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				Nine-months Ended
	October 4, 2015		September 28, 2014		October 4, 2015		September 28, 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	(5	)%	(1	)%	(2	)%	(1	)%
Income tax provision related to continuing operations	12	%	16	%	15	%	16	%

The effective tax rate for 2015 included the impact of the following discrete tax events: (1) a decrease in tax expense of $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, (3) an increase in tax expense of $65,000 recorded in the second quarter of 2015 from the write down of a deferred tax asset, (4) a decrease in tax expense of $993,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2015 for the final true-up of the prior year's tax accrual upon filing the actual tax returns, and (5) a decrease in tax expense of $611,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2015 from the expiration of statutes of limitations for certain reserves for income tax uncertainties.

The effective tax rate for 2014 included the impact of the following discrete tax events: (1) 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, (2) a decrease in tax expense of $652,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2014 from the final true-up of the prior year's tax accrual upon filing the actual tax returns, and (3) a decrease in tax expense of $217,000 recorded in the third quarter of 2014 from the expiration of the statutes of limitations for certain reserves for income tax uncertainties.

During the nine-month period ended October 4, 2015, the Company recorded a $635,000 decrease in reserves for income taxes, net of deferred tax benefit, including an increase to additional paid in capital of $157,000 and a reduction in income tax expense of $478,000. Included in this net decrease are the discrete events noted above. Estimated interest and penalties included in these amounts totaled $5,000 for the nine-month period ended October 4, 2015.

The Company’s reserve for income taxes, including gross interest and penalties, was $4,961,000 as of October 4, 2015, which included $3,933,000 classified as a non-current liability and $1,028,000 recorded as a reduction to non-current deferred tax assets. The amount of gross interest and penalties included in these balances was $507,000. 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 $507,000 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 $750,000 to $850,000 over the next twelve months.

On July 6, 2015, the Company completed the sale of its Surface Inspection Systems Division. A pre-tax gain of $125,465,000 and associated income tax expense of $47,175,000 was recorded in the third quarter of 2015.

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.