Income Taxes

Our income tax (provision) benefit consisted of the following:



	Quarter ended						Six months ended
	March 2, 2017			March 3, 2016			March 2, 2017			March 3, 2016
Utilization of and other changes in net deferred tax assets of MMJ, MMT, and Inotera	$	(8	)	$	(10	)	$	(21	)	$	(32	)
U.S. valuation allowance release resulting from business acquisition	—			—			—			41
Other, income tax (provision) benefit, primarily other non-U.S. operations	(30		)	5			(48		)	(10		)
	$	(38	)	$	(5	)	$	(69	)	$	(1	)

We have a full valuation allowance for our net deferred tax asset associated with our U.S. operations. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable could be adjusted if significant positive evidence increases. Income taxes on U.S. operations in the second quarters and first six months of 2017 and 2016 were substantially offset by changes in the valuation allowance.

As of the date of the Inotera Acquisition, Inotera's net operating loss carryforward was $654 million, substantially all of which expires on various dates through 2022. In connection with the Inotera Acquisition, we assumed $54 million of uncertain tax positions, of which $26 million was recorded in purchase accounting as a reduction to deferred tax assets. The amounts recorded in purchase accounting primarily related to the surtax treatment of certain purchase accounting adjustments. During the second quarter of 2017, $21 million of the uncertain tax positions assumed in the Inotera Acquisition reached effective settlement with no impact to tax expense or purchase accounting. Although the timing of final resolution is uncertain, the estimated potential reduction in the Inotera unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months ranges from $0 to $33 million, including interest and penalties.

We operate in a number of tax jurisdictions, including Singapore and Taiwan, where our earnings are indefinitely reinvested and are taxed at lower effective tax rates than the U.S. statutory rate and in a number of locations outside the U.S., including Singapore, where we have tax incentive arrangements that are conditional, in part, upon meeting certain business operations and employment thresholds. The effect of tax incentive arrangements, which expire in whole or in part at various dates through 2030, reduced our tax provision for the second quarter and first six months 2017 by $132 million (benefitting our diluted earnings per share by $0.11) and $172 million ($0.15 per diluted share), respectively, and were not material for the second quarter or first six months of 2016.