XML 33 R22.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.3.1.900
Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Nov. 27, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

Note 16 – Income Taxes

The Corporation’s provision for income taxes in interim periods is computed by applying its estimated annual effective tax rate against income before income tax expense for the period. In addition, non-recurring or discrete items are recorded during the period in which they occur. The magnitude of the impact that discrete items have on the Corporation’s quarterly effective tax rate is dependent on the level of income in the period. The effective tax rate was 31.5% and 31.7% for the three and nine months ended November 27, 2015, respectively, and 35.7% and 27.6% for the three and nine months ended November 28, 2014, respectively. The lower than statutory rate for the current periods was primarily related to the release of a $4.3 million unrecognized tax benefit due to the issuance of regulations that clarified the law, the expiration of a statute of limitations, the impact of lower tax rates in foreign jurisdictions, the domestic production activities deduction, the tax treatment of corporate-owned life insurance and federal provision to return adjustments. The lower than statutory rate in the prior nine month period was due primarily to the recording of a net $4.1 million federal tax refund and related interest, attributable to fiscal 2000 and the error corrections recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections. The net impact of the error corrections was a reduction to income tax expense of $4.1 million. During the first quarter of fiscal 2015, the Corporation identified and corrected errors in the accounting for income taxes that related to the year ended February 28, 2014. These errors primarily related to the Corporation’s failure to consider all sources of available taxable income when assessing the need for a valuation allowance against certain deferred tax assets and the recognition of a liability for an uncertain tax position. These errors were the result of the significant complexity created as a result of the going private transaction in fiscal 2014.

As discussed in Note 7, the Corporation recorded an adjustment to mark to market the value of one of its investments as of November 27, 2015. As a result, a decrease in the Corporation’s deferred tax assets in the amount of $16.4 million was recognized in other comprehensive income for the nine months ended November 27, 2015.

At November 27, 2015, the Corporation had unrecognized tax benefits of $16.8 million that, if recognized, would have a favorable effect on the Corporation’s income tax expense of $15.2 million. It is reasonably possible that the Corporation’s unrecognized tax positions as of November 27, 2015 could decrease $2.0 million during the next twelve months due to tax law changes (i.e. passage of The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act, signed into law on December 18, 2015, which is also referred to as the “extenders package.”) and anticipated settlements and resulting cash payments related to tax years which are open to examination.

The Corporation recognizes interest and penalties accrued on unrecognized tax benefits and refundable income taxes as a component of income tax expense. During the nine months ended November 27, 2015, the Corporation recognized a net benefit of $1.2 million for interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits and refundable income taxes. As of November 27, 2015, the total amount of gross accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits less refundable income taxes was a net payable of $1.6 million.

The Corporation is subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for tax years 2010 to the present and various U.S. state and local jurisdictions for tax years 2001 to the present. The Corporation is currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service for the 2010 and 2011 tax years. The Corporation is also subject to tax examinations in various international tax jurisdictions, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Mexico and New Zealand for tax years 2006 to the present.