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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes:
The effective income tax rate for the three-month period ended March 31, 2018 was 14.7%, compared to 22.4% for the three-month period ended March 31, 2017. The Company’s effective income tax rate fluctuates based on, among other factors, its level and location of income. The difference between the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 21% and our effective income tax rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2018 was impacted by a variety of factors, primarily stemming from discrete tax benefits related to adjustments recorded for the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) as noted below and excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements. The difference between the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate of 35% and our effective income tax rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2017 was primarily due to the impact of earnings from outside the U.S., and is mainly attributable to our share of the income of our Jordan Bromine Company Limited (“JBC”) joint venture, a Free Zones company under the laws of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
In connection with the TCJA, we recorded a provisional amount of income tax expense of $429.2 million related to the one-time transition tax and income tax benefit of $62.3 million related to the remeasurement of deferred tax balances for the year ended December 31, 2017. In accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 118, the effects of the TCJA may be adjusted within a one-year measurement period from the enactment date for the items that were previously reported as provisional, or where a provisional estimate could not be made. The income tax provision for the three-months ended March 31, 2018 reflected a discrete tax benefit of $2.8 million related to an adjustment of our estimate of the one-time transition tax and a discrete tax benefit of $3.7 million related to other provisions of the TCJA. The effective income tax rate for the three-months ended March 31, 2018, included a $3.0 million tax expense on global intangible low-taxed income enacted by the TCJA. For the global intangible low-taxed income provisions of the TCJA, we have not yet elected an accounting policy with respect to either recognizing deferred taxes for basis differences expected to impact global intangible low-taxed income, or to record such as period costs if and when incurred. We also continue to evaluate our indefinite reinvestment assertion as a result of the TCJA. We will continue to assess forthcoming guidance and accounting interpretations on the effects of the TCJA and expect to finalize our analysis within the measurement period in accordance with the SEC guidance.