Income Tax Provision

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Provision

NOTE E – Income Tax Provision

Income tax expense of approximately $7 million and $6 million was recorded for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively, and income tax expense of approximately $16 million and $14 million was recorded for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. During the third quarter of 2015, we decreased our full-year income forecast based on the weaker market, specifically in Asia. This resulted in an effective tax rate of 34.1% for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, as compared to 22.9% in the same period last year and compared to 23.7% for the full year of 2014.   The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 includes an immaterial charge for various discrete items. The estimated annual tax rate for 2015 is expected to be approximately 35%, excluding discrete items.  The Company’s effective tax rate has increased this quarter due to a significant change in the proportion of income generated in North America, Europe and Asia, respectively.

For the three months ended September 30, 2015, the Company reported domestic and foreign pre-tax income/(loss) of approximately $(3) million and $13 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company reported domestic and foreign pre-tax income/(loss) of approximately $(5) million and $53 million, respectively. Funds repatriated from foreign subsidiaries to the U.S. may be subject to federal and state income taxes. The Company intends to permanently reinvest overseas all of its earnings from its foreign subsidiaries, except to the extent such undistributed earnings have previously been subject to US tax; accordingly, deferred U.S. taxes are not recorded on undistributed foreign earnings.

The impact of tax holidays decreased our tax expense by approximately $2 million and $3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The benefit of the tax holidays on both basic and diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was approximately $0.03 and $0.06, respectively.  

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and in various state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2007, or for the 2010 tax year.  The Company is no longer subject to China income tax examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2005. With respect to state and local jurisdictions and countries outside of the U.S. (other than China), with limited exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to income tax audits for years before 2006. Although the outcome of tax audits is always uncertain, the Company believes that adequate amounts of tax, interest and penalties, if any, have been provided for in the Company’s reserve for any adjustments that may result from tax audits. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense. As of September 30, 2015, the gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits was approximately $20 million.

It is reasonably possible that the amount of the unrecognized benefit with respect to certain of the Company’s unrecognized tax positions will significantly increase or decrease within the next 12 months. At this time, an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible outcomes cannot be made.