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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]
8. INCOME TAXES

 We are required to adjust our effective tax rate each quarter to estimate our annual effective tax rate. We must also record the tax impact of certain discrete, unusual or infrequently occurring items, including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and effects of changes in tax laws or rates, in the interim period in which they occur. In addition, jurisdictions with a projected loss for the year or a year-to-date loss where no tax benefit can be recognized are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate. The impact of such an exclusion could result in a higher or lower effective tax rate during a particular quarter, based upon the mix and timing of actual earnings versus annual projections.

Income tax expense was $9.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2015 as compared to $7.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2014.  Our effective income tax rate was 14.8% in the first quarter of 2015 as compared to 17.3% in the first quarter of 2014. Our income tax expense and effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014 primarily reflect favorable foreign tax rates, along with our inability to realize a tax benefit for current foreign losses.

Our income tax expense and effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 also reflect a tax benefit of $1.0 million related to the settlement of the IRS audits for 2010 and 2011.

Based on the status of the audits outside the U.S., and the protocol of finalizing audits by the relevant tax authorities, it is not possible to estimate the impact of changes, if any, to previously recorded uncertain tax positions or predict the timing of the conclusion of all ongoing audits with certainty. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we have recorded a liability for unrecognized income tax benefits and related interest and penalties of $60.8 million and $59.5 million, respectively. We anticipate that the current 2007 through 2009 audits with the Mexican tax authorities will be completed before the end of 2015 and will result in a cash payment to the tax authorities.

Although it is difficult to estimate with certainty the amount of an audit settlement for the years currently under audit, we do not expect the settlement will be materially different from what we have recorded in unrecognized tax benefits. We will continue to monitor the progress and conclusions of all ongoing audits and will adjust our estimated liability as necessary.