Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code contains rules that limit the ability of a company to use its net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards in years after an ownership change, which is generally defined as any change in ownership of more than 50% of its stock over a…
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Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code contains rules that limit the ability of a company to use its net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards in years after an ownership change, which is generally defined as any change in ownership of more than 50% of its stock over a three-year testing period. These rules generally operate by focusing on ownership changes among stockholders owning directly or indirectly 5% or more of the stock of a company and/or any change in ownership arising from a new issuance of stock by the company. If, as a result of future transactions involving our common stock, including purchases or sales of stock by 5% stockholders, we undergo cumulative ownership changes which exceed 50% over the testing period, our ability to use our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards would be subject to additional limitations under Sections 382 and 383. Generally, if an ownership change occurs, the annual taxable income limitation on the use of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards is equal to the product of the applicable long-term tax-exempt rate and the value of the company's stock immediately before the ownership change. Depending on the resulting limitation, a portion of our net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards could expire before we would be able to use them. Our inability to fully utilize any net operating losses or tax credit carryforwards to reduce the tax liability in the future could have a material and negative affect on our future financial position and results of operations.