Income Taxes

The following table presents the Company's income tax expense and effective income tax rate for the periods presented:



	Three months ended March 31,
(in millions)	2016			2015
Income tax expense	$	5		$	3
Effective income tax rate	(500		)%	(5		)%

The effective tax rates for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 were different from the statutory rate as a result of the Company's inability to recognize tax benefits attributable to its domestic losses while at the same time recording tax expense on its foreign earnings. The Company's tax expense was also impacted by the Company not recording tax expense on noncontrolling interests from pass through entities. Additionally, the near break-even pretax loss for the period ended March 31, 2016 amplifies variations between the effective income tax rate and the statutory tax rate in the same period.

The Company's liability for unrecognized tax benefits was approximately $246 million as of March 31, 2016. The Company anticipates it is reasonably possible that the liability for unrecognized tax benefits may decrease by up to $123 million over the next twelve months beginning March 31, 2016 as a result of the possible closure of federal tax audits, potential settlements with certain states and foreign countries and the lapse of the statute of limitations in various state and foreign jurisdictions.