NATURAL GAS SERVICES GROUP INC

11. Income Taxes

Income Taxes Receivable

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was enacted in response to the economic impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, permits federal income tax net operating loss (“NOL”) carryovers and carrybacks to offset 100% of taxable income for taxable years beginning before 2021. In addition, the CARES Act allows NOLs incurred in 2018, 2019, and 2020 to be carried back to each of the five preceding taxable years to generate a refund of previously paid federal income taxes. We generated significant NOLs during 2018 and 2019 and filed carryback claims for these losses to the preceding five years.

In connection with the filing of these claims, we initially recorded a federal income tax receivable of approximately $15.0 million and certain related adjustments to our deferred tax liability. We subsequently received federal income tax refunds corresponding to the 2018 NOL carryback during 2020 leaving approximately $11.5 million remaining to be refunded in connection with the 2019 NOL carryback. In conjunction with the remaining income tax refund claim, we received a notice from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) on March 8, 2023, stating that our income tax returns for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 were selected for examination. Furthermore, and as is customary for income tax refunds of this magnitude, the IRS was required to review the refund claim and provide a report to the Joint Committee on Taxation of the U.S. Congress (“JCT”). As a result of the submission of the refund claim to the JCT, the IRS completed their review of the income tax returns for 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019. Our request for refund was reviewed and concluded favorably with the JCT concurring with the IRS’s conclusions. Subsequent to a delay due to the federal government shutdown in October 2025, we ultimately received a total of $14.1 million through September 30, 2026. This amount included tax refunds of $11.7 million and related interest of $2.4 million for the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 which brought the matter to closure.

Current Year Provision

Our effective income tax rate is comprised of the federal statutory rate of 21% plus a blended rate for the states in which we generate taxable income. During the nine months ended September 30, 2026, our blended state rate was adversely impacted by the Texas Comptroller's amendments to Rule 3.588; a change in law enacted in June 2026 that conformed the Texas cost of goods sold depreciation to current federal law. This discrete item resulted in a 1.7% increase to our annualized effective rate.