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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes

The Company’s effective income tax rate was 30.7% and 31.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The effective income tax rate is based on estimated income for the year, the estimated composition of the income in different jurisdictions and discrete adjustments, if any, in the applicable quarterly periods, including retroactive changes in tax legislation, settlements of tax audits or assessments, the resolution or identification of tax position uncertainties and acquisitions of other companies.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the effective income tax rate was lower than the federal statutory tax rate due to the retroactive application of a U.S. tax court ruling with respect to the treatment of stock-based compensation in intercompany arrangements, the domestic production activities deduction and the composition of income from foreign jurisdictions that is taxed at lower rates compared to the statutory tax rates in the U.S., partially offset by the effects of accounting for stock-based compensation in accordance with the authoritative guidance for share-based payments and state income taxes. For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the effective income tax rate was lower than the federal statutory tax rate mainly due to the benefit from the state software development activities and income from foreign jurisdictions that is taxed at lower rates compared to the statutory tax rates in the U.S.; partially offset by the effects of accounting for stock-based compensation in accordance with the authoritative guidance for share-based payments and state income taxes.