Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	14. Income Taxes The effective tax rate was 21.9 percent and 25.8 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and 21.9 percent and 29.7 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The changes in tax rates for both periods primarily reflect the reduction in the U.S. federal statutory tax rate as a result of the Tax Act. The tax rates in the prior year also reflect the recognition of certain foreign tax credits and the resolution of certain prior years’ tax items. In the fourth quarter of 2017, we recorded an estimated net discrete tax charge of $2.6 billion related to the Tax Act that was accounted for as a provisional charge under Staff Accounting Bulletin No.118. There were no material changes to this estimate for the current period. We continue to analyze the impacts of the Tax Act; therefore, the 2017 charge continues to be provisional. We are under continuous examination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and tax authorities in other countries and states in which we have significant business operations. The tax years under examination and open for examination vary by jurisdiction. We are currently under examination with the IRS for tax years 2008 through 2014. We believe it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits could decrease within the next 12 months by as much as $330 million, principally as a result of potential resolutions of prior years’ tax items with various taxing authorities. The prior years’ tax items include unrecognized tax benefits relating to the deductibility of certain expenses or losses and the attribution of taxable income to a particular jurisdiction or jurisdictions. Of the $330 million of unrecognized tax benefits, approximately $294 million relates to amounts that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate in a future period.

14. Income Taxes

The effective tax rate was 21.9 percent and 25.8 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and 21.9 percent and 29.7 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The changes in tax rates for both periods primarily reflect the reduction in the U.S. federal statutory tax rate as a result of the Tax Act. The tax rates in the prior year also reflect the recognition of certain foreign tax credits and the resolution of certain prior years’ tax items.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, we recorded an estimated net discrete tax charge of $2.6 billion related to the Tax Act that was accounted for as a provisional charge under Staff Accounting Bulletin No.118. There were no material changes to this estimate for the current period. We continue to analyze the impacts of the Tax Act; therefore, the 2017 charge continues to be provisional.

We are under continuous examination by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and tax authorities in other countries and states in which we have significant business operations. The tax years under examination and open for examination vary by jurisdiction. We are currently under examination with the IRS for tax years 2008 through 2014.

We believe it is reasonably possible that our unrecognized tax benefits could decrease within the next 12 months by as much as $330 million, principally as a result of potential resolutions of prior years’ tax items with various taxing authorities. The prior years’ tax items include unrecognized tax benefits relating to the deductibility of certain expenses or losses and the attribution of taxable income to a particular jurisdiction or jurisdictions. Of the $330 million of unrecognized tax benefits, approximately $294 million relates to amounts that, if recognized, would impact the effective tax rate in a future period.