Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Income Taxes
Income Taxes	Note 12. Income Taxes Income tax expense equated to an effective income tax rate of 21.7% and 23.6% in the third quarter and first nine months of 2017, respectively. The third quarter of 2017 included a net discrete tax benefit of $15 million, largely related to state income taxes, which included a unitary filing election that resulted in a non-recurring benefit in the quarter and state refund claims. We recognized an income tax benefit of $192 million in the third quarter of 2016 and $46 million in the first nine months of 2016, largely related to a settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Office of Appeals for our 1998 to 2008 tax years, which resulted in a $206 million benefit recognized in continuing operations. We also recognized a $113 million benefit in discontinued operations related to the settlement. In addition to the $206 million benefit, the effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2016 was favorably impacted by $9 million in higher qualified research and development expenses and $7 million from a change in the mix of our earnings from U.S. to non-U.S., which includes jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the U.S. federal statutory rate. Our U.S. earnings declined primarily due to the impact of restructuring activities as discussed in Note 11.

Note 12. Income Taxes

Income tax expense equated to an effective income tax rate of 21.7% and 23.6% in the third quarter and first nine months of 2017, respectively. The third quarter of 2017 included a net discrete tax benefit of $15 million, largely related to state income taxes, which included a unitary filing election that resulted in a non-recurring benefit in the quarter and state refund claims.

We recognized an income tax benefit of $192 million in the third quarter of 2016 and $46 million in the first nine months of 2016, largely related to a settlement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Office of Appeals for our 1998 to 2008 tax years, which resulted in a $206 million benefit recognized in continuing operations. We also recognized a $113 million benefit in discontinued operations related to the settlement. In addition to the $206 million benefit, the effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2016 was favorably impacted by $9 million in higher qualified research and development expenses and $7 million from a change in the mix of our earnings from U.S. to non-U.S., which includes jurisdictions with lower tax rates than the U.S. federal statutory rate. Our U.S. earnings declined primarily due to the impact of restructuring activities as discussed in Note 11.