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INCOME TAXES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 was 18.3 percent and 17.1 percent, respectively. The effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2021 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to the tax impact of share-based payment awards, which reduced the effective tax rate by 3.2 percentage points. Taxes on foreign earnings also contributed to a lower federal income tax rate, reducing our effective tax rate in the three months ended March 31, 2021 by 1.7 percentage points. These impacts were partially offset by state income tax expense, which increased the effective income tax rate. For the three months ended March 31, 2020, our effective tax rate was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate primarily due to the tax impact of share-based payment awards, which reduced the effective tax rate by 3.6 percentage points, and foreign tax impacts but were partially offset by state income tax expense, which increased the effective tax rate.

We have asserted that the unremitted earnings of a limited number of our foreign subsidiaries are permanently reinvested to support expansion of our international business. If we repatriated all foreign earnings that are considered to be permanently reinvested, the estimated effect on income taxes payable would be an increase of approximately $2.0 million as of March 31, 2021.
On March 27, 2020, the U.S. government enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act allows for a deferral of the employer share of federal payroll taxes otherwise due through December 31, 2020. 50 percent of the deferred amount is due December 31, 2021 and the remaining 50 percent is due December 31, 2022. This provision allows us to defer certain federal payroll deposits and invest this cash back into the business without any interest cost. The CARES Act also provides for a tax credit related to wages and health benefits provided to an employee whose work from March 17, 2020 through June 30, 2021 was impacted by COVID-19. The Consolidated Appropriations Act signed into law on December 27, 2020, extended the tax credit through June 30, 2021, and increased the maximum credit per employee from $5,000 per year in 2020 to $7,000 per quarter in 2021. Through March 31, 2021, we have recognized a payroll deferral and tax credit of $28.5 million and $0.7 million, respectively, under the CARES Act and The Consolidated Appropriations Act. We will continue evaluating the impact of both acts over the remainder of 2021.As of March 31, 2021, we have $41.8 million of unrecognized tax benefits and related interest and penalties. It is possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefit could change in the next 12 months as a result of a lapse of the statute of limitations and settlements with taxing authorities. The total liability for unrecognized tax benefits is expected to decrease by approximately $2.6 million in the next 12 months due to the lapsing of statutes of limitations. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to audits of U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax returns before 2014. We are currently under an Internal Revenue Service audit for 2015, 2016 and 2017 tax years.