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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
Our effective tax rate resulted in an expense of 29.2% on income in the first quarter of 2013 as compared to benefit of 64.2% on a loss in the first quarter of 2012. In the first quarter of 2012, our tax rate was favorably impacted by certain one-time discrete items including a $1.5 million benefit related to the reversal of the valuation allowance resulting from the sale of the auction rate securities portfolio. In both the first quarter of 2013 and 2012, our tax rate benefited from favorable tax rates on certain foreign business activity as compared to our statutory rate of 35%.  
We are subject to income taxes in the United States and in numerous foreign jurisdictions.  No provision is made for U.S. income taxes on the undistributed earnings of substantially all of our wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries because such earnings are indefinitely reinvested in those companies. If circumstances change and it becomes apparent that some or all of the undistributed earnings of our wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries will not be indefinitely reinvested, a provision for the tax consequences, if any, will be recorded in the period in which the circumstances change.
Our accounting policy is to account for interest expense and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as income tax expense.  As of March 31, 2013, we have approximately $2.1 million of accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions included in the $20.0 million of unrecognized tax benefits, $11.0 million of which, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate.
We are subject to numerous tax filings including U.S. Federal, various state and certain foreign jurisdictions.  Currently, the following tax years remain open to the possibility of audit, by jurisdiction - U.S. Federal: 2009 – 2012; various states: 2008 – 2012; and foreign: 2009 – 2012.