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9. Income Taxes
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2021
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes .    INCOME TAXES
Our effective income tax rate was 21.8% and 21.9% for the three months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Our effective income tax rate was 22.2% and 22.5% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character in future periods. We regularly assess our ability to realize our deferred tax assets and establish a valuation allowance if it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of our deferred tax assets will not be realized. In assessing the realizability of our deferred tax assets, we weigh all available positive and negative evidence. Due to the weight of objectively verifiable negative evidence, we believe that it is more likely than not that certain foreign deferred tax assets will not be realized as of September 30, 2021, and have maintained a valuation allowance on such deferred tax assets.

Our income tax returns are routinely audited by U.S. federal, state and foreign tax authorities. We are currently under examination by many of these tax authorities. There are differing interpretations of tax laws and regulations, and as a result, significant disputes may arise with these tax authorities involving issues around the timing and amount of deductions and allocations of income among various tax jurisdictions. We evaluate our exposures associated with our tax filing positions on a quarterly basis.

We record liabilities for unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions. We do not believe any currently pending uncertain tax positions will have a material adverse effect on our condensed consolidated financial statements, although an adverse resolution of one or more of these uncertain tax positions in any period may have a material impact on the results of operations for that period.

Our gross unrecognized tax benefits were $59.4 million and $55.8 million as of September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The increase in our gross unrecognized tax benefits is attributable to increases of uncertain tax accruals in various jurisdictions, partially offset by the release of the accruals in France due to the lapse of the statute of limitations.
As of September 30, 2021, based on the expected outcome of certain examinations or as a result of the expiration of statutes of limitations for certain jurisdictions, we believe that within the next twelve months it is reasonably possible that our previously unrecognized tax benefits could decrease by up to $20.4 million.