16. INCOME TAXES AND TAX RECEIVABLE AGREEMENT

Income Taxes

The Company is the managing member of Zevia LLC and as a result, consolidates the financial results of Zevia LLC in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Zevia PBC. Zevia LLC is a pass-through entity for U.S. federal and most applicable state and local income tax purposes following the Reorganization Transactions effected in connection with the IPO. As an entity classified as a partnership for tax purposes, Zevia LLC is not subject to U.S. federal and certain state and local income taxes. Any taxable income or loss generated by Zevia LLC is passed through to its members, including the Company. The Company is taxed as a C corporation and pays corporate federal, state and local taxes with respect to income allocated from Zevia LLC based on Zevia PBC's economic interest in Zevia LLC, which was 89.8% and 84.2% as of June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.

The provision for income taxes differs from the amount of income tax computed by applying the applicable U.S. statutory federal income tax rate of 21% to income before provision of income taxes due to Zevia LLC’s pass-through structure for U.S. income tax purposes, pass-through permanent differences, state franchise taxes, tax effects of stock-based compensation, and the valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets. Except for state franchise taxes, Zevia PBC did not recognize an income tax expense (benefit) on its share of pre-tax book loss, exclusive of the noncontrolling interest of 10.2%, due to the full valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets (“DTAs”).

On July 4, 2025, the new presidential administration signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation includes several changes to federal tax law that generally allow for more favorable deductibility of certain business expenses beginning in 2025, including the restoration of immediate expensing of domestic research and development expenditures, reinstatement of 100% bonus depreciation, and more favorable rules for determining the limitation on business interest expense. These changes were not reflected in the income tax provision for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, as enactment occurred after the balance sheet date. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this law. However, the Company does not expect this law to have a significant effect on the Company's financial statements due to the full valuation allowance against DTAs.

Tax Receivable Agreement

The Company expects to obtain an increase in its share of tax basis in the net assets of Zevia LLC when Class B units are exchanged by the holders of Class B units for shares of Class A common stock of the Company and upon certain qualifying transactions. Each change in outstanding shares of Class A common stock of the Company results in a corresponding change in the Company's ownership of Class A units of Zevia LLC. The Company intends to treat any exchanges of Class B units as direct purchases of LLC interests for U.S. federal income tax purposes. These increases in tax basis may reduce the amounts that Zevia PBC would otherwise pay in the future to various taxing authorities. They may also decrease gains (or increase losses) on future dispositions of certain capital assets to the extent tax basis is allocated to those capital assets.

In connection with the IPO, the Company entered into a Tax Receivable Agreement (“TRA”) with continuing members of Zevia LLC and the shareholders of blocker companies (“Blocker Companies”) of certain pre-IPO institutional investors (“the Direct Zevia Stockholders”). In the event that such parties exchange any or all of their Class B units for Class A common stock, the TRA requires the Company to make payments to such holders for 85% of the tax benefits realized, or in some cases deemed to be realized, by the Company by such exchange as a result of (i) certain favorable tax attributes acquired from the Blocker Companies in certain mergers (including net operating losses and the Blocker Companies’ allocable share of existing tax basis), (ii) increases in tax basis resulting from Zevia PBC’s acquisition of continuing member’s Zevia LLC units in connection with the IPO and in future exchanges and, (iii) tax basis increases attributable to payments made under the TRA (including tax benefits related to imputed interest). The annual tax benefits are computed by calculating the income taxes due, including such tax benefits, and the income taxes due without such benefits. The Company expects to benefit from the remaining 15% of any tax benefits that it may actually realize. The TRA payments are not conditioned upon any continued ownership interest in Zevia LLC or the Company. To the extent that the Company is unable to timely make payments under the TRA for any reason, such payments generally will be deferred and will accrue interest until paid.

The timing and amount of aggregate payments due under the TRA may vary based on a number of factors, including the amount and timing of the taxable income the Company generates each year and the tax rate then applicable. The Company calculates the liability under the TRA using a complex TRA model, which includes an assumption related to the fair market value of assets. Payments are generally due under the TRA within a specified period of time following the filing of the Company’s tax return for the taxable year with respect to which the payment obligation arises, although interest on such payments will begin to accrue at a rate of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 300 basis points from the due date (without extensions) of such tax return.

The TRA provides that if (i) certain mergers, asset sales, other forms of business combinations, or other changes of control were to occur; (ii) there is a material uncured breach of any obligations under the TRA; or (iii) the Company elects an early termination of the TRA, then the TRA will terminate and the Company’s obligations, or the Company’s successor’s obligations, under the TRA will accelerate and become due and payable, based on certain assumptions, including an assumption that the Company would have sufficient taxable income to fully utilize all potential future tax benefits that are subject to the TRA and that any Class B units that have not been exchanged are deemed exchanged for the fair market value of the Company’s Class A common stock at the time of termination.

As of June 30, 2025, the Company believes, based on applicable accounting standards, that it was more likely than not that its DTAs subject to the TRA would not be realized as of June 30, 2025; therefore, the Company has not recorded a liability related to the tax savings it may realize from utilization of such DTAs. The TRA liability that would be recognized if the associated tax benefits were determined to be fully realizable totaled $58.6 million and $56.5 million at June 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The increase in the TRA liability is primarily related to Class B to Class A exchanges during the six months ended June 30, 2025. If utilization of the DTAs subject to the TRA becomes more likely than not in the future, the Company will record a liability related to the TRA, which will be recognized as an expense within its condensed consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.