Income Taxes

Our income tax expense, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and reserves for unrecognized tax benefits reflect management's best assessment of estimated current and future taxes to be paid. We are subject to income taxes in both the United States and numerous foreign jurisdictions. Significant judgments and estimates are required in determining the consolidated income tax expense.

Unrecognized Tax Benefit

As of April 1, 2016, the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was $60.9 million, of which $50.2 million, if recognized, would reduce our effective tax rate. As of September 25, 2015, the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits was $65.2 million, of which $53.0 million, if recognized, would reduce our effective tax rate. The decrease was due to the effective settlement of I.R.S. and California tax examinations.

During the fiscal quarter ended April 1, 2016, the California Franchise Tax Board concluded the examination of our 2005 through 2007 tax years, and as a result, we recognized a tax benefit of $5.7 million during the second quarter of fiscal 2016.

An additional factor driving the decrease was attributed to the settlement of an I.R.S. tax examination during the first quarter of fiscal 2016 in which the related tax reserve balance was re-classified from long-term income tax payable to current income tax payable and paid. Our net liability for unrecognized tax benefits is classified within other non-current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets.

Withholding Taxes

We recognize licensing revenue gross of withholding taxes, which our licensees remit directly to their local tax authorities, and for which we receive a partial foreign tax credit in our income tax provision. The foreign current tax includes this withholding tax expense while the appropriate foreign tax credit benefit is included in current federal and foreign taxes. Withholding taxes were as follows (in thousands):



	Fiscal Quarter Ended				Fiscal Year-To-Date Ended
	April 1, 2016		March 27, 2015		April 1, 2016		March 27, 2015
Withholding taxes	$	12,406	$	11,942	$	22,188	$	24,142

Effective Tax Rate

Each period, the combination of multiple different factors can impact our effective tax rate. These factors include both recurring items such as tax rates and the relative amount of income earned in foreign jurisdictions, as well as discrete items such as changes to our uncertain tax positions, that may occur in, but are not necessarily consistent between periods.

Our effective tax rate decreased from 27% in the second quarter of fiscal 2015 to 19% in the second quarter of fiscal 2016, which reflects the benefit from the impact of our settlement of the California audit for the 2005 - 2007 tax years and increased benefits from federal R&D tax credits.

On a year-to-date basis, our effective tax rate decreased from 25% in the fiscal year-to-date period ended

March 27, 2015 to 20% in the fiscal year-to-date period ended April 1, 2016. The overall decrease reflects the net benefit from our settlement of I.R.S. and California audits and increased benefits from federal R&D tax credits.