INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense was $40 million and $59 million for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. For the three months ended March 31, 2017, changes in the effective tax rate from the prior period include tax planning strategies made available in the first quarter of 2017.

The Company plans to distribute certain foreign earnings during 2017 and over the next several years. The 2017 distribution is forecasted to result in tax benefits that have been included in the Company's estimated annual and first quarter effective tax rate. The tax benefit to distributions that may be made in 2018 and beyond has not been recorded largely due to the distribution's contingent nature. The 2017 first quarter tax benefit has been disclosed in the Company's effective tax rate reconciliation.

The following table summarizes the difference between income tax expense at the United States statutory rate of 35% and the income tax expense at effective worldwide tax rates for the respective periods:



	Three Months Ended March 31,
Millions of dollars	2017			2016
Earnings before income taxes	$	198		$	215

Income tax expense computed at United States statutory tax rate	69			75
U.S. foreign income items, net of credits	(19		)	(5		)
Foreign government tax incentive	(2		)	(2		)
Other	(8		)	(9		)
Income tax expense computed at effective worldwide tax rates	$	40		$	59

At the end of each interim period, we make our best estimate of the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year and the impact of discrete items, if any, and adjust the quarterly rate as necessary.