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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes

For interim tax reporting, we estimate our annual effective tax rate and apply it to our year-to-date ordinary income. Tax jurisdictions with a projected or year-to-date loss for which a tax benefit cannot be realized are excluded from the annualized effective tax rate. The tax effects of unusual or infrequently occurring items, including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and effects of changes in tax laws or rates, are reported in the interim period in which they occur.

Our effective tax rate was 29.3 percent for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, compared to 25.8 percent for the quarter ended March 31, 2014. Our effective tax rate differs from the United States statutory tax rate primarily due to valuation allowances, earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, foreign withholding tax, accruals related to uncertain tax positions, and tax planning structures. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively, of gross unrecognized tax benefits, exclusive of interest and penalties. During the quarter ended March 31, 2015, we recorded a tax benefit, exclusive of interest and penalties, of $0.2 million.

FASB ASC 740-20, "Income Taxes - Intraperiod Tax Allocation," requires that the provision for income taxes be allocated between continuing operations and other categories of earnings (such as discontinued operations or other comprehensive income) for each tax jurisdiction. For periods in which there is a year-to-date pre-tax loss from continuing operations and pre-tax income in other categories of earnings, the tax provision is first allocated to the other categories of earnings. A related tax benefit is then recorded in continuing operations. There was no such tax benefit recorded in our income tax provision for the quarter ended March 31, 2015. A tax benefit of $0.6 million was recorded in our income tax provision for quarter ended March 31, 2014.

In the U.S., the Netherlands and Portugal, we have recorded either full or partial valuation allowances against our deferred income tax assets. We review the need for valuation allowances on a quarterly basis in order to assess the likelihood of the realization of our deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for recording or reversing a valuation allowance, we weigh all available positive and negative evidence. Examples of the evidence we consider are cumulative losses in recent years, losses expected in early future years, a history of potential tax benefits expiring unused, prudent and feasible tax planning strategies that could be implemented, and whether there were unusual, infrequent or extraordinary items to be considered.

At March 31, 2015, we continued to record full valuation allowances in the U.S. and the Netherlands of approximately $56.0 million and $10.0 million, respectively. While we have experienced some positive trends recently with our improved financial performance, management continues to conclude that the negative evidence outweighs the positive. If operations in these jurisdictions generate profits and taxable income throughout 2015 and expectations are for continued profitability for 2016 and beyond, we may have sufficient evidence to release all or a portion of our valuation allowances.