6.	Income Taxes


	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2014			2013
Estimated effective income tax rate:
Continuing operations		29.8	%		35.0	%

Discontinued operations		26.4	%		26.2	%

Consolidated overall		29.8	%		35.2	%

The Corporation’s effective income tax rate reflects the effect of federal and state income taxes and the impact of differences in book and tax accounting arising from the net permanent benefits associated with the statutory depletion deduction for mineral reserves, the impact of foreign losses for which no tax benefit was realized and the domestic production deduction. The effective income tax rates for discontinued operations reflect the tax effects of individual operations’ transactions and are not indicative of the Corporation’s overall effective income tax rate.

On September 13, 2013, the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations addressing costs incurred in acquiring, producing or improving tangible property (the “tangible property regulations”). The tangible property regulations required the Corporation to make additional tax accounting method changes as of January 1, 2014. As of December 31, 2013, the Corporation estimated the tax impact of the regulatory change and recorded an increase in noncurrent deferred tax liabilities in the amount of $1,334,000, with a corresponding reduction in current taxes payable.

The Corporation’s unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest, correlative effects and indirect benefits, are as follows:


	Six Months Ended June 30, 2014
	(Dollars in Thousands)
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of period	$	11,826
Gross increases – tax positions in prior years		1,898
Gross decreases – tax positions in prior years		(173	)
Gross increases – tax positions in current year		961

Unrecognized tax benefits at end of period	$	14,512

The Corporation records interest accrued in relation to unrecognized tax benefits as income tax expense. Penalties, if incurred, are recorded as operating expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings.

The Corporation anticipates that it is reasonably possible that unrecognized tax benefits may decrease up to $7,123,000, excluding indirect benefits, during the twelve months ending June 30, 2015 as a result of expected settlements with taxing authorities and the expiration of the foreign and domestic statute of limitations for the 2009 and 2010 tax years, respectively.

At June 30, 2014, unrecognized tax benefits of $7,939,000 related to interest accruals and permanent income tax differences, net of federal tax benefits, would have favorably affected the Corporation’s effective income tax rate if recognized.

The Corporation’s open tax years subject to federal, foreign or state examinations are 2009 through 2013.