9. INCOME TAXES

At December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company has approximately $2.2 million and $2.7 million, respectively, of liabilities for uncertain tax positions ($1.0 million and $0.5 million, respectively, included in income taxes payable and $1.2 million and $2.2 million, respectively, included in liability for uncertain tax positions) all of which, if recognized, would reduce the Company’s effective tax rate.

The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal examinations by tax authorities for years before 2010 and for state examinations before 2007. Regarding foreign subsidiaries, the Company is no longer subject to examination by tax authorities for years before 2006 in Asia and generally 2006 in Europe. During September 2010 and April 2011, the Company was notified of an Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) tax audit for the years ended December 31, 2004 through 2009. The Company settled the domestic and international audits with the IRS for an amount due to the IRS of $0.1 million, net of interest income paid by the IRS to the Company. Additionally, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Germany was subject to a tax audit for the tax years 2008 through 2010. This audit has been completed and resulted in a minimal tax assessment.

As a result of the expiration of the statute of limitations for specific jurisdictions, it is reasonably possible that the related unrecognized benefits for tax positions taken regarding previously filed tax returns may change materially from those recorded as liabilities for uncertain tax positions in the Company’s consolidated financial statements at December 31, 2013. A total of $1.0 million of previously recorded liabilities for uncertain tax positions relates principally to the 2010 tax year. The statute of limitations related to these liabilities is scheduled to expire on September 15, 2014. Additionally, a total of $0.5 million and $2.6 million of previously recorded liabilities for uncertain tax positions, interest and penalties relating to the 2006 and 2009 tax years and the 2007 through 2009 tax years, respectively, were reversed during the year ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. This was offset in part by an increase in the liability for uncertain tax positions in the amount of $1.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2012.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of the liability for uncertain tax positions is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	2013			2012			2011
Liability for uncertain tax positions - January 1	$	2,711		$	4,132		$	3,835
Additions based on tax positions
related to the current year		28			1,221			297
Settlement/expiration of statutes of limitations		(550	)		(2,642	)		-
Liability for uncertain tax positions - December 31	$	2,189		$	2,711		$	4,132

The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits arising from uncertain tax positions as a component of the current provision for income taxes. During the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2011, the Company recognized an immaterial amount and approximately $0.2 million, respectively, in interest and penalties in the consolidated statements of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recognized a benefit of $0.5 million for the reversal of such interest and penalties. The Company has approximately $0.2 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at each of December 31, 2013 and 2012, which is included in both income taxes payable and liability for uncertain tax positions in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

The Company’s total earnings (loss) before (benefit) provision for income taxes included earnings (loss) from domestic operations of $(1.2) million, $0.4 million and $9.6 million for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and earnings (loss) before (benefit) provision for income taxes from foreign operations of $16.3 million, $0.6 million and ($1.7) million for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

The (benefit) provision for income taxes consists of the following (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2013			2012			2011
Current:
Federal	$	(1,099	)	$	(459	)	$	2,585
Foreign		1,120			241			478
State		113			76			362
		134			(142	)		3,425
Deferred:
Federal		(865	)		(807	)		599
State		65			(58	)		102
Foreign		(77	)		(369	)		(18	)
		(877	)		(1,234	)		683

	$	(743	)	$	(1,376	)	$	4,108

A reconciliation of taxes on income computed at the U.S. federal statutory rate to amounts provided is as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2013					2012					2011
	$			%		$			%		$			%
Tax provision computed at the
federal statutory rate	$	5,309		35	%	$	339		34	%	$	2,676		34	%
Increase (decrease) in taxes resulting from:
Different tax rates and permanent differences
applicable to foreign operations		(4,677	)	(31	%)		(306	)	(31	%)		1,526		19	%

Increase in (reversal of) liability for uncertain
tax positions - net		(522	)	(3	%)		(1,421	)	(143	%)		297		4	%

Utilization of research and development, solar and foreign
tax credits		(1,049	)	(7	%)		-		0	%		(762	)	(10	%)

State taxes, net of federal benefit		117		1	%		-		0	%		341		4	%

Current year valuation allowance - U.S. segment		49		0	%		298		30	%		-		0	%

Permanent differences applicable to U.S. operations,
including qualified production activity credits,
SERP/COLI income, unrealized foreign exchange gains
and amortization of purchase accounting intangibles		(91	)	(1	%)		(260	)	(26	%)		44		1	%

Other		121		1	%		(26	)	(3	%)		(14	)	(0	%)
Tax (benefit) provision computed at the Company's
effective tax rate	$	(743	)	(5	%)	$	(1,376	)	(138	%)	$	4,108		52	%

The Company holds an offshore business license from the government of Macao. With this license, a Macao offshore company named Bel Fuse (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited has been established to handle all of the Company’s sales to third-party customers in Asia. Sales by this company consist of products manufactured in the PRC. This company is not subject to Macao corporate profit taxes which are imposed at a tax rate of 12%. Additionally, the Company established TRP International, a China Business Trust (“CBT”), when it acquired the TRP group, as previously discussed. Sales by the CBT consists of products manufactured in the PRC and sold to third-party customers inside and outside Asia. The CBT is not subject to PRC income taxes, which are generally imposed at a tax rate of 25%.

