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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2018
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

NOTE 6 – INCOME TAXES



The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (the 2017 Tax Act) was signed into law on December 22, 2017.  The 2017 Tax Act significantly revises the U.S. corporate income tax code by, among other things, lowering the statutory corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent; eliminating certain deductions; imposing a mandatory one-time transition tax, or deemed repatriation tax, on accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries as of 2017 that were previously tax deferred; introducing new tax regimes; and changing how foreign earnings are subject to U.S. tax.



Since we have an August 31 fiscal year end, the lower corporate income tax rate was phased in, resulting in a U.S. statutory federal rate of 25.7 percent during fiscal 2018 and a 21 percent rate for fiscal 2019 and subsequent fiscal years.  Other provisions of the 2017 Tax Act, which were not effective for us in fiscal 2018, are now effective for fiscal 2019 and future years, including limitations on the deductibility of interest and executive compensation as well as anti-deferral provisions on Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI).



We recorded $0.1 million of income tax expense during the quarter ended November 30, 2018 on a pre-tax loss of $1.3 million, resulting in a negative effective tax benefit rate of (8.0) percent.  Our effective benefit rate was adversely affected by GILTI tax expense, non-deductible expenses, and effective foreign tax rates which are significantly higher than the U.S. statutory rate.  We recorded GILTI tax expense totaling $0.1 million for the quarter, based on the earnings of our foreign subsidiaries.  Net operating loss carryforwards prevented us from using foreign tax credits against this tax.  Unlike regular foreign tax credits, we permanently forego any unused foreign tax credits applicable to GILTI.