v2.4.0.8
Income Taxes (Tables)
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Recon of fed tax rate and actual income tax expense
A reconciliation between the expected federal income tax expense using the federal statutory tax rate and our actual income tax expense is shown in the following:
 
Six Months Ended June 30,
 
2013
 
2012
U.S. federal statutory tax rate
35.0
 %
 
35.0
%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
1.9

 
1.7

General business credits
(2.6
)
 

Employee stock-based compensation
2.0

 
1.6

Other
0.2

 
1.0

Effective tax rate
36.5
 %
 
39.3
%

The effective tax rates for the periods above differ from the expected federal statutory tax rate of 35% primarily due to state income taxes, net of the federal tax benefit, and non-deductible employee stock based compensation. The effective tax rate for six months ended June 30, 2013 was favorably impacted by the reinstatement of 2012 general business credits. In January 2013, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was signed into law, which retroactively extended general business credits from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. As a result, we recognized the retroactive benefit of the 2012 general business credit of approximately $0.5 million as a discrete item in the first quarter of 2013, the period in which the legislation was enacted.
Summary of Income Tax Contingencies
The reconciliation of the beginning unrecognized tax benefits balance to the ending balance is as follows:
Note 7—Income Taxes (continued)
 
Six Months Ended June 30,
 
2013
 
2012
 
(In thousands)
Beginning balance
$
1,481

 
$

Increases related to positions taken during prior years
500

 

Increases related to positions taken during the current year
741

 

Ending balance
$
2,722

 
$

 
 
 
 
The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate
$
2,722

 
$