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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Note 6: Income Taxes

For the three months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company's effective income tax rate attributable to earnings from continuing operations before income taxes was 31.0 percent and 16.9 percent, respectively.

For the nine months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the Company's effective tax rate attributable to earnings from continuing operations before income taxes was 30.7 percent and 144.5 percent, respectively.

The most significant factors impacting changes in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2011 as compared to prior periods were changes in the valuation allowance for certain foreign losses for which no benefit is recognized and the changing mix of foreign and domestic earnings.  During the three months ended December 31, 2011, the Company continued to record a full valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets located in the U.S. and certain foreign jurisdictions as it is more likely than not that these assets will not be realized based on historical performance.  One of the Company's Chinese subsidiaries has an $846 valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets as a result of its cumulative loss position.  The potential release of its valuation allowance may occur within the next fiscal year.

Accounting policies for interim reporting require the Company to adjust its effective tax rate each quarter to be consistent with the estimated annual effective tax rate.  Under this effective tax rate methodology, the Company applies an estimated annual income tax rate to its year-to-date ordinary earnings to derive its income tax provision each quarter.  The tax impact of certain significant, unusual or infrequently occurring items must be recorded in the interim period in which they occur. For the nine months ended December 31, 2011, the U.S. taxing jurisdiction had year-to-date pre-tax earnings and is also forecasting pre-tax earnings for the full fiscal year.  As a result, the U.S. taxing jurisdiction is no longer considered on a discrete basis but is included in the overall annual effective tax rate methodology.  The impact of the Company's operations in Germany, Austria and certain other foreign locations continue to be excluded from the overall effective tax rate methodology and recorded discretely based upon year-to-date results as these operations anticipate net operating losses for the year for which no tax benefit can be recognized.  The income taxes for the Company's other foreign operations continue to be estimated under the overall effective tax rate methodology.
 
During fiscal 2005, a German lower court ruling disallowed certain deductions for trade tax purposes.  Based on this ruling, the Company established an uncertain tax position contingency for additional trade tax liability and interest.  During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, the German Supreme Court affirmed the lower court finding.  As a result, the uncertain tax position contingency was reversed and amended tax returns for the fiscal years 2005 through 2010 were filed resulting in an income tax payable for taxes and interest owed of $2,671.  During the nine months ended December 31, 2011, a benefit for income taxes of $73 was recorded based on the finalization of the amended tax returns.

The gross liability for unrecognized tax benefits increased during the quarter by $1,650. This had a minimal impact on the effective tax rate as the majority of the liability relates to taxing jurisdictions with a valuation allowance.  The Company does not anticipate the gross liability for unrecognized tax benefits to significantly change in the next twelve months other than that which will result from the expiration of the applicable statutes of limitation.  The Company files income tax returns in multiple jurisdictions and is subject to examination by taxing authorities throughout the world.  During the three months ended December 31, 2011, the Company was notified of a tax audit in Germany commencing in fiscal year 2013 covering fiscal years 2006 through 2010.