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Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Taxes
Taxes

Income Taxes

The effective income tax rate for the thirteen weeks ended March 30, 2014 was 24.8% compared to 14.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2013. This net increase in the effective income tax rate was due to the following: (i) the acquisition of limited partnership interests in 2013 and 2014, which resulted in increased income allocations, (ii) a lower estimated income tax rate in the three months ended March 31, 2013 due to the reduction of valuation allowances resulting from the utilization of certain deferred tax assets in 2013, and (iii) a change in the blend of taxable income and tax rates across the Company’s domestic and international subsidiaries.

The effective income tax rate for the thirteen weeks ended March 30, 2014 was lower than the blended federal and state statutory rate of 39.0% primarily due to the benefit of the expected tax credit for excess FICA tax on employee-reported tips and the recognition of previously unrecognized tax benefits. The effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2013 was lower than the blended federal and state statutory rate of 38.6% primarily due to the benefit of the expected tax credit for excess FICA tax on employee-reported tips, the foreign rate differential, decrease in the valuation allowance and the elimination of noncontrolling interest together being such a large percentage of projected annual pretax income.

As of March 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the Company had $15.1 million and $17.1 million, respectively, of unrecognized tax benefits.  Additionally, the Company accrued $0.9 million and $2.1 million, respectively of interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as of March 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively.  Of the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, including accrued interest and penalties, $14.8 million and $17.2 million as of March 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively, if recognized, would impact the Company’s effective income tax rate.  The difference between the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits and the amount that would impact the effective income tax rate consists of items that are offset by deferred income tax assets and the federal income tax benefit of state income tax items.

The Company is currently under income tax examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) for the year ended December 31, 2011. The Company is currently open to audit under the statute of limitations for the years ended December 31, 2007 through 2013. The Company and its subsidiaries’ state income tax returns are open to audit under the statute of limitations for the years ended December 31, 2001 through 2012. The Company and its subsidiaries’ foreign income tax returns are open to audit under the statute of limitations for the years ended December 31, 2007 through 2013.

Payroll Taxes

The Company is currently under payroll tax examination by the IRS. The IRS informed the Company in 2013 that it proposed to issue an audit adjustment for the employer’s share of FICA taxes related to cash tips allegedly received and unreported by the Company’s tipped employees during calendar year 2010, for which the Company recorded a liability of $5.0 million in the third quarter of 2013. The cash tips allegedly unreported by the tipped employees were based on an IRS estimate of the aggregate amount of tips directly received by tipped employees from the Company’s customers. Subsequently, the Company had additional communications with the IRS representatives, which indicated that the scope of the proposed adjustment would expand to include the 2011 and 2012 periods. As a result, the Company reassessed the established liability balance and recorded an additional $12.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2013. As of March 30, 2014, the Company had $11.0 million and $6.0 million recorded in Accrued and other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities, net, respectively, in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

In March 2014, the IRS issued an audit adjustment of $5.0 million to the Company for the employer’s share of FICA taxes related to cash tips unreported by the Company’s employees during calendar year 2010 for this matter. The Company subsequently remitted payment to the IRS in April 2014 to settle the calendar year 2010 audit adjustment.