As of December 31, 2013, the Company has gross foreign income tax net operating losses (“NOL”) of $2.7 million and capital loss carryforwards of $0.2 million which amount to a total of $0.6 million of deferred tax assets. The Company has established valuation allowances totaling $0.6 million against these deferred tax assets. In addition, the Company has gross federal and state income tax NOLs of $10.7 million, including $5.4 million of NOLs acquired from Array, which amount to $3.2 million of deferred tax assets; capital loss carryforwards of $1.0 million which amount to $0.3 million of deferred tax assets; and tax credit carryforwards of $2.2 million. The Company has established valuation allowances of $0.2 million, $0.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively, against these deferred tax assets. The foreign NOL's can be carried forward indefinitely, the NOL acquired from Array expires at various times during 2022 – 2031, the state NOL's expire at various times during 2014 – 2031 and the tax credit carryforwards expire at various times during 2025 - 2034.

Upon the acquisition of TRP, TRP had a deferred tax asset in the amount of $2.2 million arising from various timing differences related to depreciation and accrued expenses. Upon the acquisition of Array, Array had a deferred tax liability of $0.7 million arising from timing differences related to depreciation and a deferred tax asset of $0.9 million arising from the NOL acquired. In connection with the 2013 acquisitions, the Company was required to complete a preliminary fair market value report of property, plant and equipment and intangibles. As a result of that report, the Company established deferred tax liabilities at the date of acquisition in the amount of $0.6 million and $1.0 million respectively for TRP and Array acquisitions. At December 31, 2013, a net deferred tax asset of $2.0 million remains on the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company does not intend to make any election to step up the tax basis of the 2013 acquisitions to fair value under IRC Section 338(g) and 338(h).

Upon the acquisition of Fibreco, Fibreco had a deferred tax liability in the amount of $0.1 million arising from various timing differences. In connection with the 2012 Acquisitions, the Company was required to complete a fair market value report of property, plant and equipment and intangibles. As a result of that report, the Company established deferred tax liabilities at the date of acquisition in the amount of $1.7 million, $0.6 and $0.4 million, respectively for the Fibreco, GigaCom and Powerbox acquisitions. At December 31, 2013, a deferred tax liability of $2.4 million remains on the consolidated balance sheet.

The Company has made elections under Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Section 338(g) to step-up the tax basis of the 2012 Acquisitions to fair value. The elections made under Section 338(g) affect only the U.S. income taxes (not those of the foreign countries where the acquired entities were incorporated).

It is the Company’s intention to repatriate substantially all net income from its wholly owned PRC subsidiary, DG Transpower, a Chinese Limited Liability Company, to its direct Hong Kong parent Transpower Technologies (Hong Kong) Ltd. Applicable income and dividend withholding taxes have been reflected in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2013. However, U.S. deferred taxes need not be provided under current U.S. tax law. Management’s intention is to permanently reinvest the majority of the remaining earnings of foreign subsidiaries in the expansion of its foreign operations. Unrepatriated earnings, upon which U.S. income taxes have not been accrued, are approximately $109 million at December 31, 2013. Such unrepatriated earnings are deemed by management to be permanently reinvested. The estimated federal income tax liability (net of estimated foreign tax credits) related to unrepatriated foreign earnings is $26 million under the current tax law.

Components of deferred income tax assets are as follows (dollars in thousands).

	December 31,
	2013			2012
	Tax Effect			Tax Effect
Deferred Tax Assets - current:
State tax credits	$	915		$	848
Reserves and accruals		2,020			1,334
Federal net operating loss carryforward		790			-
Other accruals		86			-
Valuation allowance		(816	)		(745	)
	$	2,995		$	1,437

Deferred Tax Assets - noncurrent:
Unfunded pension liability	$	668		$	1,150
Depreciation		(83	)		(426	)
Amortization		(4,065	)		(2,457	)
Federal, state and foreign net operating loss
and credit carryforwards		3,844			1,114
Restructuring expenses		-			319
Other accruals		2,455			2,438
Valuation allowances		(1,139	)		(1,129	)
	$	1,680		$	1,009

On January 2, 2013, President Obama signed the “American Taxpayer Relief Act” (“ATRA”). Among other things, ATRA extends the Research and Experimentation credit (“R&E”), which expired at the end of 2011, through 2013 and 2014, respectively. Under ASC 740, Income Taxes, the effects of the new legislation are recognized upon enactment, which is when the President signs a tax bill into law. Although the extenders were effective retroactively for 2012, the Company could only consider currently enacted tax law as of the balance sheet date in determining current and deferred taxes at December 31, 2012.

The Company continues to monitor proposed legislation affecting the taxation of transfers of U.S. intangible property and other potential tax law changes.