Income Tax (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2011

Income Tax [Abstract]

Income (loss) before income taxes

	Year ended August 31,
(in thousands)	2011			2010			2009
United States	$	(21,377	)	$	(148,829	)	$	132,027
Foreign		(88,722	)		(55,777	)		(130,093	)
Total	$	(110,099	)	$	(204,606	)	$	1,934

Provision for income taxes from continuing operations

	Year ended August 31,
(in thousands)	2011			2010			2009
Current:
United States	$	23,452		$	(104,135	)	$	43,488
Foreign		352			(2,684	)		(4,537	)
State and local		5,226			(18,581	)		20,903
Current taxes (benefit)	$	29,030		$	(125,400	)	$	59,854
Deferred:
United States	$	(28,048	)	$	39,399		$	(20,566	)
Foreign		9,742			34,749			(22,003	)
State and local		5,616			(8,008	)		(3,612	)
Deferred taxes	$	(12,690	)	$	66,140		$	(46,181	)
Total taxes (benefit) on income	$	16,340		$	(59,260	)	$	13,673
Taxes (benefit) on discontinued operations		(2,988	)		(21,142	)		12,926
Taxes (benefit) on continuing operations	$	19,328		$	(38,118	)	$	747

Components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

	August 31,
(in thousands)	2011			2010
Deferred tax assets:
Deferred compensation and employee benefits	$	49,317		$	50,207
Net operating losses and credits		63,866			75,798
Reserves and other accrued expenses		44,683			22,857
Allowance for doubtful accounts		10,423			11,561
Inventory		3,603			—
Intangibles		11,098			10,335
Deferred revenue		—			2,851
Other		7,881			8,793
Total deferred tax assets	$	190,871		$	182,402
Valuation Allowance for deferred tax assets		(75,289	)		(53,860	)
Deferred tax assets, net	$	115,582		$	128,542
Deferred tax liabilities:
Fixed Assets	$	84,825		$	110,892
Inventory		—			4,426
Other		5,996			6,116
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	90,821		$	121,434
Deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities	$	24,761		$	7,108

Reconciliations of the United States statutory rates to the effective rates from continuing operations

	Year ended August 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Tax expense (benefit) at statutory rate of 35%	$	(38,534	)	$	(71,612	)		677
State and local taxes		7,351			(12,530	)		13,440
Section 199 manufacturing deduction		(1,175	)		—			(3,313	)
Foreign rate differential		12,876			9,044			22,857
Change in valuation allowance		29,553			41,775			5,015
Liability for non-US earnings		8,848			—			(34,777	)
Other		409			(4,795	)		(3,152	)
Taxes (benefit) on continuing operations	$	19,328		$	(38,118	)	$	747
Effective tax rates from continuing operations		(17.6	%)		18.6	%		38.6	%

Reconciliation of beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits

(in thousands)	2011			2010			2009
Balance at September 1	$	20,367		$	1,532		$	4,223
Change in tax positions of current year		2,440			1,640			—
Change for tax positions of prior years		(12,045	)		17,302			(1,426	)
Reductions due to settlements with taxing authorities		—			—			(122	)
Reductions due to statute of limitations lapse		—			(107	)		(1,143	)
Balance at August 31	$	10,762		$	20,367		$	1,532