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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
INCOME TAXES

A reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to our effective tax rate is as follows:
 
For the Three Months Ended 
 March 31,
 
2017
 
2016
U.S. federal statutory rate
35.0
 %
 
35.0
%
    State income taxes
1.7
 %
 
1.9
%
    Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation plans
-1.6
 %
 
%
    Other
0.2
 %
 
0.3
%
Effective tax rate
35.3
 %
 
37.2
%


The differences between the U.S. federal statutory rate and our effective tax rate are primarily due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-09 on January 1, 2017, which changed where we recognize excess tax benefits and deficiencies from stock-based compensation plans in our consolidated financial statements on a prospective basis. We receive a tax deduction upon the vesting of restricted stock and the conversion of restricted stock units to common stock based on the fair value of the shares. The amount that this tax deduction differs from the grant-date fair value that was recognized as stock-based compensation expense is referred to as an excess tax benefit or deficiency. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, excess tax benefits of $2.5 million were recognized in provision for income taxes, thus reducing our effective tax rate. For the three months ended March 31, 2016, excess tax benefits of $27.2 million were recognized in paid-in capital in our consolidated balance sheets, which had no impact on our effective tax rate.