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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES
INCOME TAXES
The Company’s net unrecognized tax benefits totaled approximately $44.0 million and $66.9 million as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. All amounts included in the balance at June 30, 2015 for tax positions would affect the annual effective tax rate. The Company has $0.3 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties as of June 30, 2015.
The Company and one or more of its subsidiaries is subject to federal income taxes in the United States, as well as income taxes of multiple state and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2013. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to state and local tax or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for years prior to 2011.
During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) concluded its field examination of the Company’s 2011 and 2012 tax years and issued proposed adjustments primarily related to transfer pricing and the research and development tax credit. In June 2015, the Company finalized its tax deficiency calculations and formally closed the audit with the IRS for the 2011 and 2012 tax years. As a result, the Company recognized a net tax benefit of $20.3 million during the period related to the settlement.
In the ordinary course of global business, there are transactions for which the ultimate tax outcome is uncertain; thus, judgment is required in determining the worldwide provision for income taxes. The Company provides for income taxes on transactions based on its estimate of the probable liability. The Company adjusts its provision as appropriate for changes that impact its underlying judgments. Changes that impact provision estimates include such items as jurisdictional interpretations on tax filing positions based on the results of tax audits and general tax authority rulings. Due to the evolving nature of tax rules combined with the large number of jurisdictions in which the Company operates, it is possible that the Company’s estimates of its tax liability and the realizability of its deferred tax assets could change in the future, which may result in additional tax liabilities and adversely affect the Company’s results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
At June 30, 2015, the Company had approximately $121.3 million in net deferred tax assets. The authoritative guidance requires a valuation allowance to reduce the deferred tax assets reported if, based on the weight of the evidence, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company reviews deferred tax assets periodically for recoverability and makes estimates and judgments regarding the expected geographic sources of taxable income and gains from investments, as well as tax planning strategies in assessing the need for a valuation allowance. During the quarter ended June 30, 2015, the Company recognized $3.8 million of tax expense due to a change in the Company's valuation allowance.
The Company is required to estimate its income taxes in each of the jurisdictions in which it operates as part of the process of preparing its condensed consolidated financial statements. The Company maintains certain strategic management and operational activities in overseas subsidiaries and its foreign earnings are taxed at rates that are generally lower than in the United States. The Company does not expect to remit earnings from its foreign subsidiaries. The Company’s effective tax rate was approximately 6.7% and (3.9)% for the three months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively and 9.7% and 9.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The increase in the effective tax rate when comparing the three months ended June 30, 2015 to the three months ended June 30, 2014 was due to an increase in income before taxes driven by impairment charges recorded in the second quarter of 2014 in relation to certain intangible assets and a change in the Company's valuation allowance. Partially offsetting these increases was the impact of settling the IRS examination for the tax years 2011 and 2012 that closed during the three months ended June 30, 2015.
The Company’s effective tax rate generally differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35% due primarily to lower tax rates on earnings generated by the Company’s foreign operations that are taxed primarily in Switzerland. The Company has not provided for U.S. taxes for those earnings because it plans to reinvest all of those earnings indefinitely outside the United States. From time to time, there may be other items that impact our effective tax rate, such as the items specific to the current period discussed above.