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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
Our income tax provisions for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, reflected effective tax rates of 28.2% and 28.5%, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate year-over-year was primarily due to lower charges related to unrecognized tax benefits. This reduction in the effective tax rate was partially offset by an unfavorable change in the forecasted country mix of earnings.
Our income tax provisions for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, reflected effective tax rates of 25.3% and 26.3%, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate year-over-year was primarily due to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which was signed into law on January 2, 2013, and which retroactively reinstated and extended certain provisions of U.S. tax law. This reduction in the effective tax rate was partially offset by an unfavorable change in the forecasted country mix of earnings.
Our effective tax rate can fluctuate depending on our country mix of earnings, since our foreign earnings are generally subject to lower tax rates than in the United States. In certain jurisdictions, primarily Singapore and Malaysia, our tax rate is significantly less than the relevant statutory rate due to tax holidays.