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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

NOTE 9. INCOME TAXES

The Company is subject to taxation in the United States and Canada. However, business is conducted primarily in the United States. The effective income tax rate differs from the statutory rate primarily due to state taxes, non-deductible stock-based compensation, and tax credits. The Company makes estimates and judgments about its future taxable income that are based on assumptions that are consistent with the Company’s plans and estimates. Should the actual amounts differ from these estimates, the amount of the valuation allowance could be materially affected.

Income taxes are computed using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to affect taxable income. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Changes in valuation allowances are reflected as a component of provision for income taxes.

The Company’s effective income tax rate was 39.9% and 56.4% for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The decrease is primarily due to a discrete benefit from disqualifying dispositions of previously non-deductible stock-based compensation as well as a discrete expense recorded in the three months ended March 31, 2014 related to a regulatory state tax change.       

The Company is subject to taxation under the laws of the U.S. and various state and local jurisdictions, as well as Canada. The Company is not subject to any material income tax examinations by U.S. federal or state tax authorities for tax years beginning prior to January 1, 2010.  The Company paid Notices of Proposed Assessments outstanding as of December 31, 2014 related to the disallowance of employment tax credits totaling $10.5 million in connection with the IRS examination of Gevity HR, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which was acquired by TriNet in June 2009.  The Company plans to exhaust all administrative efforts to resolve this matter, however, it is likely that the matter will ultimately be resolved through litigation.  With regard to these employment tax credits, the Company believes it is more likely than not that the Company will prevail.  Therefore, no reserve has been recognized related to this matter.