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Income Taxes
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Income Taxes [Abstract]  
Income Taxes

(13) Income Taxes



The Company computes its consolidated income tax provision each quarter based on an estimated annual effective tax rate (“EAETR”), as required. The Company is required to reduce deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance if, based on all available evidence, it is considered more likely than not that some portion or all of the benefit of the deferred tax assets will not be realized in future periods.  The Company also records the income tax impact of certain discrete, unusual or infrequently occurring items including changes in judgment about valuation allowances and effects of changes in tax laws or rates, in the interim period in which they occur.



When a company maintains a valuation allowance in a particular jurisdiction, no net income tax expense (benefit) will typically be provided on income (loss) for that jurisdiction on an annual basis.  Jurisdictions with projected income that maintain a valuation allowance typically will form part of EAETR calculation discussed above.  However, jurisdictions with a projected loss for the year that maintain a valuation allowance are excluded from the projected annual effective income tax rate calculation. Instead, the income tax expense for these jurisdictions is computed separately.



The actual year to date income tax expense is the product of the most current projected annual effective income tax rate and the actual year to date pre-tax income adjusted for any discrete tax items. The income tax expense for a particular quarter, except for the first quarter, is the difference between the year to date calculation of income tax expense and the year to date calculation for the prior quarter.



Therefore, the actual effective income tax rate during a particular quarter can vary significantly based upon the jurisdictional mix and timing of actual earnings compared to projected annual earnings, permanent items, earnings for those jurisdictions that maintain a valuation allowance, tax associated with jurisdictions excluded from the projected annual effective income tax rate calculation and discrete items.



The Company recognized income tax expense of $3,233 and $4,571 for U.S. federal, state and foreign income taxes for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.  The decrease in income tax expense for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to the same period for 2017 was primarily related to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“Tax Legislation”) enacted in the United States on December 22, 2017.  The effective tax rate decreased to 19.5% in the first quarter of 2018 from 33.3% in the first quarter of 2017 primarily due the impact of the Tax Legislation compared to the same period in 2017.



The Company has recognized the estimated impact of the Tax Legislation to its 2018 tax position in its EAETR calculation. The Company continues to examine the potential impact of certain provisions of the Tax Legislation that could affect its 2018 EAETR, including the provisions related to global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”), foreign derived intangible income (“FDII”) and the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (“BEAT”). Accordingly, the Company's 2018 EAETR may change in subsequent interim periods as additional analysis is completed.



The Tax Legislation significantly revises the U.S. corporate income tax by, among other things, lowering corporate income tax rates imposing a one-time transition tax on deemed repatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries, imposing a base erosion and anti-abuse tax, and imposing a tax on global intangible low taxed income.  Pursuant to the guidance within SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (“SAB 118”), as of December 31, 2017, the Company continues to analyze certain aspects of the Tax Legislation and refine its assessment, the ultimate impact of the Tax Legislation may differ from these estimates due to continued analysis or further regulatory guidance that may be issued as a result of the Tax Legislation.