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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income taxes
Income Taxes

The income tax provision includes U.S. federal, state and local, and foreign income taxes and is based on the application of a forecasted annual income tax rate applied to the current quarter's year-to-date pre-tax income or loss. In determining the estimated annual effective income tax rate, the Company analyzes various factors, including projections of the Company's annual earnings, taxing jurisdictions in which the earnings will be generated, the impact of state and local income taxes, the Company's ability to use tax credits and net operating loss carryforwards, and available tax planning alternatives. Discrete items, including the effect of changes in tax laws, tax rates and certain circumstances with respect to valuation allowances or other unusual or non-recurring tax adjustments are reflected in the period in which they occur as an addition to, or reduction from, the income tax provision, rather than included in the estimated effective annual income tax rate.

The effective income tax rates for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 were 16.9% and 30.1%, respectively. Discrete tax items impacting the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 were not significant. The effective income tax rates for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 were 42.4% and 38.6%, respectively. These rates were impacted by net favorable discrete tax items totaling $1.4 million in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 primarily resulting from the conclusion of the 2011 and 2012 U.S. federal tax return examinations.