Accounting for Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Accounting for Income Taxes	Accounting for Income Taxes Our provision for income taxes was $12.4 million and $11.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. This represents effective tax rates of 23.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Our effective tax rates differ from the statutory federal income tax rate of 35% due to certain foreign earnings, primarily from Costa Rica, which are subject to a lower tax rate, state income tax expense, the tax impact of certain stock-based compensation charges and unrecognized tax benefits. We exercise significant judgment in regards to estimates of future market growth, forecasted earnings and projected taxable income in determining the provision for income taxes, and for purposes of assessing our ability to utilize any future benefit from deferred tax assets. As of March 31, 2016, we maintained a valuation allowance of $31.7 million against our deferred tax assets which primarily relate to Israel operating loss carryforwards and Australia capital loss carryforwards. These net operating and capital loss carryforwards would result in us recording an income tax benefit if we were to conclude it is more likely than not that the related deferred tax assets will be realized. Our total gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, was $40.9 million and $39.4 million as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, all of which would impact our effective tax rate if recognized. We have elected to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income taxes. The interest accrued as of March 31, 2016 is $0.9 million. We do not expect any significant changes to the amount of unrecognized tax benefit within the next twelve months. We file U.S. federal, U.S. state, and non-U.S. income tax returns. Our major tax jurisdictions are U.S. federal and the State of California. For U.S. federal and state tax returns, we are no longer subject to tax examinations for years before 2000. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to examination by foreign tax authorities for years before 2007. Our subsidiary in Israel is under audit by the local tax authorities for calendar years 2006 through 2013. We are currently under audit by the California Franchise Tax Board for fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013. In June 2009, the Costa Rica Ministry of Foreign Trade, an agency of the Government of Costa Rica, granted a twelve year extension of certain income tax incentives, which were previously granted in 2002. The incentive tax rates will expire in various years beginning in 2017. Under these incentives, all of the income in Costa Rica during these twelve year incentive periods is subject to reduced rate of Costa Rica income tax. In order to receive the benefit of these incentives, we must hire specified numbers of employees and maintain certain minimum levels of fixed asset investment in Costa Rica. If we do not fulfill these conditions for any reason, our incentive could lapse, and our income in Costa Rica would be subject to taxation at higher rates, which could have a negative impact on our operating results. The Costa Rica corporate income tax rate that would apply, absent the incentives, is 30% for 2016 and 2015. Income taxes were reduced by $8.6 million and $8.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, representing a benefit to diluted net income per share of $0.11 and $0.10 in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Accounting for Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Our provision for income taxes was $12.4 million and $11.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. This represents effective tax rates of 23.4% and 23.8%, respectively. Our effective tax rates differ from the statutory federal income tax rate of 35% due to certain foreign earnings, primarily from Costa Rica, which are subject to a lower tax rate, state income tax expense, the tax impact of certain stock-based compensation charges and unrecognized tax benefits.

We exercise significant judgment in regards to estimates of future market growth, forecasted earnings and projected taxable income in determining the provision for income taxes, and for purposes of assessing our ability to utilize any future benefit from deferred tax assets.

As of March 31, 2016, we maintained a valuation allowance of $31.7 million against our deferred tax assets which primarily relate to Israel operating loss carryforwards and Australia capital loss carryforwards. These net operating and capital loss carryforwards would result in us recording an income tax benefit if we were to conclude it is more likely than not that the related deferred tax assets will be realized.

Our total gross unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, was $40.9 million and $39.4 million as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, all of which would impact our effective tax rate if recognized. We have elected to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income taxes. The interest accrued as of March 31, 2016 is $0.9 million. We do not expect any significant changes to the amount of unrecognized tax benefit within the next twelve months.

We file U.S. federal, U.S. state, and non-U.S. income tax returns. Our major tax jurisdictions are U.S. federal and the State of California. For U.S. federal and state tax returns, we are no longer subject to tax examinations for years before 2000. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to examination by foreign tax authorities for years before 2007. Our subsidiary in Israel is under audit by the local tax authorities for calendar years 2006 through 2013. We are currently under audit by the California Franchise Tax Board for fiscal years 2011, 2012 and 2013.

In June 2009, the Costa Rica Ministry of Foreign Trade, an agency of the Government of Costa Rica, granted a twelve year extension of certain income tax incentives, which were previously granted in 2002. The incentive tax rates will expire in various years beginning in 2017. Under these incentives, all of the income in Costa Rica during these twelve year incentive periods is subject to reduced rate of Costa Rica income tax. In order to receive the benefit of these incentives, we must hire specified numbers of employees and maintain certain minimum levels of fixed asset investment in Costa Rica. If we do not fulfill these conditions for any reason, our incentive could lapse, and our income in Costa Rica would be subject to taxation at higher rates, which could have a negative impact on our operating results. The Costa Rica corporate income tax rate that would apply, absent the incentives, is 30% for 2016 and 2015. Income taxes were reduced by $8.6 million and $8.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively, representing a benefit to diluted net income per share of $0.11 and $0.10 in 2016 and 2015, respectively.