INCOME TAXES

The Company reported the following operating results for the periods presented (in thousands):



	Three months ended						Nine months ended
	September 29, 2017			September 30, 2016			September 29, 2017			September 30, 2016
Loss before income taxes	$	(17,498	)	$	(16,254	)	$	(72,678	)	$	(61,353	)
(Benefit from) provision for income taxes	(1,915		)	(242		)	(1,568		)	518
Effective income tax rate	10.9		%	1.5		%	2.2		%	(0.8		)%

The Company operates in multiple jurisdictions and its profits are taxed pursuant to the tax laws of these jurisdictions. The Company’s effective income tax rate may be affected by changes in, or interpretations of tax laws and tax agreements in any given jurisdiction, utilization of net operating loss and tax credit carry forwards, changes in geographical mix of income and expense, and changes in management’s assessment of matters such as the ability to realize deferred tax assets. The Company’s effective tax rate varies from year to year primarily due to the absence of several onetime, discrete items that benefited or decremented the tax rates in the previous years.

The Company’s effective income tax rate of 2.2% for the nine months ended September 29, 2017 was different from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35%, primarily due to the Company’s geographical income mix and favorable tax rates associated with certain earnings from operations in lower-tax jurisdictions, partially offset by the increase in the valuation allowance against U.S. federal, California and other state deferred tax assets and detriment from non-deductible stock-based compensation. In addition, in the first quarter of 2017, the Company was able to recognize a one-time tax benefit of approximately $1.2 million as a result of the merger of the Company’s two subsidiaries in Israel, which was approved by the Israeli government in the first quarter of 2017. In the third quarter of 2017, the Company recorded $2.4 million of tax benefit associated with the release of tax reserves for uncertain tax positions resulting from the expiration of the statutes of limitations on the Company’s US corporate tax returns for the 2013 tax year. For the nine months ended September 29, 2017, the remaining discrete adjustments to the Company's tax expense were primarily withholding taxes and the accrual of interest on uncertain tax positions.

The Company's effective income tax rate of (0.8)% for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was different from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35%, primarily due to favorable tax rates associated with certain earnings from operations in lower-tax jurisdictions, and the tax benefit from the realization of certain deferred tax assets as a result of the TVN acquisition, partially offset by the increase in the valuation allowance against U.S. federal, California and other state deferred tax assets, detriment from non-deductible stock-based compensation, non-deductible amortization of foreign intangibles, and the net of various discrete tax adjustments.

The Company files U.S. federal and state, and foreign income tax returns in jurisdictions with varying statutes of limitations during which such tax returns may be audited and adjusted by the relevant tax authorities. The 2014 through 2016 tax years generally remain subject to examination by U.S. federal and most state tax authorities. In significant foreign jurisdictions, the 2007 through 2016 tax years generally remain subject to examination by their respective tax authorities. In 2016, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service concluded its examination of the Company’s income tax return for the tax year 2012, which commenced in August 2015. In addition, a subsidiary of the Company was under audit for the 2012 and 2013 tax years, which commenced in 2015, by the Israel tax authority and concluded with no adjustment. If, upon the conclusion of an audit, the ultimate determination of taxes owed in the jurisdictions under audit is for an amount in excess of the tax provision the Company has recorded in the applicable period, the Company’s overall tax expense, effective tax rate, operating results and cash flow could be materially and adversely impacted in the period of adjustment.

The Company’s operations in Switzerland are subject to a reduced tax rate under the Switzerland tax holiday which requires various thresholds of investment and employment in Switzerland. The Company has met these various thresholds and the Switzerland tax holiday is effective through the end of 2018.

As of September 29, 2017, the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits, including interest and penalties, was approximately $17.6 million, of which $0.7 million would affect the Company’s effective tax rate if the benefits are eventually recognized. The remaining gross unrecognized tax benefit does not affect the Company’s effective tax rate as it relates to positions that would be settled with tax attributes such as net operating loss carryforward or tax credits previously subject to a valuation allowance. The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions in income tax expense. The Company had $0.4 million of gross interest and penalties accrued as of September 29, 2017. The Company will continue to review its tax positions and provide for, or reverse, unrecognized tax benefits as issues arise. As of September 29, 2017, the Company anticipates that the balance of gross unrecognized tax benefits will decrease up to approximately $0.5 million due to expiration of the applicable statutes of limitations over the next 12 months.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard update for the accounting of share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The new standard eliminated the requirement to report excess tax benefits and certain tax deficiencies related to share-based payment transactions as additional paid-in capital. It also removes the requirement to delay recognition of a windfall tax benefit until it reduces current taxes payable. Under the new guidance, the benefit will be recorded when it arises, subject to normal valuation allowance considerations. The Company adopted this new accounting standard beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2017 using a modified-retrospective transition method and recorded a cumulative effect of $4.6 million of additional gross deferred tax asset associated with shared-based payment and an offsetting valuation allowance of the same amount, therefore resulting in no net impact to the Company’s beginning retained earnings.

In October 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard update which requires companies to recognize the income tax consequences of all intra-entity sales of assets other than inventory when they occur. As a result, a reporting entity would recognize the tax expense from the sale of the asset in the seller’s tax jurisdiction when the transfer occurs, even though the pre-tax effects of that transaction are eliminated in consolidation. Any deferred tax asset that arises in the buyer’s jurisdiction would also be recognized at the time of the transfer. The Company early adopted this accounting standard update during the first quarter of fiscal 2017 on a modified retrospective approach and recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment of $1.4 million to the retained earnings as of January 1, 2017 (which reduced the accumulated deficit). Correspondingly, in the first quarter of fiscal 2017, the Company recognized an additional $1.1 million of net deferred tax assets, after netting with $2.1 million of valuation allowance, and write off the remaining $0.3 million of unamortized tax expenses deferred under the previous guidance to provision for income taxes in the first quarter of fiscal 2017.