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INCOME TAXES
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3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2012
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| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| INCOME TAXES | INCOME TAXES: The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the United States and in various states and local jurisdictions. The Company’s Canadian subsidiary, will file income tax returns in Canada and various Canadian provinces. The Internal Revenue Service completed its income tax audit for fiscal 2009 during fiscal 2011. In most cases, the Company is no longer subject to state and local tax authority examinations for years prior to fiscal 2007. As of March 31, 2012, the Company had gross unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $8.9 million, $6.2 million of which, if ultimately recognized, will impact the Company’s effective tax rate in the period settled. The Company has recorded tax positions for which the ultimate deductibility is highly certain, but for which there is uncertainty about the timing of such deductions. Because of deferred tax accounting, changes in the timing of these deductions would not impact the annual effective tax rate, but would accelerate the payment of cash to the taxing authorities. NOTE 7 – INCOME TAXES: (Continued) Included in the reserves for unrecognized tax benefits are approximately $2.0 million of reserves for which the statute of limitations is expected to expire within the next fiscal year. If these tax benefits are ultimately recognized, such recognition, net of federal income taxes, may impact our annual effective tax rate for fiscal 2012 and the effective tax rate in the quarter in which the benefits are recognized. We recognize interest related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of interest expense and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense. During the first quarter of fiscal 2012 and 2011, the Company recognized interest expense on uncertain tax positions of approximately $0.1 million. The Company had approximately $0.6 million, $0.5 million, and $0.7 million of interest accrued as of March 31, 2012, December 31, 2011, and April 2, 2011, respectively. |