NOTE 11. Income Taxes

The following table provides details of income taxes:

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2018			2017
Income before income taxes	$	17,674		$	9,607
Provision for income taxes	$	2,544		$	2,456
Effective tax rate		14.4	%		25.6	%

The income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was computed based on the Company’s annual forecast of profit by jurisdiction and forecasted effective tax rate for the year. The changes in the Company’s effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 as compared to the same period in 2017 are primarily due to enactment of U.S. tax reform, which provides for a change in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, changes in the mix of forecasted earnings by jurisdictions and the Foreign Derived Intangible Income Deduction.

The 2017 Tax Act was enacted on December 22, 2017. The 2017 Tax Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign sourced earnings. The Company is applying the guidance in SAB 118 when accounting for the enactment-date effects of the 2017 Tax Act. At March 31, 2018, the Company has not completed its accounting for all of the tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act. In all cases, the Company will continue to make and refine its calculations as additional analysis is completed. The Company’s estimates may also be affected as it gains a more thorough understanding of the 2017 Tax Act. These changes could be material to income tax expense.

Foreign-Derived Intangible Income: The 2017 Tax Act provides tax incentives to U.S. companies to earn income from the sale, lease or license of goods and services abroad in the form of a deduction for foreign-derived intangible income (“FDII”). FDII is taxed at an effective rate of 13.1% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and at an effective rate of 16.4% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. The accounting for the deduction for FDII is similar to a special deduction and should be accounted for based on the guidance in ASC 740-10-25-37. The tax benefits for special deductions ordinarily are recognized no earlier than the year in which they are deductible on the tax return. As of March 31, 2018, the Company has made sufficient progress in its calculations to reasonably estimate the effect on its estimated annual effective tax rate. Due to the large portions of its sales being made to non-U.S. customers this adjustment decreased its effective tax rate by 4.8%. The Company will continue to refine its calculations, which may result in changes to this amount.

The Company does not expect other provisions of the 2017 Tax Act, including global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”), the new interest expense limitations and base erosion anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”) to have a material impact on the Company’s effective tax rate.

Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities: The Company remeasured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rate to which they are expected to reverse to in the future, which is anticipated to be 21%. The Company recorded a provisional amount of $8.0 million as of December 31, 2017 related to the remeasurement of certain deferred tax balances. Due to the continued refinement of its transition tax calculation, discussed further below, and the effect it may have on the measurement of NOLs and other carryforwards, it will continue to analyze and refine its calculations related to the measurement of these balances.

One-Time Transition Tax: The one-time transition tax is based on its total post-1986 earnings and profits (“E&P”), which it has deferred from U.S. income taxes under previous U.S. law. The Company originally recorded a provisional amount for its one-time transition tax liability for all of its foreign subsidiaries, resulting in a transition tax benefit (net of foreign tax credits) of $0.1 million being recorded at December 31, 2017. As it continues to refine its E&P analysis, the Company will refine its calculations of the one-time transition tax, which could affect the measurement of this liability. No additional income taxes have been provided for any remaining undistributed foreign earnings not subject to the transition tax, or any additional outside basis difference inherent in these entities, as these amounts continue to be indefinitely reinvested in foreign operations.

The Company currently has a partial valuation allowance recorded against certain foreign and state net operating loss and credit carryforwards where the realizability of such deferred tax assets is substantially in doubt. Each quarter, the Company assesses the likelihood that it will be able to recover its deferred tax assets. The Company considers available evidence, both positive and negative, including forecasted earnings in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. As a result of the Company’s analysis, it concluded that it is more likely than not that a portion of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Therefore, the Company continues to provide a valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets. The Company continues to monitor available evidence and may reverse some or all of the remaining valuation allowance in future periods, if appropriate. The Company has a recorded valuation allowance against certain of its deferred tax assets of $2,447 as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017.