10.

INCOME TAXES:

The components of income from continuing operations before income taxes were as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Income from continuing operations before income taxes:
Domestic	$	309,875	$	523,745	$	390,734
Foreign		163,242		115,504		73,846

Total	$	473,117	$	639,249	$	464,580

The components of the provision for income taxes for continuing operations were as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2014		2013			2012
Current:
Federal	$	74,224	$	173,930		$	109,272
State		9,542		23,287			12,397
Foreign		39,978		37,193			14,657

Total current tax provision		123,744		234,410			136,326
Deferred:
Federal		20,799		(15,457	)		16,134
State		3,698		(451	)		1,627
Foreign		9,167		(562	)		4,772

Total deferred tax provision (benefit)		33,664		(16,470	)		22,533

Total provision for income taxes from continuing operations	$	157,408	$	217,940		$	158,859

The actual income tax provision differed from the income tax provision computed by applying the U.S. federal statutory corporate rate to income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes as follows (in thousands):


	Year Ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Provision at the statutory rate	$	165,591		$	223,737		$	162,603
Increases (decreases) resulting from —
State taxes		9,948			14,788			10,980
Foreign taxes		(13,059	)		(9,994	)		(5,841	)
Contingency reserves, net		(696	)		(3,422	)		(3,880	)
Production activity deduction		(6,033	)		(10,247	)		(7,081	)
Employee per diems, meals and entertainment		9,906			7,960			6,441
Taxes on unincorporated joint ventures		(6,429	)		(6,786	)		(5,609	)
Other		(1,820	)		1,904			1,246

Total provision for income taxes from continuing operations	$	157,408		$	217,940		$	158,859

Deferred income taxes result from temporary differences in the recognition of income and expenses for financial reporting purposes and tax purposes. The tax effects of these temporary differences, representing deferred tax assets and liabilities, result principally from the following (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2014			2013
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Property and equipment	$	(255,084	)	$	(218,739	)
Goodwill		(72,030	)		(58,643	)
Other intangibles		(53,599	)		(42,604	)
Book/tax accounting method difference		(63,989	)		(50,764	)

Total deferred income tax liabilities		(444,702	)		(370,750	)

Deferred income tax assets:
Accruals and reserves		22,885			22,642
Accrued insurance		64,773			59,640
Deferred revenue		16,575			15,336
Stock and incentive compensation and pension withdrawal liabilities		53,610			57,674
Net operating loss carryforwards		21,511			20,828
Other		10,678			10,857

Subtotal		190,032			186,977
Valuation allowance		(15,186	)		(15,644	)

Total deferred income tax assets		174,846			171,333

Total net deferred income tax liabilities	$	(269,856	)	$	(199,417	)

The net deferred income tax assets and liabilities were comprised of the following (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2014			2013
Current deferred income taxes:
Assets	$	58,272		$	61,263
Liabilities		(31,014	)		(16,424	)

		27,258			44,839

Non-current deferred income taxes:
Assets		3,402			—
Liabilities		(300,516	)		(244,256	)

		(297,114	)		(244,256	)

Total net deferred income tax liabilities	$	(269,856	)	$	(199,417	)

The valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $15.2 million, $15.6 million and $9.3 million, respectively. These valuation allowances relate to foreign net operating loss carryforwards, state net operating loss carryforwards and foreign tax credit carryforwards. The net change in the total valuation allowance for each of the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was a decrease of $0.4 million, an increase of $6.3 million and an increase of $0.5 million, respectively. The valuation allowance was established primarily as a result of uncertainty in Quanta’s outlook as to future taxable income in particular tax jurisdictions. Quanta believes it is more likely than not that it will realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets, net of existing valuation allowances.

At December 31, 2014, Quanta had state and foreign net operating loss carryforwards, the tax effect of which was approximately $25.3 million. These carryforwards will expire as follows: 2015, $0.1 million; 2016, $0.0 million; 2017, $0.7 million; 2018, $0.1 million; 2019, $0.0 million and $24.4 million thereafter. A valuation allowance of $13.9 million has been recorded against certain foreign and state net operating loss carryforwards.

Through December 31, 2014, Quanta has not provided U.S. income taxes on approximately $344.5 million of unremitted foreign earnings. If we were to repatriate cash that is indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S., we could be subject to additional U.S income and foreign withholding taxes. Because of the number and variability of assumptions required, it is not practicable to determine the amount of any additional U.S. tax liability that may result if Quanta decides to no longer indefinitely reinvest foreign earnings outside the U.S. If Quanta’s intentions or U.S. tax laws change in the future, there may be a significant negative impact on the provision for income taxes and cash flows as a result of recording an incremental tax liability, in the period such change occurs.

A reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefit balances is as follows (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Balance at beginning of year	$	48,838		$	51,244		$	47,379
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year		9,179			9,073			15,411
Additions for tax positions of prior years		2,438			—			1,607
Reductions for tax positions of prior years		—			—			(293	)
Reductions for audit settlements		—			—			(895	)
Reductions resulting from a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations periods		(9,376	)		(11,479	)		(11,965	)

Balance at end of year	$	51,079		$	48,838		$	51,244

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the $9.4 million reduction was primarily due to the expiration of certain federal and state statute of limitations periods for the 2010 tax year. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the $11.5 million reduction was primarily due to the expiration of certain federal and state statute of limitations periods for the 2009 tax year. For the year ended December 31, 2012, the $12.0 million reduction was primarily due to the expiration of certain federal and state statute of limitations periods for the 2008 tax year.

The balances of unrecognized tax benefits, the amount of related interest and penalties and what Quanta believes to be the range of reasonably possible changes in the next 12 months are as follows (in thousands):


	December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Unrecognized tax benefits	$	51,079	$	48,838	$	51,244
Portion that, if recognized, would reduce tax expense and effective tax rate		43,363		40,562		43,910
Accrued interest on unrecognized tax benefits		6,360		5,837		6,088
Accrued penalties on unrecognized tax benefits		697		99		127
Reasonably possible reduction to the balance of unrecognized tax benefits in succeeding 12 months	$	0 to $10,331		$0 to $6,722	$	0 to $11,479
Portion that, if recognized, would reduce tax expense and effective tax rate		$0 to $8,593		$0 to $4,984		$0 to $9,645

Quanta classifies interest and penalties within the provision for income taxes. Quanta recognized interest expense of $0.5 million, interest income of $0.3 million and interest income of $1.1 million in the provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Quanta is currently under examination by the IRS for calendar years 2011 and 2012 and remains open to examination by the IRS for tax years 2013 through 2014 as these statute of limitations periods have not yet expired. Additionally, certain subsidiaries are under examination by various U.S. state, Canadian and other foreign tax authorities for multiple periods. Quanta’s Canadian subsidiaries remain open to examination by the Canada Revenue Agency for tax years 2010 through 2014 as these statute of limitations periods have not yet expired. Quanta does not consider any state in which it does business to be a major tax jurisdiction.