Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2013
Income Taxes	Note 8. Income Taxes Silgan and its subsidiaries file U.S. Federal income tax returns, as well as income tax returns in various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, has concluded its review of tax years 2004 through 2007 for us, and the final resolution of those years is pending the review of the Joint Committee on Taxation. The IRS has commenced an examination of Silgan’s income tax returns for the tax years 2008 through 2011. As previously disclosed in our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, it is reasonably possible that all or a portion of the IRS audit will be closed in the next twelve months, which may result in a significant decrease to the amount of our unrecognized tax benefits. Due to the ongoing nature of these audits, the number of years involved, the number of discrete issues under review and the unpredictability of the Joint Committee on Taxation review process, we are unable to estimate the amount of this potential decrease.

Income Taxes

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Note 8. Income Taxes

Silgan and its subsidiaries file U.S. Federal income tax returns, as well as income tax returns in various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, has concluded its review of tax years 2004 through 2007 for us, and the final resolution of those years is pending the review of the Joint Committee on Taxation. The IRS has commenced an examination of Silgan’s income tax returns for the tax years 2008 through 2011. As previously disclosed in our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, it is reasonably possible that all or a portion of the IRS audit will be closed in the next twelve months, which may result in a significant decrease to the amount of our unrecognized tax benefits. Due to the ongoing nature of these audits, the number of years involved, the number of discrete issues under review and the unpredictability of the Joint Committee on Taxation review process, we are unable to estimate the amount of this potential decrease.