INCOME TAXES

The provision for income taxes on continuing operations, by tax jurisdiction, consisted of the following for the fiscal years ended June 30:



	2017			2016			2015
Current
Federal	$	291		$	254		$	265
State	36			31			28
Foreign	38			45			38
Total current	365			330			331
Deferred
Federal	(29		)	11			(13		)
State	(2		)	1			(1		)
Foreign	(4		)	(7		)	(2		)
Total deferred	(35		)	5			(16		)
Total	$	330		$	335		$	315

The components of earnings from continuing operations before income taxes, by tax jurisdiction, consisted of the following for the fiscal years ended June 30:



	2017		2016		2015
United States	$	927	$	900	$	829
Foreign	106		83		92
Total	$	1,033	$	983	$	921

A reconciliation of the statutory federal income tax rate to the Company’s effective tax rate on continuing operations follows for the fiscal years ended June 30:



	2017		2016		2015
Statutory federal tax rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
State taxes (net of federal tax benefits)	2.2		2.1		2.1
Tax differential on foreign earnings	(0.6	)	0.5		(0.3	)
Federal domestic manufacturing deduction	(2.6	)	(2.4	)	(2.1	)
Change in valuation allowance	0.2		0.5		0.6
Federal excess tax benefits	(2.0	)	—		—
Other differences	(0.3	)	(1.6	)	(1.1	)
Effective tax rate	31.9	%	34.1	%	34.2	%

Applicable U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding taxes have not been provided on approximately $229 of undistributed earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries as of June 30, 2017, because these earnings are considered indefinitely reinvested. The estimated net federal income tax liability that could arise if these earnings were not indefinitely reinvested is approximately $60. Applicable U.S. income and foreign withholding taxes are provided on these earnings in the periods in which they are no longer considered indefinitely reinvested.

Beginning with the adoption of ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017 (See Note 1), excess tax benefits resulting from stock-based payment arrangements are recognized as income tax benefits in the consolidated statements of earnings. Prior to this adoption, such excess tax benefits were recorded as increases to Additional paid-in capital. Excess tax benefits of approximately $22 were realized and recorded to Income tax expense for fiscal year 2017. Excess tax benefits of $51 and $42 were realized and recorded to Additional paid-in capital for fiscal years 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The components of net deferred tax assets (liabilities) as of June 30 are shown below:



	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets (a)
Compensation and benefit programs	$	182		$	193
Basis difference related to Venture Agreement	30			30
Accruals and reserves	41			34
Inventory costs	25			21
Net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards	52			48
Other	54			54
Subtotal	384			380
Valuation allowance	(40		)	(37		)
Total deferred tax assets	344			343
Deferred tax liabilities (a)
Fixed and intangible assets	(311		)	(325		)
Low-income housing partnerships	(25		)	(23		)
Unremitted foreign earnings	(7		)	(16		)
Other	(24		)	(25		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	(367		)	(389		)
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)	$	(23	)	$	(46	)

^(a) In fiscal year 2016, the Company prospectively adopted ASU No. 2015-17, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes," requiring all deferred tax assets and liabilities to be classified as noncurrent.

The Company reviews its deferred tax assets for recoverability on a quarterly basis. A valuation allowance is established when the Company believes that it is more likely than not that some portion of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. Valuation allowances have been provided to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts considered recoverable. Details of the valuation allowance were as follows as of June 30:



	2017			2016
Valuation allowance at beginning of year	$	(37	)	$	(34	)
Net decrease/(increase) for other foreign deferred tax assets	—			3
Net decrease/(increase) for foreign net operating loss carryforwards and tax credits	(3		)	(6		)
Valuation allowance at end of year	$	(40	)	$	(37	)

As of June 30, 2017, the Company had foreign tax credit carryforwards of $26 for U.S. income tax purposes with expiration dates between fiscal years 2023 and 2027. Tax credit carryforwards in foreign jurisdictions of $20 have expiration dates in fiscal year 2031. Tax credit carryforwards in foreign jurisdictions of $1 can be carried forward indefinitely. Tax benefits from foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $18 have expiration dates between fiscal years 2018 and 2037. Tax benefits from foreign net operating loss carryforwards of $13 can be carried forward indefinitely.

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal and various state, local and foreign jurisdictions. The federal statute of limitations has expired for all tax years through June 30, 2012. Various income tax returns in state and foreign jurisdictions are currently in the process of examination.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense. As of June 30, 2017 and 2016, the total balance of accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions was $3 and $3, respectively. Interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions included in income tax expense resulted in a net benefit of $1, $1 and $1 in fiscal years 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The following is a reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of the Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefits:



	2017			2016			2015
Unrecognized tax benefits at beginning of year	$	37		$	38		$	71
Gross increases - tax positions in prior periods	1			3			3
Gross decreases - tax positions in prior periods	(6		)	(3		)	(8		)
Gross increases - current period tax positions	9			8			6
Gross decreases - current period tax positions	—			—			—
Lapse of applicable statute of limitations	(1		)	(4		)	(34		)
Settlements	—			(5		)	—
Unrecognized tax benefits at end of year	$	40		$	37		$	38

Included in the balance of unrecognized tax benefits as of June 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, are potential benefits of $28, $27 and $27, respectively, which if recognized, would affect net earnings. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, $32 of gross unrecognized tax benefits relating to other discontinued operations for periods prior to fiscal year 2015 were recognized upon the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations. Recognition of these previously disclosed tax benefits had no impact on the Company’s cash flow or earnings from continuing operations for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015.