Income Taxes



	Quarter ended						Year to date
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Income tax provision	$	102		$	112		$	213		$	251
Effective tax rate	30.4		%	24.9		%	26.3		%	25.4		%

Our effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35% primarily due to the majority of our income being earned outside the U.S. where tax rates are generally lower than the U.S. rate.

Our second quarter and year to date effective tax rates were higher than the prior year primarily due to the $68 million non-cash refranchising loss with no associated tax benefit related to the decision to dispose of our real estate in Mexico, the unfavorable impact of the resolution of uncertain tax positions in certain jurisdictions, and lapping the favorable resolution of uncertain tax positions in the prior year, partially offset by a reduction in the cost of repatriating expected current year foreign earnings.