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INCOME TAXES
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES INCOME TAXES
Income tax expense for the three months ended September 30, 2021, was $73.9 million, or 16.0% of income before taxes, compared to $38.4 million, or 10.8% of income before taxes, for the three months ended September 30, 2020. Income tax expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, was $90.7 million, or 6.3% of income before taxes, compared to $67.3 million, or 8.7% of income before taxes, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, and 2020, differs from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 21% mainly due to excess tax benefits associated with employee equity plans, the effect of income earned by certain overseas entities being taxed at rates lower than the federal statutory rate, and the federal research and development (“R&D”) credit benefit, partially offset by U.S. tax on foreign earnings and state income taxes (net of federal benefit).
The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, included a one-time benefit of $66.4 million from re-measurement of the Company’s Swiss deferred tax assets resulting from the extension of the economic useful life of certain intangible assets. The effective tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, reflected a one-time increase of $36.8 million in unrecognized tax benefits with a corresponding increase to income tax expense. This increase was related to intercompany charges for share-based compensation for relevant periods prior to 2020, triggered by the finalization of a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals opinion (the “Ninth Circuit Opinion”) involving an independent third party. An additional charge of $11.1 million related to this matter was recorded to income tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, as a result of additional IRS guidance issued in July 2021.
The provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, included excess tax benefits associated with employee equity plans of $41.9 million and $158.9 million, which reduced our effective tax rate by 9.1 and 11.1 percentage points, respectively. The provision for income taxes for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, included excess tax benefits associated with employee equity plans of $47.9 million and $144.8 million, which reduced our effective tax rate by 13.5 and 18.8 percentage points, respectively.
The Company files federal, state, and foreign income tax returns in many U.S. and OUS jurisdictions. Years before 2016 are closed for the significant jurisdictions. Certain of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits could change due to activities of various tax authorities, including potential assessment of additional tax, possible settlement of audits, or through normal expiration of various statutes of limitations, which could affect the Company’s effective tax rate in the period in which they change. Due to the uncertainty related to the timing and potential outcome of audits, the Company cannot estimate the range of reasonably possible change in unrecognized tax benefits that may occur in the next 12 months.
The Company is subject to the examination of its income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. The outcome of these audits cannot be predicted with certainty. The Company’s management regularly assesses the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of the Company’s provision for income taxes. If any issues addressed in the Company’s tax audits are resolved in a manner not consistent with management’s expectations, the Company could be required to adjust its provision for income taxes in the period such resolution occurs.