INCOME TAXES

The Company's provision for income taxes represents federal, foreign, state and local income taxes. The Company's effective tax rate differs from the applicable federal statutory rate due to the effect of state and local income taxes, tax rates and income in foreign jurisdictions, foreign earnings taxable in the U.S., the limitation on the deductibility of interest, valuation allowances and other items. The Company’s tax provision changes quarterly based on various factors including, but not limited to, the geographical level and mix of earnings; enacted tax legislation; foreign, state and local income taxes; tax audit settlements and the interaction of various global tax strategies.

The Company recorded a provision for income taxes of $0.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and a benefit from incomes taxes of $1.6 million for three months ended March 31, 2018, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company concluded that the use of the discrete method was more appropriate than the annual effective tax rate method, because the annual effective tax rate method would not be reliable due to its sensitivity to minimal changes in forecasted annual pre-tax earnings. For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the tax rate at the end of the period was calculated using an estimate of the annual effective tax rate expected for the full fiscal year. The $1.7 million increase in the Company's provision for income taxes in the three months ended March 31, 2019, as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2018, was primarily due to: (i) the decreased loss from continuing operations before income taxes; (ii) the mix and level of earnings; (iii) valuation allowances recorded in the current quarter; (iv) the limitation on the deductibility of interest; and (v) the U.S. tax on the Company's foreign earnings.

The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2019 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21%, primarily due to the valuation allowance related to limitation on the deductibility of interest and the U.S. tax on the Company's foreign earnings.

The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2018 was lower than the federal statutory rate of 21% as a result of nondeductible expenses for interest and executive compensation, as well as the U.S. taxation of the Company's foreign earnings under the GILTI provisions of the Tax Act, partially offset by the impact of reducing the Company's liability under APB 23.

The Company expects that its tax provision and effective tax rate in any individual quarter and year-to-date period will vary and may not be indicative of the Company's tax provision and effective tax rate for the full year.

As of the first quarter of 2019, the Company concluded that, based on its evaluation of objective verifiable evidence, it does not require a valuation allowance on its federal deferred tax assets, other than those associated with the limitation on the deductibility of interest. The Company does have a valuation allowance on deferred tax assets associated with its activity in certain U.S. states and foreign jurisdictions. These conclusions regarding the establishment of valuation allowances on the Company's deferred tax assets as of the first quarter of 2019 are consistent with the Company's conclusions on such matters as of the end of 2018. However, if the Company does not generate sufficient taxable income in future periods, its deferred tax assets may not be realizable on a more-likely-than-not basis, which would result in the Company having to establish an additional valuation allowance against its deferred tax assets. The Company will continue to assess all available evidence, both negative and positive, to determine whether such additional valuation allowance is warranted.

For a further discussion, see Note 15, "Income Taxes," to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Revlon's 2018 Form 10-K and Item 1A. “Risk Factors-Uncertainties in the interpretation and application of the U.S. income tax provisions could have a material impact on the Company's financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows” in Revlon's 2018 Form 10-K.