Income taxes



	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2017			2016		2017			2016
Continuing operations
Provision for income taxes (in millions)	$	16.4		19.5		$	48.1		43.4
Effective tax rate	43.7		%	43.0	%	39.0		%	60.1	%

2017 Compared to U.S. Statutory Rate

The effective income tax rate on continuing operations in the first nine months of 2017 was greater than the 35% U.S. statutory tax rate primarily due to the impact of our Venezuelan operation’s earnings and related tax expense, including the nondeductible expenses resulting from the currency devaluation, partially offset by the significant tax benefits related to the distribution of share-based payments and an income tax benefit related to an Illinois legislative change. The other items that cause the rate to be higher than the U.S. statutory rate include the seasonality of book losses for which no tax benefit can be recorded, nondeductible expenses in Mexico, taxes on cross border payments and the characterization of a French business tax as an income tax, partially offset by the geographical mix of earnings and a French income tax credit.

2016 Compared to U.S. Statutory Rate

The effective income tax rate on continuing operations in the first nine months of 2016 was greater than the 35% U.S. statutory tax rate primarily due to the significant losses related to operations in the Republic of Ireland, for which no tax benefit can be recorded, and the nondeductible expenses resulting from the currency devaluation in Venezuela in the first nine months. The other items that cause the rate to be higher than the U.S. statutory rate include the seasonality of book losses for which no tax benefit can be recorded, nondeductible expenses in Mexico, taxes on undistributed earnings and the characterization of a French business tax as an income tax, partially offset by the geographical mix of earnings and a French income tax credit.