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INCOME TAXES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES
INCOME TAXES
The Company recognized $24,389 of tax expense on pre-tax income of $92,707, resulting in an effective income tax rate of 26.3% for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  The effective income tax rate was 31.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2014. The 2015 effective income tax rate was lower than the Company’s statutory rate due to the utilization of U.S. tax credits and refund interest recognized as a reduction in tax expense. Both the 2015 and 2014 effective income tax rates were lower than the Company’s statutory rate due to income earned in lower tax rate jurisdictions and the utilization of foreign tax loss carryforwards for which valuation allowances had been previously provided.
As of March 31, 2015, the Company had $16,373 of unrecognized tax benefits.  If recognized, approximately $8,414 would be reflected as a component of income tax expense.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions.  With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2010.  The Company is currently subject to various U.S. state and non-U.S. income tax audits. 
Unrecognized tax benefits are reviewed on an ongoing basis and are adjusted for changing facts and circumstances, including progress of tax audits and closing of statutes of limitations.  Based on information currently available, management believes that additional audit activity could be completed and/or statutes of limitations may close relating to existing unrecognized tax benefits.  It is reasonably possible there could be a reduction of $3,726 in previously unrecognized tax benefits by the end of the first quarter 2016.
In July 2012, the Company received a Notice of Reassessment (the "Reassessment") from the Canada Revenue Agency in respect to its 2004 to 2010 taxation years to disallow the deductibility of inter-company dividends. The Company appealed the Reassessment to the Tax Court of Canada. As part of the appeals process to the Tax Court of Canada, the Company had elected to deposit the entire amount of the dispute in order to suspend continuing interest charges.
In September 2014, the Department of Justice Canada consented to a judgment, wholly in the Company's favor. In vacating the Reassessment, this tax litigation is concluded. In December 2014, the Company received a partial refund of the cash deposit. In the first quarter of 2015, the Company received a refund of $24,976 which is substantially all of the remaining cash deposit. The Company also received interest on the deposit of $1,596.