Income Taxes



	Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2014	2013	2014	2013
	(In percentages)
Effective income tax rate	26	25	27	32

The effective income tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2014 was comparable to the rate for the three months ended September 30, 2013. The decrease in the effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was primarily due to decreased earnings in high income tax jurisdictions combined with decreases in losses in jurisdictions without income tax benefit.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company's uncertain tax positions decreased $55 million primarily as a result of a $42 million decrease for the reclassification of uncertain tax positions for net operating loss carryforwards in certain jurisdictions to deferred income tax assets in accordance with ASU 2013-11, Presentation of Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists, which was effective January 1, 2014, and a decrease of $16 million due to exchange rate changes.

The Company's US tax returns for the years 2009 through 2012 are currently under audit by the US Internal Revenue Service and certain of the Company's subsidiaries are under audit in jurisdictions outside of the US. In addition, certain statutes of limitations are scheduled to expire in the near future. It is reasonably possible that a further change in the unrecognized tax benefits may occur within the next twelve months related to the settlement of one or more of these audits or the lapse of applicable statutes of limitations. Such amounts have been reflected in the current portion of uncertain tax positions (Note 7).