12.

Income Taxes

The effective income tax rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 were 31.8% and 33.5%, respectively. The effective income tax rate for 2014 was favorably impacted by the release of valuation allowances related to state net operating loss carryforwards and by the tax benefit associated with the anticipated year-over-year increase of the Domestic Production Activity (Internal Revenue Code Section 199) deduction. The effective income tax rate for 2013 was unfavorably impacted by an increase in the valuation allowance related to an investment impairment charge for which we could not record an income tax benefit and favorably impacted by the tax benefits associated with the extension of the U.S. research and development credit under The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.

The effective income tax rates for the three months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 were 33.6% and 33.2%, respectively.

It is reasonably possible that, within the next 12 months, total unrecognized tax benefits may decrease in the range of $2 million to $6 million, primarily as a result of the conclusion of pending U.S. federal, state and foreign income tax proceedings.