Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

May 31, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

Income Taxes

Our income tax provision for the second quarter of fiscal years 2019 and 2018 reflects our estimate of the effective tax rates expected to be applicable for the full fiscal years, adjusted for any discrete events which are recorded in the period in which they occur. The estimates are reevaluated each quarter based on our estimated tax expense for the full fiscal year.

Certain international provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became effective for us in fiscal year 2019. The global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) provisions require us to include in our U.S. income tax base foreign subsidiary earnings in excess of an allowable return of the foreign subsidiary’s tangible assets. We expect to be subject to incremental U.S. tax resulting from GILTI inclusions in fiscal year 2019, but we do not expect the impact to be material.

Our effective income tax rate was 34% in the second quarter of fiscal year 2019 compared to 25% in the second quarter of fiscal year 2018, and 32% in the first six months of fiscal year 2019 compared to 23% in the same period last year. The primary reason for the increase in the effective rate as compared to the prior quarter is during the second quarter of 2019 we reevaluated our estimates of the impact of certain international provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that resulted in an increase in the effective tax rate for fiscal year 2019. In addition, we recorded a provisional tax benefit amount of $1.4 million in the three months ended February 28, 2018 related to the re-measurement of our U.S. deferred tax balance due to enactment of tax reform in the U.S. that lowered the federal corporate tax rate, which is driving the change over prior year rates.

Our Federal income tax returns have been examined or are closed by statute for all years prior to fiscal year 2015. Our state income tax returns have been examined or are closed by statute for all years prior to fiscal year 2013.

Tax authorities for certain non-U.S. jurisdictions are also examining returns. With some exceptions, we are generally not subject to tax examinations in non-U.S. jurisdictions for years prior to fiscal year 2013.