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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]
10.
Income Taxes
Income Tax Audits
 
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. Returns for the year since 2012 are still open based on statutes of limitation only.
 
Chinese tax authorities have performed limited reviews on all Chinese subsidiaries as of tax years 2008 through 2015 with no significant issues noted and we believe our tax positions are reasonably stated as of July 31, 2016. Weifang Meiyang Products Co., Ltd., (“Meiyang”), one of our Chinese operations, was changed to a trading company from a manufacturing company in Q1 FY16 and all direct workers and equipment were transferred from Meiyang to Weifang Lakeland Safety Products Co., Ltd., (“WF”), another of our Chinese operation thereby reducing our tax exposure.
 
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 Lakeland Protective Wear, Inc.’s tax situation is reasonably stated in accordance with US GAAP, and we do not anticipate future tax liability.
 
In connection with the exit from Brazil as described in Note 15, the Company claimed a worthless stock deduction which generated a tax benefit of approximately US $9.5 million, net of a US $2.9 million valuation allowance. While the Company and its tax advisors believe that this deduction is valid, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge it and, if challenged, there is no assurance that the Company will prevail.
 
Except in Canada, and as set forth in the next paragraph, it is our practice and intention to reinvest the earnings of our non-US subsidiaries in their operations. As of July 31, 2016, the Company had not made a provision for US or additional foreign withholding taxes on approximately $23.1 million of the excess of the amount for financial reporting over the tax basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries that are essentially permanent in duration ($22.3 million at January 31, 2016). Generally, such amounts become subject to US taxation upon remittance of dividends and under certain other circumstances. If theses earnings were repatriated to the US, the deferred tax liability associated with these temporary differences would be approximately $3.2 million at July 31, 2016.
 
The Company’s Board of Directors has instituted a plan to pay annual dividends of $1.0 million to the Company from Weifang’s future profits, 33% of Meiyang’s future profits and 50% of the UK’s future profits starting in FY15 and $1.0 million from Beijing’s future profits starting 2016. All other retained earnings are expected to be reinvested indefinitely.
 
Change in Valuation Allowance
We record net deferred tax assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. The valuation allowance was $2.9 million at July 31, 2016 and January 31, 2016.
 
Income Tax Expense 
Income tax expenses consist of federal, state and foreign income taxes.