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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
The company records income taxes using an estimated effective tax rate for interim reporting. Under the effective tax rate method, jurisdictions with a projected loss where no tax benefit can be recognized are excluded from the calculation of the estimate annual effective tax rate.
The effective tax rates were benefits of 14.0% and 11.1% for the quarters ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The effective tax rates were 9.0% and 2861.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The effective tax rate was impacted by the mix in earnings among domestic and foreign jurisdiction, losses in various jurisdictions and certain discrete items. Many of these foreign jurisdictions have tax rates that are lower than the U.S. statutory rates, and the company continues to maintain full valuation allowances on deferred tax assets in certain of these foreign jurisdictions.
The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 was significantly impacted by the reversal of a valuation allowance against the entire U.S. federal deferred tax assets and a portion of the state deferred tax assets, which is discussed further below. Additionally, the effective tax rate was impacted by $6 million of expense in the second quarter of 2011 related to the settlement of an Italian income tax audit. See Note 14 under Italian Customs and Tax Cases.

The company recognized an $87 million income tax benefit in the second quarter of 2011 for the reversal of valuation allowances against the entire U.S. federal deferred tax assets and a portion of the state deferred tax assets, primarily net operating loss carry forwards ("NOLs"), which are more likely than not to be realized in the future. The reversal of valuation allowances was the result of business improvements and debt reductions over several years that created a trend of U.S. taxable income beginning with tax year 2009 and an expectation that this trend will continue, even if seasonal losses may be incurred in interim periods or due to certain significant events such as the restructuring and relocation costs, discussed in Note 2. The valuation allowance release on available U.S. NOLs significantly affected the company's effective tax rate. Prior to the valuation allowance release, if a deferred tax asset with a full valuation allowance, such as an NOL, was realized, the corresponding valuation allowance was also released, resulting in no net effect to income taxes reported in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The company expects an increase of reported income tax expense, but no increase in cash paid for taxes for at least several years until the NOLs are fully utilized.
At September 30, 2012, the company had unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $6 million, of which $4 million, if recognized, will reduce income tax expense and affect the company's effective tax rate. Interest and penalties included in income tax expense was not significant for the quarters or nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. The cumulative interest and penalties included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at September 30, 2012 were $2 million. During the next twelve months, it is reasonably possible that unrecognized tax benefits impacting the effective tax rate could be recognized as a result of the expiration of statutes of limitation in the amount of $1 million plus accrued interest and penalties.