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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Income Taxes

For interim financial reporting, the Company estimates the annual tax rate based on projected taxable income for the full year and records a quarterly income tax provision in accordance with ASC No. 740-270 “Accounting for Income Taxes in Interim Periods”. The rate so determined is used in providing for income taxes on a year-to-date basis. As the year progresses, the Company refines the estimates of the year’s taxable income as new information becomes available. This continual estimation process can result in a change to the expected effective tax rate for the year. When this occurs, the Company adjusts the income tax provision during the quarter in which the change in estimate occurs so that the year-to-date provision reflects the expected annual tax rate. Our effective tax rate could fluctuate significantly on a quarterly basis and could be adversely affected to the extent earnings are lower than anticipated in countries that have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated in countries that have higher statutory rates. Our effective tax rate could also fluctuate due to changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets or liabilities, or by changes in tax laws, regulations, or accounting principles, as well as certain discrete items. Jurisdictions with a projected loss for the year or an actual year-to-date loss where no tax benefit can be recognized are excluded from the estimated annual effective tax rate. The impact of including these jurisdictions on the quarterly effective rate calculations could result in a higher or lower effective tax rate during a particular quarter, based upon the mix and timing of actual earnings verses annual projections.

The Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowances are primarily the result of uncertainties regarding the future realization of recorded tax benefits on tax loss carryforwards for certain entities. The Company's assumptions, judgments and estimates relative to the valuation of these net deferred tax assets take into account available positive and negative evidence of realizability, including recent financial performance, the ability to realize benefits of restructuring and other recent actions, projections of the amount and category of future taxable income and tax planning strategies. Actual future operating results and the underlying amount and category of income in future periods could differ from the Company's current assumptions, judgments and estimates.

All unrecognized tax positions would impact the Company's effective tax rate if recognized. The Company’s policy with respect to penalties and interest in connection with income tax assessments or related to unrecognized tax benefits is to classify penalties as provision for income taxes and interest as interest expense in its consolidated statement of income. There were no material income tax penalties or interest accrued during the three months ended March 31, 2015 or 2014.

Our effective tax rate from continuing operations was 24.0% and 30.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and March 31, 2014, respectively. The decrease in the effective tax rate is attributed to a change in our geographic mix of earnings with a concentration of earnings from lower taxed jurisdictions, along with the impact of global asset realignment actions and reorganization of foreign operations under a new holding company structure which occurred after the first quarter 2014.
 
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal and several state jurisdictions as well as in many foreign jurisdictions. With certain exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local, or foreign income tax examinations for years before 2011.