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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
9.     COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company is subject to governmental regulations pertaining to product formulation, labeling and packaging, product claims and advertising and to the Company's direct selling system.  The Company is also subject to the jurisdiction of numerous foreign tax and customs authorities.  Any assertions or determination that either the Company or the Company's distributors is not in compliance with existing statutes, laws, rules or regulations could potentially have a material adverse effect on the Company's operations.  In addition, in any country or jurisdiction, the adoption of new statutes, laws, rules or regulations or changes in the interpretation of existing statutes, laws, rules or regulations could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its operations.  Although management believes that the Company is in compliance in all material respects with the statutes, laws, rules and regulations of every jurisdiction in which it operates, no assurance can be given that the Company's compliance with applicable statutes, laws, rules and regulations will not be challenged by foreign authorities or that such challenges will not have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations or cash flows.  The Company and its Subsidiaries are defendants in litigation and proceedings involving various matters.  Except as noted below, in the opinion of the Company's management, based upon advice of its counsel handling such litigation and proceedings, adverse outcomes, if any, will not likely result in a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
 
 
 

 
The Company is subject to regular audits by federal, state and foreign tax authorities.  These audits may result in additional tax liabilities.  The Company believes it has appropriately provided for income taxes for all years.  Several factors drive the calculation of its tax reserves.  Some of these factors include: (i) the expiration of various statutes of limitations; (ii) changes in tax law and regulations; (iii) issuance of tax rulings; and (iv) settlements with tax authorities.  Changes in any of these factors may result in adjustments to the Company's reserves, which would impact its reported financial results.

The Company is currently involved in a dispute with customs authorities in Japan with respect to duty assessments on several of the Company's Pharmanex nutritional products, which is separate and distinct from the dispute discussed in Note 12. The dispute relates to additional customs assessments made by Yokohama Customs for the period of October 2006 through September 2009 in connection with post-importation audits, as well as the disputed portion of the Company's import duties from October 2009 to the present, which the Company has or will hold in bond or pay under protest. The aggregate amount of these assessments and disputed duties was approximately 4.2 billion Japanese yen as of June 30, 2012 (approximately $53.5 million), net of any recovery of consumption taxes.  Additional assessments related to any prior period would be barred by applicable statutes of limitations. The issue in this case is whether a United States entity utilizing a commissionaire agent in Japan to import its products can use the manufacturer's invoice or must use another valuation method, and, if an alternative method must be used, what the allowable deductions would be in determining the proper valuation.  Following the Company's review of the assessments and after consulting with the Company's legal and customs advisors, the Company believes that the additional assessments are improper and are not supported by applicable customs laws. The Company filed letters of protest with Yokohama Customs, which were rejected. The Company then appealed the matter to the Ministry of Finance in Japan. In May 2011, the Company received notice that, as anticipated, the Ministry of Finance in Japan denied the Company's administrative appeal. The Company disagrees with the Ministry of Finance's administrative decision. The Company is now pursuing the matter in Tokyo District Court, which the Company believes will provide a more independent determination of the matter. In addition, the Company is currently being required to post a bond or make a deposit equal to the difference between the Company's declared duties and the amount the customs authorities have determined the Company should be paying on all current imports. Because the Company believes that the assessment of higher duties by the customs authorities is an improper application of the regulations, the Company is currently expensing the portion of the duties the Company believes is supported under applicable customs law, and recording the additional deposit or payment as a receivable within long-term assets on its consolidated financial statements. If the Company is unsuccessful in recovering the amounts assessed and paid or held in bond, the Company will likely be required to record a non-cash expense for the full amount of the disputed assessments. The Company anticipates that additional disputed duties will be reduced going forward as the Company now purchases a majority of the affected products in Japan from a Japanese company that purchases and imports the products from the manufacturer.