Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Income Taxes

11.Income Taxes

Our effective income tax rates were 23.4% and 19.5% for thethree months endedMarch 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The effective income tax rate is based upon the estimated income for the year, the composition of the income in different countries, and adjustments, if any, in the applicable quarterly periods for the potential tax consequences, benefits or resolutions of tax audits or other tax contingencies. For the three months ended March 31, 2012 and 2011, the effective tax rate varied from the statutory tax rate principally as a result of the mix of income attributable to foreign versus domestic jurisdictions. Our aggregate income tax rate in foreign jurisdictions is lower than our income tax rate in the United States; substantially all of our income before provision for income taxes from foreign operations has been earned by our Irish subsidiaries. We do not believe that any recent or currently expected developments in non-U.S. tax jurisdictions are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our effective rate.

The increase in the effective tax rate in 2012 compared to 2011 was due primarily to the expiration of the U.S. federal research and development tax credit for 2012 which negatively impacted the rate by 2.5 percentage points,and unfavorable discrete items.

We have concluded all U.S. federal income tax matters for years through 2008. We also have income tax audits in process in numerous state, local and international jurisdictions. Based on the timing and outcome of examinations of EMC, the result of the expiration of statutes of limitations for specific jurisdictions or the timing and result of ruling requests from taxing authorities, it is reasonably possible that the related unrecognized tax benefits could change from those recorded in our statement of financial position. We anticipate that several of these audits may be finalized within the next 12 months. Based on the status of these examinations, and the protocol of finalizing such audits, it is not possible to estimate the impact of the amount of such changes, if any, to our previously recorded uncertain tax positions.