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11. Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
May 04, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]
11.         Income Taxes

We recorded income tax expense of $1.5 million for the fiscal 2015 first quarter compared to $1.1 million for the comparable prior year period.  The effective tax rates for the fiscal 2015 and 2014 first quarters were 34.6% and 33.6%, respectively.  Our effective tax rate was higher in the fiscal 2015 first quarter primarily due to smaller anticipated rate benefits from earnings on company-owned life insurance policies and distributions from our former captive insurance arrangement as well as increases in our reserve for uncertain tax positions.

The net unrecognized tax benefits as of May 4, 2014 and February 2, 2014, which, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate are $323,000 and $303,000, respectively.  In fiscal 2014, an uncertain tax position was identified and accrued for which forthcoming remediation action steps will effectively settle the uncertainty in the next 12 months. In fiscal 2014, we also established a reserve for an uncertain tax position related to the use of a portion of state loss carryforwards in our current tax returns. The balance of that reserve at May 4, 2014 and February 2, 2014 was $117,000 and $103,000, respectively.

The tax years ending 2012 through 2014 remain subject to examination by federal taxing authorities. State tax returns for the years ending 2011 through 2014 remain subject to examination.