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Note 6 - Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

6. INCOME TAXES


Income tax provision increased $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2014, to $3.0 million as compared to an income tax provision of $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2013.  The Company’s effective tax rate was 32.70% and 28.09% for the three months ended March 31, 2014, and March 31, 2013, respectively.  The income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2014, was less than the provision at the statutory rate primarily due to changes in unrecognized tax benefits. The income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2013, was significantly less than the provision at the statutory rate primarily due to the utilization of U.S. tax credits, offset by foreign withholding taxes, statutory taxes, and changes in unrecognized tax benefits.


On January 2, 2013, the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act which reinstated the U.S. Federal Research and Development tax credit retroactive to January 1, 2012, and extended the tax credit through December 31, 2013.  As a result of the new legislation, the Company recognized a benefit in the three months ended March 31, 2013 related to 12 months of fiscal 2012 as well as a benefit to the annual effective tax rate for the full year research tax credit for fiscal 2013, which amounted to $0.4 million. The expiration of the U.S Federal research tax credit resulted in zero tax credit for the three months ended March 31, 2014.


The Company’s total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, as of March 31, 2014, was $10 million, of which $6.1 million, if recognized, would affect the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company’s total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding interest and penalties, as of December 31, 2013, was $10.2 million, of which $6.3 million, if recognized, would affect the Company's effective tax rate. As of March 31, 2014, the Company has recorded unrecognized tax benefits of $2.7 million, including interest and penalties, as long-term taxes payable in its condensed consolidated balance sheet. The remaining $7.8 million has been recorded net of our deferred tax assets, of which $3.9 million is subject to a full valuation allowance.


As of March 31, 2014, the Company believes that most of its deferred tax assets are “more likely than not” to be realized with the exception of California R&D tax credits that have not met the “more likely than not” realization threshold criteria because on an annual basis and pursuant to current law, the Company generates more California credits than California tax. As a result, at March 31, 2014, the excess California R&D tax credits continue to be subject to a full valuation allowance. In the event the Company concludes at a future financial reporting period that there has been a change in its ability to realize the California R&D credit deferred tax assets, and it is at such time no longer “more likely than not” that the Company will realize the tax credits before applicable expiration dates, the Company’s tax provision will increase in the period in which the Company makes such determination.


The Company conducts business globally and, as a result, files numerous consolidated and separate income tax returns in the U.S. federal, various state and foreign jurisdictions. Because the Company used some of the tax attributes carried forward from previous years to tax years that are still open, statutes of limitation remain open for all tax years to the extent of the attributes carried forward into tax year 2002 for federal and California tax purposes. The Company is not subject to income tax examinations in any other of its major foreign subsidiaries’ jurisdictions.