The Company recorded an income tax provision (benefit) as follows (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended
	April 3, 2020			March 29, 2019
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	$	(1,158	)	$	489

The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $1,158,000 for the three months ended April 3, 2020 due to the income tax benefit from the release of its U.S. valuation allowance, offset by income tax expense from profits generated from its foreign operations. The Company recorded income taxes of $489,000 for the three months ended March 29, 2019, primarily due to pre-tax income generated in certain foreign jurisdictions and withholding taxes on foreign operations. The Company’s quarterly provision for income taxes is determined by estimating an annual effective tax rate. This estimate may fluctuate throughout the year as new information becomes available affecting its underlying assumptions. In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2019, the Company reversed all previously recorded withholding taxes recorded for 2019, at which time the Company formed STAAR Surgical UK Limited as a holding company for its foreign operations. Based on the current tax treaties between the U.S., United Kingdom and Switzerland, the Company will no longer accrue for Switzerland withholding taxes on foreign earnings after fiscal 2018 (see also Note 10 in its fiscal 2019 Form 10-K for more information). There are no unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions taken by the Company. All earnings from the Company’s subsidiaries are not considered to be permanently reinvested.

The 2017 Tax Act subjects a U.S. shareholder to tax on Global Intangible Low Tax Income (“GILTI”) earned by certain foreign subsidiaries. In general, GILTI is the excess of a U.S. shareholder’s total net foreign income over a deemed return on tangible assets. The provision further allows a deduction of 50 percent of GILTI, however this deduction is limited by the Company’s U.S. taxable income. The Company has elected to account for GILTI as a current period expense when incurred.

The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon future generation of income during the periods in which temporary differences representing net future deductible amounts become deductible. Management considers the projected future income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. As of fiscal year end 2019, the Company had three years of accumulated profits for federal income tax purposes as a result of GILTI. However, the three-year income position is not solely determinative and, accordingly, management considers all other available positive and negative evidence in its analysis. This includes existing profits in foreign jurisdiction as well as projected future profits. As further described in Notes 1 and 10 of the Company’s fiscal 2019 Form 10-K, under the “incremental cash tax savings approach,” the Company recorded a valuation allowance release of $3,003,000 and $373,000 against the federal and certain states deferred tax assets, respectively. During the three months ended April 3, 2020, the Company revised its global forecasts as a result of COVID-19, and released an additional $1,369,000 of valuation allowance. As of April 3, 2020, the Company released approximately $4,745,000 of valuation allowance on its deferred tax assets in the U.S. jurisdiction utilizing the incremental cash tax savings approach.

Under the incremental cash tax savings approach, the U.S. valuation allowances of $36,272,000, will remain as the usage of the remaining net operating losses and deferred tax assets will not result in cash tax savings and therefore provide no additional benefit. As of April 3, 2020, the Company had net deferred tax assets in the U.S. of $4,881,000, which consisted of the federal and state valuation allowance release of $4,439,000 and $306,000, respectively, and the refundable alternative minimum tax credit of $136,000.

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted and signed into law. The Company reviewed the provisions of the CARES Act, but does not expect it to have a material impact to its tax provision (also see note 15).