Tax Reform
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”), which was signed into law on December 22, 2017, has resulted in significant changes to the US corporate income tax system and the US Virgin Islands mirror code which replaces “United States” with “US Virgin Islands” throughout the Internal Revenue Code. The Tax Act transitions international taxation from a worldwide system to a modified territorial system and includes two base erosion prevention measures on non-US earnings, which has the effect of subjecting certain earnings of our foreign subsidiaries to US taxation as global intangible low taxed income (“GILTI”), eliminates the deduction of certain payments made to related foreign corporations, and imposes a minimum tax if greater than regular tax under the base-erosion and anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”). These changes became effective beginning in 2018 but did not have an impact on us in the initial or following years. Based on our forecasted income for 2021, we are not currently projecting a GILTI inclusion. We do not expect we will be subject to BEAT and therefore have not included any tax impacts of BEAT in our consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.
CARES Act
On March 27, 2020, the CARES Act was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act, among other things, permits 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 income taxes. Certain provisions of the CARES Act impact our income tax provision computations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, we have met our operational liquidity needs through a combination of cash-on-hand and internally generated funds and have funded capital expenditures and acquisitions with a combination of internally generated funds, cash-on-hand, proceeds from dispositions, borrowings under our credit facilities and seller financings. We believe our current cash, cash equivalents, short term investments and availability under our current credit facility will be sufficient to meet our cash needs for at least the next twelve months for working capital needs and capital expenditures.
Total liquidity. As of September 30, 2021, we had approximately $102.8 million in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and short term investments. Of this amount, $45.5 million was held by our foreign subsidiaries and is indefinitely invested outside the United States. In addition, we had approximately $374.6 million of debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs, as of September 30, 2021. How and when we deploy our balance sheet capacity will figure prominently in our longer-term growth prospects and stockholder returns.
Uses of Cash
Acquisitions and investments. We have historically funded our acquisitions with a combination of cash-on-hand, borrowings under our credit facilities as well as equity investor and seller financings.
Alaska Transaction. On July 22, 2021, Alaska Communications entered into a new debt financing in connection with the Alaska Transaction. See Acquisition of Alaska Communications System Group, Inc.
We continue to explore opportunities to expand our telecommunications business or acquire new businesses and telecommunications licenses in the United States, the Caribbean and elsewhere. Such acquisitions may require external financing. While there can be no assurance as to whether, when or on what terms we will be able to acquire any such businesses or licenses or make such investments, such acquisitions may be accomplished through the issuance of shares of our capital stock, payment of cash or incurrence of additional debt. From time to time, we may raise capital ahead of any definitive use of proceeds to allow us to move more quickly and opportunistically if an attractive investment materializes.
Cash used in investing activities. Cash used in investing activities was $391.8 million and $62.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The net increase in cash used for investing activities of $329.8 million was primarily related to $339.5 million used in the Alaska Transaction and increases in capital expenditures and strategic investments of $20.3 million and $15.5 million, respectively. Partially offsetting these