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INCOME TAXES
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
INCOME TAXES
The operations conducted by the Company’s Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) entities are generally not subject to U.S. federal and state income taxation. Non-REIT qualifying operations are conducted by the Company’s taxable REIT subsidiaries. Prior to the June 27, 2014 spin-off of Rayonier Advanced Materials, the Company’s taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) operations included the Performance Fibers business. As such, during 2014 and prior periods the income tax benefit from continuing operations was significantly impacted by the TRS businesses. Subsequent to the spin-off, the primary businesses performed in Rayonier’s taxable REIT subsidiaries include log trading and certain real estate activities, such as the sale and entitlement of development HBU properties.
Provision for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations
The Company’s effective tax rate is below the 35 percent U.S. statutory rate due to tax benefits associated with being a REIT. The income tax benefit for the three months ended March 31, 2015 is principally related to the Matariki Forestry Group joint venture (the “New Zealand JV”). The prior year period’s benefit was due to losses at Rayonier's taxable operations primarily from interest and general administrative expenses not allowed to be allocated to the discontinued operations of the Performance Fibers business and is not comparable to the current year.
The table below reconciles the U.S. statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for each period presented:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Three Months Ended March 31,
 
2015
 
2014
Income tax expense at federal statutory rate

($6,198
)
 
35.0
 %
 

($959
)
 
35.0
 %
REIT income and taxable losses
7,502

 
(42.4
)
 
7,188

 
(262.4
)
Foreign operations
1,137

 
(6.4
)
 
(10
)
 
0.4

Net operating loss valuation allowance
(1,812
)
 
10.2

 
—

 
—

Other
(158
)
 
0.9

 
7

 
(0.3
)
Income tax benefit before discrete items

$471

 
(2.7
)%
 

$6,226

 
(227.3
)%
Prior period state tax adjustments
—

 
—

 
1,370

 
(50.0
)
Income tax benefit as reported for continuing operations

$471

 
(2.7
)%
 

$7,596

 
(277.3
)%

Provision for Income Taxes from Discontinued Operations
On June 27, 2014, Rayonier completed the spin-off of its Performance Fibers business. For the three months ended March 31, 2014, income tax expense related to Performance Fibers discontinued operations was $15.3 million. See Note 2 — Discontinued Operations for additional information on the spin-off of the Performance Fibers business.