The income tax expense for the three-month period ended December 31, 2021 was $307,490 as compared to an income tax expense of $9,497 for the three-month period ended December 31, 2020.
The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended December 31, 2021 was 21.3% and differs from the statutory tax rate primarily due to permanent items and state taxes.
The effective tax rate for the three-month period ended December 31, 2020 was 3.8% and differs from the statutory tax rate primarily due to net operating loss realization due to an increase in pretax book income and the release of the valuation allowance. This loss utilization both decreased the deferred tax asset and the valuation allowance. For the three-month period ended December 31, 2020, the valuation allowance decreased by approximately $40,000.
4. Shareholders’ Equity and Share-Based Payments
At December 31, 2021, the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation provides the Company authority to issue 75,000,000 shares of common stock and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
Share-Based compensation
The Company accounts for share-based compensation under the provisions of ASC Topic 718 by using the fair value method for expensing stock options and stock awards.
Total share-based compensation expense was $45,591 for the three-month periods ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.
2019 Stock-Based Incentive Compensation Plan
The 2019 Plan was approved by the Company’s shareholders at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on April 2, 2019. The 2019 Plan authorizes the grant of stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, options and other equity-based awards. Options granted under the 2019 Plan may be either “incentive stock options” as defined in section 422 of the Code or nonqualified stock options, as determined by the Compensation Committee.
Subject to an adjustment necessary upon a stock dividend, recapitalization, forward split or reverse split, reorganization, merger, consolidation, spin-off, combination, repurchase or share exchange, extraordinary or unusual cash distribution, or similar corporate transaction or event, the maximum number of shares of common stock available for awards under the 2019 Plan is 750,000, plus 139,691 shares of common stock that were authorized but unissued under the 2009 Plan as of the effective date of the 2019 Plan (i.e., April 2, 2019), all of which may be issued pursuant to awards of incentive stock options. In addition, the 2019 Plan provides that no more than 300,000 shares may be awarded in any calendar year to any employee. On August 27, 2020, 100,000 stock options have been granted to Relland M. Winand, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, under the 2019 Plan. As of December 31, 2021, there were 689,147 shares of common stock available for awards under the 2019 Plan.
If any award is forfeited, terminates or otherwise is settled for any reason without an actual distribution of shares to the participant, the related shares of common stock subject to such award will again be available for future grant. Any shares tendered by a participant in payment of the exercise price of an option or the tax liability with respect to an award (including, in any case, shares withheld from any such award) will not be available for future grant under the 2019 Plan. If there is any change in the Company’s corporate capitalization, the Compensation Committee must proportionately and equitably adjust the number and kind of shares of common stock which may be issued in connection with future awards, the number and kind of shares of common stock covered by awards then outstanding under the 2019 Plan, the aggregate number and kind of shares of common stock available under the 2019 Plan, any applicable individual limits on the number of shares of common stock available for awards under the 2019 Plan, the exercise or grant price of any award, or if deemed appropriate, make provision for a cash payment with respect to any outstanding award. In addition, the Compensation Committee may make adjustments in the terms and conditions of any awards, including any performance goals, in recognition of unusual or nonrecurring events affecting the Company or any subsidiary, or in response to changes in applicable laws, regulations, or accounting principles.