Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Schedule of components of the Income tax (expense) benefit

Significant components of the Income tax benefit (expense) on earnings from continuing operations were as follows:



For the years ended December 31,	2017			2016			2015
Current:
United States	$	28,091		$	(3,414	)	$	(6,304	)
Foreign	(125,663		)	(91,571		)	(126,597		)
State	(400		)	(166		)	(392		)
Total current	(97,972		)	(95,151		)	(133,293		)
Deferred:
United States	127,457			(3,323		)	(4,629		)
Foreign	27,473			32,300			19,319
State	9,855			1,173			873
Total deferred	164,785			30,150			15,563
Total income tax benefit (expense)	$	66,813		$	(65,001	)	$	(117,730	)

Schedule of components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities arising from continuing operations were as follows:



December 31,	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards	$	705,560		$	983,202
Depreciation	105,868			72,159
Deferred revenue	57,541			52,693
Allowance for doubtful accounts	26,193			30,379
Deferred compensation	43,440			61,837
Unrealized loss	56,871			71,587
Nondeductible reserves	43,176			40,690
Interest	17,279			10,728
Total deferred tax assets	1,055,928			1,323,275
Deferred tax liabilities:
Investment in subsidiaries	115,886			107,400
Amortization of intangible assets	314,390			371,668
Other	1,026			153
Total deferred tax liabilities	431,302			479,221
Net deferred tax assets	624,626			844,054
Valuation allowance for net deferred tax assets	(746,835		)	(1,154,008		)
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(122,209	)	$	(309,954	)

Summary of Valuation Allowance

The reconciliations of the beginning and ending balances of the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets were as follows:



For the years ended December 31,	2017			2016		2015
Balance at beginning of period	$	1,154,008		$	1,092,951	$	994,434
(Deductions) additions to costs and expenses	(33,044		)	45,972		157,960
Additions: charges to other accounts ^(a)	—			15,085		—
Deductions ^(b)	(374,129		)	—		(59,443		)
Balance at end of period	$	746,835		$	1,154,008	$	1,092,951

^(a) Charges to other accounts includes reclassifications and foreign currency translation.

^(b) Deductions include reclassifications and foreign currency translation, TCJA-related adjustments described in the paragraph above and reclassifications related to held-for-sale entities.

Schedule of effective income tax rate reconciliation

The reconciliations of the reported Income tax expense to the amount that would result by applying the United States federal statutory tax rate of 35% to income from continuing operations before income taxes were as follows:



For the years ended December 31,	2017			2016			2015
Tax (expense) benefit at the United States statutory rate	$	(9,380	)	$	(150,885	)	$	70,213
Permanent differences	(14,927		)	(29,345		)	(23,483		)
State income tax benefit, net of federal tax effect	(702		)	654			312
Tax effect of foreign income taxed at lower rate	46,956			87,161			29,267
Change in valuation allowance	(114,119		)	(52,758		)	(148,912		)
Effect of tax contingencies	9,066			28,536			(34,572		)
Tax credits	19,833			19,414			25,557
Withholding taxes	(6,355		)	(33,791		)	(35,332		)
U.S. tax on repatriated earnings	(875		)	(64,316		)	(1,451		)
Impairments	—			(8,230		)	(36		)
Sale of subsidiaries	—			139,335			—
Impact of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:
Transition tax on unremitted earnings	(149,800		)	—			—
Tax effect of rate changes	66,943			—			—
Change in valuation allowance	213,609			—			—
State income tax benefit, net of federal tax effect	6,848			—			—
Other	(284		)	(776		)	707
Total income tax benefit (expense)	$	66,813		$	(65,001	)	$	(117,730	)

Schedule of beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits

The reconciliations of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits were as follows:



For the years ended December 31,	2017			2016			2015
Beginning of the period	$	86,385		$	82,522		$	67,804
Additions for tax positions related to prior years	6,266			12,865			32,388
Decreases for tax positions related to prior years	(11,121		)	(3,474		)	(12,640		)
Additions for tax positions related to current year	12,494			15,231			233
Decreases for unrecognized tax benefits as a result of a lapse in the statute of limitations	(7,592		)	(11,389		)	(4,919		)
Settlements for tax positions related to prior years	(49		)	(9,370		)	(344		)
End of the period	$	86,383		$	86,385		$	82,522