Income Taxes Company's uncertain tax positions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Company's uncertain tax positions [Abstract]

Summary of Income Tax Contingencies [Table Text Block]

The following is a rollforward of the Company's uncertain tax positions for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 (in thousands):



	Year ended 31 December
	2013			2012
Balance as of the beginning of the year	$	3,382		$	4,355
Tax positions related to current year:
Additions	31			80
Reductions	—			—
Tax positions related to prior years:
Additions	—			—
Reductions	(571		)	(405		)
Settlements	—			—
Lapses in statute of limitations	(704		)	(648		)
Balance as of the end of the year	$	2,138		$	3,382

Included in the balance of total unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2013 are potential benefits of $575,000, which if recognized, would affect the effective rate on income from continuing operations.

On December 31, 2013, the Company had accrued interest and penalties related to the uncertain tax benefits of approximately $134,000. During 2013, the Company decreased the prior year balance by $6,000 due to both lapses in statute and change of methodology.

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of tax positions taken in the tax returns filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities (i.e., uncertain tax positions) and other types of income tax contingencies, including: (1) the policy on classification of interest and penalties; (2) a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits at the beginning and end of the period; the total amount(s) of: (3) unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate, and (4) interest and penalties recognized in each of the income statement and balance sheet; (5) for positions for which it is reasonably possible that the total amounts unrecognized will significantly change within 12 months of the reporting date the: (i) nature of the uncertainty, (ii) nature of the event that could occur that would cause the change, and (iii) an estimate of the range of the reasonably possible change or a statement that an estimate of the range cannot be made; and (6) a description of tax years that remain subject to examination by major tax jurisdictions.

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