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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Income Taxes

Note 6 — Income Taxes

Refer to Notes 1 and 20 of the Company’s audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011, which are included as Exhibit 13.1 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as filed with the SEC, for a discussion regarding income taxes.

TSYS is the parent of an affiliated group that files a consolidated U.S. federal income tax return and most state and foreign income tax returns on a separate entity basis. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to examinations by these taxing authorities unless statutory examination periods lapse. TSYS is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations for years before 2008 and with a few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to income tax examinations from state, local or foreign authorities for years before 2003. There is currently a federal tax examination in progress for the year 2009. Additionally, a number of tax examinations are in progress by the relevant foreign and state tax authorities. Although TSYS is unable to determine the ultimate outcome of these examinations, TSYS believes that its reserve for uncertain tax positions relating to these jurisdictions for such years is adequate.

TSYS’ effective tax rate was 26.7% and 30.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively. TSYS’ effective income tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2012 was 30.4%, compared to 32.2% for the same period in 2011. The decreased rates during the periods ended June 30, 2012, were primarily due to changes in discrete items, tax credits and changes in the jurisdictional sources of income.

TSYS has adopted the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740, “Income Taxes,” which prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement attribute for the financial statement recognition, measurement and disclosure of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits increased by $3.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2012.

TSYS recognizes potential interest and penalties related to the underpayment of income taxes as income tax expense in the consolidated statements of income. Gross accrued interest and penalties on unrecognized tax benefits totaled $0.9 million and $0.6 million as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively. The total amounts of unrecognized income tax benefits as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rates are $9.2 million and $5.4 million (net of the federal benefit on state tax issues), respectively, which include interest and penalties of $0.7 million and $0.5 million. TSYS does not expect any material changes to its calculation of uncertain tax positions during the next twelve months.