Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Income Taxes [Abstract]

Income Taxes

9. Income Taxes

We operate on a global basis and are subject to numerous and complex tax laws and regulations. Our income tax filings are regularly under audit in multiple federal, state and foreign jurisdictions. Income tax audits may require an extended period of time to reach resolution and may result in significant income tax adjustments when interpretation of tax laws or allocation of company profits is disputed. In the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2011, we resolved tax matters in multiple jurisdictions resulting in a reduction in both the net amount of tax liability for unrecognized tax benefits and income tax expense. The net amount of tax liability for unrecognized tax benefits may change within the next twelve months due to changes in audit status, expiration of statutes of limitations and other events which could impact our determination of unrecognized tax benefits. Currently, we cannot reasonably estimate the amount by which our unrecognized tax benefits will change.

During the second quarter of 2011, the IRS concluded their examination of our U.S. federal returns for years 2005 through 2007 and issued income tax assessments reallocating profits between certain of our U.S. and foreign subsidiaries. We believe that we have followed applicable U.S. tax laws and are vigorously defending our income tax positions. The ultimate resolution of this matter is uncertain and could have a material impact on our income tax expense, results of operations, and cash flows for future periods. Our U.S. federal returns for years 2008 and 2009 are currently under IRS examination.

In the three and six month periods ended June 30, 2012, our effective tax rates were 25.6 percent. Our effective tax rates were lower than the U.S. statutory income tax rate of 35 percent primarily due to income earned in foreign locations with lower tax rates.