Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 24, 2012

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

INCOME TAXES

9. INCOME TAXES

The Company’s effective tax rate in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 was 12.4%, compared to 28.0% in the first quarter of fiscal year 2011. The lower effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2012 reflects the benefits of a favorable ruling related to long-term global tax planning strategies that lowered tax expense in the quarter.

The Company maintains certain strategic management and operational activities in overseas subsidiaries, and its foreign earnings are taxed at rates that are generally lower than the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate. A significant amount of the Company’s earnings are generated by its Canadian, European and Asia Pacific subsidiaries and, to a lesser extent, in jurisdictions that are not subject to income tax and free trade zones where the Company owns manufacturing operations. The Company has not provided for U.S. taxes for earnings generated in foreign jurisdictions because it plans to reinvest these earnings indefinitely outside the U.S. However, if certain foreign earnings previously treated as permanently reinvested are repatriated, the additional U.S. tax liability could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s after-tax results of operations and financial position.

The Company is subject to periodic audits by domestic and foreign tax authorities. Currently, the Company is undergoing routine periodic audits in both domestic and foreign tax jurisdictions. It is reasonably possible that the amounts of unrecognized tax benefits could change in the next 12 months as a result of the audits; however, any payment of tax is not expected to be significant to the consolidated financial statements.

For the majority of tax jurisdictions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2007.