(13) Income Taxes

Effective Income Tax Rate and Income Tax Provision

The table below shows our effective income tax rate from continuing operations (“ETR”) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and September 30, 2013:

	Three Months			Nine Months
	Ended			Ended
2014		37.6	%		29.4	%
2013		24.2	%		18.1	%

Our ETR in each period benefited from a favorable earnings mix with earnings in jurisdictions with low tax rates. For the nine months ended September 30, 2013, that benefit was enhanced by losses in jurisdictions, including the U.S., with high tax rates. Our ETR in each period was increased by the impact of special items, including foreign currency exchange losses related to Venezuelan subsidiaries with no tax benefit, as well as other losses and restructuring charges in jurisdictions where we had a low or zero tax benefit due to the applicable tax rate or valuation allowances. Special items totaled $58 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014, resulting in a tax increase that exceeded the benefit from our favorable earnings mix and an ETR in excess of the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35%.

Our ETR during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 was also increased by the lapse of various U.S. tax provisions (the “Extenders”), including the research and development credit and certain foreign provisions. Conversely, our ETR for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 benefited from the retroactive reinstatement of the Extenders, for both 2012 and 2013. On January 2, 2013, the President signed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, retroactively reinstating and extending the Extenders from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013.

Our ETR for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 also benefitted from certain favorable discrete items totaling approximately $16 million, including $7 million from a favorable tax settlement and approximately $6 million from the release of reserves related to the expiration of the statute of limitations and a successful judicial verdict.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits

As noted above, during the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we reduced our unrecognized tax benefits by approximately $6 million. We have not changed our policy with regard to the reporting of penalties and interest related to unrecognized tax benefits.