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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Feb. 24, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes under ASC 740, Income Taxes. The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns.

Our effective tax rate decreased from 33.4% for the six months ended February 25, 2017 to 29.5% for the six months ended February 24, 2018 due primarily to the enactment of the Tax Act on December 22, 2017. One of the most significant provisions of this legislation was a reduction in the Federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective beginning January 1, 2018.

In December 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB") 118 to provide guidance for companies that allows for a measurement period of up to one year after the enactment date of the Tax Act to finalize the recording of the related tax impacts under ASC 740. In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effect of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that a company's accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but it is able to determine a reasonable estimate, the company must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements.

We are still analyzing certain aspects of the Tax Act and refining our calculations, which could potentially affect the measurement of our deferred tax balances and cause us to revise our estimate in future periods in accordance with SAB 118. These impacts may be material, due to, among other things, further refinement of our calculations, changes in interpretations of the Tax Act, or issuance of additional guidance by the relevant tax authorities.

ASC 740 requires the effects of changes in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances to be recognized in the period in which the legislation is enacted. Consequently, as of the date of enactment, and during the three months ended February 24, 2018, we revalued all deferred tax assets and liabilities at the newly enacted Federal corporate US income tax rate.  This revaluation as of enactment resulted in a non-cash provisional estimate of $1.4 million to income tax expense and a corresponding reduction in the net deferred tax asset.

We file a US Federal tax return, as well as returns in various international and state jurisdictions. Although certain years are no longer subject to examination by the IRS and various state taxing authorities, net operating loss carryforwards generated in those years may still be adjusted upon examination by the IRS or state taxing authorities. As of February 24, 2018, our Federal returns from Fiscal 2014 to present continue to be subject to review by the IRS. With few exceptions, the state returns from Fiscal 2013 to present continue to be subject to review by the state taxing jurisdictions.

As of February 24, 2018, our unrecognized tax benefits were $1.7 million including accrued interest and penalties of $0.5 million. If we were to prevail on all unrecognized tax benefits recorded, $1.5 million of the $1.7 million would benefit the overall effective tax rate. It is our policy to recognize interest and penalties accrued relative to unrecognized tax benefits as tax expense. We do not believe that there will be a significant change in the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.