Income Tax Audit / Change in Accounting Estimate

9 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

10.  Income Tax Audit/Change in Accounting Estimate

The Company establishes a liability for tax return positions in which there is uncertainty as to whether or not the position will ultimately be sustained. Amounts for uncertain tax positions are adjusted in quarters when new information becomes available or when positions are effectively settled. The Company recognizes interest expense and penalties related to these unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense.

The Company is subject to US federal income tax, as well as income tax in multiple US state and local jurisdictions and a number of foreign jurisdictions. The Company’s federal income tax returns for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 have been audited by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). The Company has received a final “No Change Letter” from the IRS for FY07 dated August 20, 2009. The Company has received notice from the IRS on March 21, 2011, that it will shortly commence an audit for the FY09 tax return.

Our three major foreign tax jurisdictions are China, Canada and Brazil. According to China tax regulatory framework, there is no statute of limitations on fraud or any criminal activities to deceive tax authorities. However, the general practice is going back five years, and general practice for records maintenance is 15 years. Our China subsidiaries were audited during the tax year 2007 for the tax years 2006, 2005 and 2004. Those audits were conducted in the ordinary course of business. China tax authorities did not perform tax audits in the ordinary course of business during tax years 2008, 2009, 2010 or during the current year as of current filing date. China tax authorities performed a fraud audit, but the scope was limited to the fraud activities found in late FY09 as discussed more fully in Note 15 to the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2010. This audit covered tax years from 2003 through 2008. We have reached a settlement with the Chinese Government in January 2009. China tax authorities have performed limited reviews on all China subsidiaries as of tax years 2008, 2009 and 2010 with no significant issues noted. We believe our tax positions are reasonably stated, and we do not anticipate any future tax liability from FY12 or earlier operations.

Lakeland Protective Wear, Inc., our Canadian subsidiary, follows Canada tax regulatory framework recording its tax expense and tax deferred assets or liabilities. As of this statement filing date, we believe the Company’s tax situation is reasonably stated, and we do not anticipate future tax liability.

The Company’s Brazilian subsidiary  is currently under a tax audit, which raised some issues regarding the tax impact related to the merger held in 2008 and the resulting goodwill resulting from the structure which was set up at the company's Brazilian counsel's suggestion. The Company has not received any formal communication from the authorities. Since there is no formal claim received, and there may not be such a claim in any case, management and counsel are at this time and are unable to determine the likely outcome of any such potential claim and whether it is probable, possible or remote that any significant liability might be incurred. However, this structure is relatively common in acquisitions of Brazilian operations made by non-Brazilian companies. In general, acquisitions with this structure have survived challenge by the taxing authorities in Brazil. The cumulative amount of tax benefits recognized on the company’s books through October 31, 2011, resulting from the tax deduction of the goodwill amortization is USD$730,000.