pre_text: INCOME TAX EXPENSE Below is a summary of the difference between income tax expense computed by applying the statutory income tax rate to income before income tax expense and the actual income tax expense for the year. Our effective income tax rate this year was 25.8% compared to 26.9% for 2018. The effective income tax rate for 2019 was lower than the statutory tax rate primarily as a result of a reduction to the Alberta corporate income tax rate over a four-year period. Cash income taxes paid increased this year primarily as a result of the timing of installment payments.
table: Years ended December31
table: (In millions of dollars, except tax rates) 2019 2018
table: Statutory income tax rate 26.7% 26.7%
table: Income before income tax expense 2,755 2,817
table: Computed income tax expense 736 752
table: Increase (decrease) in income tax expense resulting from:
table: Non-deductible stock-based compensation – 5
table: Non-deductible portion of equity losses 7 1
table: Income tax adjustment, legislative tax change (23) -
table: Non-taxable portion of capital gains (2) (9)
table: Other items (6) 9
table: Total income tax expense 712 758
table: Effective income tax rate 25.8% 26.9%
table: Cash income taxes paid 400 370
question: Analyse this data from a financial earnings document. What was the average Computed income tax expense?