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INCOME TAXES
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
INCOME TAXES  
INCOME TAXES

NOTE 5.  INCOME TAXES

 

We continue to maintain a valuation allowance against all or a portion of our deferred tax assets in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

 

Each quarter, we estimate our full year tax rate for jurisdictions not subject to valuation allowances based upon our most recent forecast of full year anticipated results and adjust year-to-date tax expense to reflect our full year anticipated tax rate.  The rate is an estimate based upon projected results for the year, estimated annual permanent differences, the statutory tax rates in the various jurisdictions in which we operate, and the non-recognition of tax benefits for entities with full valuation allowances. The overall effective tax rate was 84.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2013.

 

The tax years 2011 and 2012 remain open to examination by the U.S. federal taxing authorities.  The tax years 2008 through 2012 remain open to examination by the U.S. state taxing authorities.  For our other major jurisdictions (Switzerland, U.K., Taiwan, Germany, Netherlands and China); the tax years between 2006 and 2012 generally remain open to routine examination by foreign taxing authorities, depending on the jurisdiction.

 

The increase to the accrued liability associated with uncertain tax positions in the three months ended March, 31 2013 was immaterial.  At March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, we had a $2.5 million liability recorded for the respective periods with respect to uncertain income tax positions, which included related interest and penalties of $0.9 million at March 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012.  If recognized, essentially all of the uncertain tax positions and related interest at March 31, 2013 would be recorded as a benefit to income tax expense on the Consolidated Statement of Operations.  It is reasonably possible that certain of our uncertain tax positions pertaining to our foreign operations may change within the next 12 months due to audit settlements and statute of limitations expirations.  We estimate the change in uncertain tax positions for these items to be between $0.1 million and $0.9 million.