Provision for Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Provision for Income Taxes [Abstract]

Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for Income Taxes

In the third quarter 2011, the company recorded a tax provision of $109, including $41 of tax expense primarily associated with the company's policy of hedging the foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities of its operations.

Year-to-date 2011, the company recorded a tax provision of $727, including $101 of tax benefit primarily associated with the company's policy of hedging the foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities of its operations.

In the third quarter 2010, the company recorded a tax benefit of $39, including $157 of tax benefit primarily associated with the company’s policy of hedging the foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities of its operations.

Year-to-date 2010, the company recorded a tax provision of $811, including $54 of tax expense primarily associated with the company’s policy of hedging the foreign currency-denominated monetary assets and liabilities of its operations and $49 net tax benefit related to the adjustment of income tax accruals associated with settlements of tax contingencies related to prior years.

Each year the company files hundreds of tax returns in the various national, state and local income taxing jurisdictions in which it operates. These tax returns are subject to examination and possible challenge by the taxing authorities. Positions challenged by the taxing authorities may be settled or appealed by the company. As a result, there is an uncertainty in income taxes recognized in the company's financial statements in accordance with accounting for income taxes and accounting for uncertainty in income taxes.It is reasonably possible that changes to the company's global unrecognized tax benefits could be significant, however, due to the uncertainty regarding the timing of completion of audits and possible outcomes, a current estimate of the range of increases or decreases that may occur within the next twelve months cannot be made.