Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes. On December 22, 2017, the 2017 Tax Act was signed into law. At December 31, 2017, we recorded a provisional net tax benefit related to the remeasurement of deferred taxes and a one-time tax expense for the transition tax. In accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin 118, income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Act may be refined upon obtaining, preparing, and/or analyzing additional information during the measurement period and such changes could be material. During the measurement period, provisional amounts may also be adjusted for the effects, if any, of interpretative guidance issued after December 31, 2017 by U.S. regulatory and standard-setting bodies. As of September 30, 2018, the amounts recorded for the 2017 Tax Act remain provisional and may be impacted by further analysis and subsequently issued guidance.

For tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, the 2017 Tax Act introduces new provisions of U.S. taxation of certain Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”). We have not yet determined our policy election with respect to whether to record deferred taxes for temporary basis differences expected to reverse as GILTI in future periods, or account for taxes on GILTI using the period cost method. We have, however, included an estimate of the current GILTI impact in our tax provision for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018.

Our non-U.S. earnings are currently considered as indefinitely reinvested overseas. Previously, any repatriation by way of a dividend may have been subject to both U.S. federal and state income taxes, as adjusted for any non-U.S. tax credits. Under the 2017 Tax Act, such dividends should no longer be subject to U.S. federal tax. We are still analyzing how the 2017 Tax Act impacts our existing accounting position to indefinitely reinvest foreign earnings and have yet to determine whether we plan to change our position. We will record the tax effects of any change to our existing assertion in the period that we complete our analysis. If such earnings were to be distributed, any foreign withholding taxes could be material.

Our provision for income taxes for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was a tax expense of approximately $2.8 million and $1.4 million, respectively, which resulted in an effective tax rate of 14.3% and (61.9)%, respectively. The change in the effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2018 compared to the third quarter of 2017 is primarily due to the discrete tax impact of the in-process research and development charge attributable to the IntelliMedical acquisition completed in the third quarter of 2017, which is not deductible for tax purposes.

Our provision for income taxes for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017 was a tax expense of approximately $4.5 million and $3.9 million, respectively, which resulted in an effective tax rate of 12.0% and 15.8%, respectively. The decrease in the effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the corresponding period of 2017 was primarily due to a discrete tax benefit related to share-based payment awards.