INCOME TAXES	9 Months Ended
Oct. 03, 2015
INCOME TAXES
INCOME TAXES	NOTE 11INCOME TAXES Income tax expense for each of the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014 consisted of a provision for federal, state and foreign taxes based on the annual estimated effective tax rate applicable to the Company, adjusted for items which are considered discrete to a particular period. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 were 22.0% and 30.2%, respectively, and the effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2014 were 19.7% and 27.0%, respectively. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 were lower than the U.S. statutory rate of 35% due primarily to the benefit of income recorded in foreign jurisdictions that have tax rates that are lower than U.S. tax rates and an increased utilization of foreign tax credits that were previously unrecognized, necessitated by the completion and filing of the 2014 U.S. federal consolidated return during the third quarter, which was recorded as a discrete item. The effective tax rate for the three months ended October 3, 2015 was also favorably impacted by profitable results recorded in jurisdictions where the Company maintains a full valuation allowance. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended October 3, 2015 was unfavorably impacted by the passage of Japanese tax reform legislation on March 31, 2015, which lowered long-term corporate tax rates, necessitating a corresponding reduction of deferred tax assets applicable to the Company’s Japanese locations. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2014 were lower than the rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015, respectively, due primarily to the favorable impact of an extraterritorial income exclusion benefit and a reduction of the corresponding uncertain tax position, which was recorded as a discrete item during the third quarter of 2014.

INCOME TAXES

9 Months Ended

Oct. 03, 2015

NOTE 11INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense for each of the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 and September 27, 2014 consisted of a provision for federal, state and foreign taxes based on the annual estimated effective tax rate applicable to the Company, adjusted for items which are considered discrete to a particular period. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 were 22.0% and 30.2%, respectively, and the effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2014 were 19.7% and 27.0%, respectively.

The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015 were lower than the U.S. statutory rate of 35% due primarily to the benefit of income recorded in foreign jurisdictions that have tax rates that are lower than U.S. tax rates and an increased utilization of foreign tax credits that were previously unrecognized, necessitated by the completion and filing of the 2014 U.S. federal consolidated return during the third quarter, which was recorded as a discrete item. The effective tax rate for the three months ended October 3, 2015 was also favorably impacted by profitable results recorded in jurisdictions where the Company maintains a full valuation allowance. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended October 3, 2015 was unfavorably impacted by the passage of Japanese tax reform legislation on March 31, 2015, which lowered long-term corporate tax rates, necessitating a corresponding reduction of deferred tax assets applicable to the Company’s Japanese locations. The effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2014 were lower than the rates for the three and nine months ended October 3, 2015, respectively, due primarily to the favorable impact of an extraterritorial income exclusion benefit and a reduction of the corresponding uncertain tax position, which was recorded as a discrete item during the third quarter of 2014.