13.

Income taxes

Income from continuing operations before provision for income taxes consisted of:


	Year Ended December 31,
(US$ in thousands)	2012		2011		2010
U.S.	$	67,692	$	16,996	$	48,405
Non-U.S.		15,036		2,445		1,959


	$	82,728	$	19,441	$	50,364

The provision for (benefit from) income taxes on continuing operations in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations consists of the following:


	Year Ended December 31,
(US$ in thousands)	2012			2011		2010
U.S.
Current	$	23,149		$	16,508	$	18,658
Deferred		(503	)		365		1,047

Total U.S		22,646			16,873		19,705
Non-U.S.
Current		5,800			3,208		948
Deferred		346			1,100		1,953

		6,146			4,308		2,901


Total tax expense	$	28,792		$	21,181	$	22,606

The tax effects of the significant temporary differences, which comprise the deferred tax assets and liabilities and assets, are as follows:


(US$ in thousands)	2012			2011
Intangible assets and goodwill	$	5,471		$	5,503
Inventories and related reserves		9,259			11,650
Accrued compensation		3,603			4,428
Allowance for doubtful accounts		7,302			4,025
Accrued interest		18,230			16,123
Net operating loss carryforwards		26,827			20,396
Other, net		987			846

		71,679			62,971
Valuation allowance		(26,125	)		(19,115	)


Deferred tax asset	$	45,554		$	43,856

Withholding taxes		(11,456	)		(9,778	)

Property, plant and equipment		(8,691	)		(8,923	)


Deferred tax liability		(20,147	)		(18,701	)

Net deferred tax assets	$	25,407		$	25,155

The valuation allowance as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 was $26.1 million and $19.1 million, respectively. The net increase in the valuation allowance of $7 million during the year principally relates to certain current period foreign losses not benefitted. The valuation allowance is attributable to net operating loss carryforwards and certain temporary differences in certain foreign jurisdictions, the benefit for which is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income in those foreign jurisdictions. In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. Based upon the level of historical taxable income and projections for future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, management believes it is more likely than not the Company will realize the benefits of these temporary differences, net of the existing valuation allowances at December 31, 2012.

The Company has state net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $21.5 million that begin to expire in 2013. The Company has net operating losses of foreign taxing jurisdictions of approximately $101.6 million with the majority of the losses related to the Company’s Netherlands operations expiring in various amounts in tax years beginning in 2013. The Company has provided a valuation allowance against a significant portion of these net operating loss carryforwards since it does not believe that this deferred tax asset can be realized prior to expiration.

The rate reconciliation for continuing operations presented below is based on the U.S. federal income tax rate, rather than the parent company’s country of domicile tax rate. Management believes, given the large proportion of taxable income earned in the United States, such disclosure is more meaningful.


(US$ in thousands, except percentages)	2012						2011						2010
	Amount			Percent			Amount			Percent			Amount			Percent
Statutory U.S. federal income tax rate	$	28,955			35.0	%	$	6,804			35.0	%	$	17,627			35.0	%
State taxes, net		1,946			2.4	%		1,981			10.2	%		2,093			4.2	%
Foreign rate differential		(2,749	)		(3.3	)%		1,204			6.2	%		280			0.6	%
Valuation allowance—foreign losses		6,833			8.3	%		4,254			21.9	%		3,644			7.2	%
SRL Intangible		(2,214	)		(2.7	)%		(2,421	)		(12.5	)%		(2,607	)		(5.2	)%
Domestic manufacturing deduction		(1,533	)		(1.9	)%		(1,316	)		(6.8	)%		(1,530	)		(3.0	)%
Settlement of U.S. Government resolutions		(1,260	)		(1.5	)%		9,745			50.1	%		—			0.0	%
Other items, net		(1,186	)		(1.5	)%		930			4.8	%		3,099			6.1	%


Income tax expense/effective rate	$	28,792			34.8	%	$	21,181			108.9	%	$	22,606			44.9	%

The effective tax rate of 34.8% for 2012 was impacted by change in the estimate of the tax deduction associated with the settlement of the U.S. Government investigation of the Company’s bone growth stimulation business. The income tax expense and effective tax rate for the year ended 2011 reflects a disproportionate ratio to the $28.8 million of income tax expense and effective tax rate of 34.8% for 2012. The Company did not record tax benefit on certain expenses associated with the Company’s estimate of the charges related to U.S. Government resolutions. The effective tax rate was approximately 36% in 2012 and 38% in 2011 excluding the impact of the charges related to the U.S. Government resolutions.

On January 2, 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (“Act”) was enacted. The Act provides tax relief for businesses by reinstating certain tax benefits and credits retroactively to January 1, 2012. There are several provisions of the Act that impact the Company, most notably the extension of the Research and Development credit. Income tax accounting rules require tax law changes to be recognized in the period of enactment; as such, the associated tax benefits of the Act will be recognized in the Company’s provision for income taxes in the first quarter of 2013.

The Company’s gross unrecognized tax benefit was $1.0 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The Company recognizes potential accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within its global operations in income tax expense. The Company had approximately $0.6 million and $0.5 million accrued for payment of interest and penalties as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

The entire amount of unrecognized tax benefits, including interest, would favorably impact the Company’s effective tax rate if recognized. As of December 31, 2012, the Company does not expect the amount of unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly over the next twelve months.

A reconciliation of the gross unrecognized tax benefits (excluding interest and penalties) for the years ended December 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 follows:


(US$ in thousands)	2012			2011
Balance as of January 1,	$	610		$	569
Additions for current year tax positions		581			86
Decreases for prior year tax positions		(106	)		(17	)
Expiration of statutes		(108	)		(28	)


Balance as of December 31,	$	977		$	610

The Company files a consolidated income tax return in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, the U.K., Italy and numerous consolidated and separate income tax returns in many state and other foreign jurisdictions. The statute of limitations with respect to federal tax authorities is closed for years prior to December 31, 2009. The statute of limitations for the various state tax filings is closed in most instances for the years prior to December 31, 2008. The statute of limitations with respect to the major foreign tax filing jurisdictions is closed for years prior to December 31, 2007.

The Company’s intention is to reinvest the total amount of its unremitted foreign earnings (residing outside Curaçao) in the local jurisdiction, to the extent they are generated and available, or to repatriate the earnings only when tax-effective. As such, the Company has not provided tax expense on $248 million of the unremitted earnings of its foreign subsidiaries. It is not practicable to determine the amounts of net additional income tax that may be payable if such earnings were repatriated.