities.

In assessing the realization of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the period in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and taxing strategies in making this assessment. In case the deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods, the Company has provided a valuation allowance for the full amount of the deferred tax assets at December 31, 2020 and 2019. The valuation allowance increased by approximately $9.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2020.

The expected tax expense (benefit) based on the U.S. federal statutory rate is reconciled with actual tax expense (benefit) as follows:

The Company has not identified any uncertain tax positions requiring a reserve as of December 31, 2020 and 2019. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties that would be assessed in relation to the settlement value of unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. The Company did not accrue either interest or penalties for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.

Riot Blockchain, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(in thousands, except for share and per share amounts)

The Company is subject to U.S. federal income tax and primarily Oklahoma and Colorado state income tax. The Company has not been under tax examination in any jurisdiction for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019.