Taxes

A reconciliation of the United States federal statutory corporate tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate, or income tax provision, was as follows:



	Three-months Ended				Six-months Ended
	July 5, 2015		June 29, 2014		July 5, 2015		June 29, 2014
Continuing Operations:
Income tax provision at federal statutory rate	35	%	35	%	35	%	35	%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	1	%	1	%	1	%	1	%
Foreign tax rate differential	(19	)%	(19	)%	(19	)%	(19	)%
Discrete tax events	—	%	(2	)%	(1	)%	(1	)%
Other	—	%	—	%	1	%	—	%
Income tax provision related to continuing operations	17	%	15	%	17	%	16	%

The effective tax rate for the six-month period ended July 5, 2015 included the impact of the following discrete tax events: (1) a decrease in tax expense by $364,000 recorded in the first quarter of 2015 from the expiration of statutes of limitations for certain reserves for income tax uncertainties, (2) a decrease in tax expense of $112,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2015 from the final true-up of the prior year's tax accrual upon filing the actual tax returns, and (3) an increase to tax expense of $65,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2015 from the write down of a deferred tax asset. These discrete events decreased the effective tax rate on continuing operations from a provision of 18% to a provision of 17% for the six-month period ended July 5, 2015. The discrete events noted above did not have an impact on the effective tax rate on continuing operations in the three-month period ended July 5, 2015.

The effective tax rate for the six-month period ended June 29, 2014 included the impact of the following discrete tax event: a decrease in tax expense of $418,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2014 from the closing of the Internal Revenue Service audit of the Company for tax years 2010 and 2011. This discrete event decreased the effective tax rate on continuing operations from a provision of 17% to a provision of 15% and 16% for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 29, 2014, respectively.

During the six-month period ended July 5, 2015, the Company recorded a $9,000 decrease in reserves for income taxes, net of deferred tax benefit, including a reduction to additional paid in capital of $48,000 and a reduction in income tax expense of $39,000. Included in this net decrease is the discrete event noted above. Estimated interest and penalties included in these amounts totaled $32,000 for the six-month period ended July 5, 2015.

The Company’s reserve for income taxes, including gross interest and penalties, was $5,631,000 as of July 5, 2015, which included $4,603,000 classified as a noncurrent liability and $1,028,000 recorded as a reduction to noncurrent deferred tax assets. The amount of gross interest and penalties included in these balances was $561,000. If the Company’s tax positions were sustained or the statutes of limitations related to certain positions expired, these reserves would be released and income tax expense would be reduced in a future period, less $616,000 that would be recorded through additional paid-in capital. As a result of the expiration of certain statutes of limitations and the conclusion of the IRS examination, there is a potential that a portion of these reserves could be released, which would decrease income tax expense by approximately $550,000 to $650,000 over the next twelve months.

The Company has defined its major tax jurisdictions as the United States, Ireland, China, and Japan, and within the United States, Massachusetts and California. Within the United States, the tax years 2012 through 2014 remain open to examination by the Internal Revenue Service, while the tax years 2011 through 2014 remain open to various state taxing authorities, and the tax years 2010 through 2014 remain open to examination by various taxing authorities in other jurisdictions in which the Company operates.