Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income Taxes

13.  INCOME TAXES

The provision for income taxes represents current and future amounts owed for federal, state, and foreign taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes at each interim period using its estimated annual effective tax rate. The Company expects it will have an overall tax benefit for 2011. During the third quarter of 2011, the Company recorded a $2.4 million reduction in unrecognized tax benefits and a corresponding reduction in income tax expense related to uncertain tax positions of prior years for which the statute of limitations has expired. As a result of its estimated annual effective tax rate benefit and the $2.4 million of discrete items recorded as a reduction of tax expense in the quarter, the Company recorded a net tax benefit of approximately $7.4 million during the third quarter of 2011. As of September 30, 2011, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits totaled approximately $18.5 million.