Table:
|  | As of March 31, |  |
| --- | --- | --- |
|  | 2019 | 2018 |
| Deferred tax assets: |  |  |
| Net operating loss carryforwards | $35,120 | $24,159 |
| Share-based compensation | 5,687 | 2,760 |
| Deferred revenue | 1,761 | 2,237 |
| Fixed assets | 4,187 | 3,593 |
| Lease liability | 11,748 | 17,024 |
| Accrued compensation | 1,211 | 742 |
| Accrued costs | 401 | 1,362 |
| Deferred rent | 320 | 473 |
| Income tax credits | 1,833 | 1,151 |
| Other | 1,247 | 109 |
| Gross deferred tax assets | 63,515 | 53,610 |
| Deferred tax liabilities: |  |  |
| Prepaid expenses | (219) | (315) |
| Fixed assets | (13,855) | (19,280) |
| Unremitted earnings | (320) | (115) |
| Intangible assets | (4,818) | — |
| Capitalized commissions | (7,606) | — |
| Other | (387) | — |
| Gross deferred tax liabilities | (27,205) | (19,710) |
| Valuation allowance | (38,318) | (34,008) |
| Deferred tax (liabilities) assets, net | $(2,008) | $(108) |
Paragraphs:
Deferred tax assets and liabilities reflect the net tax effects of net operating loss carryovers and the temporary differences between the assets and liabilities carrying value for financial reporting and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company’s significant deferred tax assets (liabilities) components are as follows:
In assessing the ability to realize the Company’s net deferred tax assets, management considers various factors including taxable income in carryback years, future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and future taxable income projections to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the net deferred tax assets will not be realized.
Based on the negative evidence, including the worldwide cumulative losses that the Company has incurred, the Company has determined that the uncertainty regarding realizing its deferred tax assets is sufficient to warrant the need for a full valuation allowance against its worldwide net deferred tax assets.
The $4.3 million net increase in the valuation allowance from 2018 to 2019 is primarily due to operating losses incurred and windfall tax benefits on equity awards in the current year, partially offset by the reduction in valuation allowance as a result of recording a net deferred tax liability associated with the adoption of ASC 606. In addition, the Company recognized a tax benefit of $1.0 million for the release of a portion of the Company’s pre-existing U.S. and U.K. valuation allowances as a result of the Ataata and Simply Migrate business combinations.
During the third quarter of fiscal 2018, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) was enacted in the United States. In addition, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued guidance under Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118, Income Tax Accounting Implications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (SAB 118) that directed taxpayers to consider the impact of the U.S. legislation as “provisional” when it did not have the necessary information available, prepared or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete its accounting for the change in tax law.
During 2019, the Company has completed its accounting for the tax effects of the enactment of the Act. During the year ended March 31, 2019, the Company recognized an immaterial adjustment to the provisional estimate recorded related to the Act in the Company’s fiscal 2018 financial statements.
As of March 31, 2019, the Company had U.K. net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $57.4 million that do not expire. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $78.6 million. U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards generated through March 31, 2017 of approximately $32.5 million expire at various dates through 2037, and U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards generated in the tax years beginning after March 31, 2017 of approximately $46.1 million do not expire.
As of March 31, 2019, the Company had U.S. state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $54.6 million that expire at various dates through 2039. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had Australian net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $23.9 million that do not expire. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had German net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $9.9 million that do not expire.
As of March 31, 2019, the Company had Israeli net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $3.3 million that do not expire. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had a U.K. income tax credit carryforward of $1.1 million that does not expire. As of March 31, 2019, the Company had Israeli income tax credit carryforwards of $0.6 million that expires in 2023 and 2024.
Under Section 382 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, if a corporation undergoes an ownership change, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards to offset its post-change income and taxes may be limited. In general, an ownership change occurs if there is a 50 percent cumulative change in ownership of the Company over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under U.S. state tax laws.
The Company believes that it has experienced an ownership change in the past and may experience ownership changes in the future resulting from future transactions in our share capital, some of which may be outside the Company’s control. The Company’s ability to utilize its net operating loss carryforwards or other tax attributes to offset U.S. federal and state taxable income in the future may be subject to future limitations.
As of March 31, 2019 and 2018, the Company had liabilities for uncertain tax positions of $6.0 million and $6.2 million, respectively, none of which, if recognized, would impact the Company’s effective tax rate.
Question:
What was the increase in the valuation allowance from 2018 to 2019?
Answer: $4.3 million