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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jul. 01, 2017
Income Taxes  
Income Taxes

11. Income Taxes

 

Provision (benefit) for income taxes includes both domestic and foreign income taxes at the applicable tax rates adjusted for non-deductible expenses, research and development tax credits and other permanent differences. Income tax expense was $1.3 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended July 1, 2017 and July 2, 2016, resulting in effective tax rates of 7.1% and 9.9%, respectively. Income tax expense was $(0.7) million and $2.0 million for the six months ended July 1, 2017 and July 2, 2016, resulting in effective tax rates of (2.3)% and 8.5%, respectively. The effective tax rates for both the three and six months ended July 1, 2017 decreased from the prior periods primarily due to excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation from the adoption of ASU 2016-09 and an increase in the realization of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit in the current year. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in the foreign tax rate benefit.

 

On July 27, 2015, the U.S. Tax Court (the “Court”) issued an opinion in Altera Corp. v. Commissioner related to the treatment of stock-based compensation expense in an intercompany cost-sharing arrangement. A final decision was entered by the Court on December 1, 2015. In its opinion, the Court accepted Altera’s position of excluding stock-based compensation from its cost-sharing arrangement and concluded that the related U.S. Treasury Regulations were invalid. In February 2016, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) appealed the decision to the U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Although the IRS has appealed the decision, and the U.S. Treasury has not withdrawn the requirement to include stock-based compensation from its regulations, based on the facts and circumstances of the Tax Court Case, the Company believes that it is more likely than not that the Tax Court decision will be upheld. Therefore, the Company continues to reflect the effects of the decision in its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. This change to cost-sharing is expected to increase the Company’s cumulative foreign earnings at the time of final resolution of the case. As such, the Company continues to accrue a deferred tax liability for the U.S. tax cost of potential repatriation of the associated contingent foreign earnings because at this time, the Company cannot reasonably conclude that it will have the ability and intent to indefinitely reinvest these contingent earnings. The overall net impact on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements is not material. The Company will continue to monitor ongoing developments and potential impacts to its Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

The Company’s Norwegian subsidiary is currently under examination by the Norwegian Tax Administration (NTA) for income tax matters relating to fiscal years 2013, 2014 and 2015.  While it has not yet received a final assessment from the NTA, in June 2017, the Norwegian subsidiary received a proposed notice of reassessment from the NTA concerning an adjustment to its 2013 taxable income related to the pricing of an intercompany transaction.  The adjustment to 2013 taxable income would result in additional Norwegian tax of approximately $33 million, excluding interest and penalties. The Company disagrees with the NTA’s assessment and intends to defend itself vigorously in this matter. The Company plans to exhaust all available administrative remedies, and if unable to resolve this matter through administrative remedies with the NTA, the Company plans to pursue judicial remedies.

 

The Company believes that it has made adequate payments or accrued adequate reserves related to all matters contained in tax periods open to examination. Should the Company experience an unfavorable outcome in the NTA matter, however, such an outcome could have a material impact on its financial statements.

 

As of July 1, 2017, the Company had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $3.7 million, of which $2.3 million would affect the effective tax rate if recognized.

 

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in the provision (benefit) for income taxes. These amounts were not material for any of the periods presented.

 

Tax years 2012 through 2017 remain open to examination by the major taxing jurisdictions to which the Company is subject. The Company is not currently under audit in any major taxing jurisdiction, except Norway.

 

The Company believes it is reasonably possible that the gross unrecognized tax benefits will decrease by approximately $1.9 million in the next 12 months due to the lapse of the statute of limitations applicable to tax deductions and tax credits claimed on prior year tax returns.