Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Note 4.  Income Taxes

The effective tax rate during the three months ended September 30, 2012 is 15.5%, which is below the 35.0% statutory tax rate. Certain tax positions were effectively settled during the three months ended September 30, 2012, resulting in a decrease in unrecognized tax benefits to $47.6 million (including accrued interest and penalties) at September 30, 2012, and a corresponding income tax benefit being recorded during the three months ended September 30, 2012 for a portion of the decrease.  This income tax benefit however was largely offset by an increase during the third quarter of 2012 in the estimated annual effective tax rate for 2012.