10. Income Taxes

Income Tax Audits/Change in Accounting Estimate

The Company is subject to US federal income tax, as well as income tax in multiple US state and local jurisdictions and a number of foreign jurisdictions. The Company has received a final “No Change Letter” from the IRS for FY07 dated August 20, 2009. The Company has received notice from the IRS on March 21, 2011, that it will shortly commence an audit for the FY09 tax return. There have been no further communications from the IRS since. The Company has not had any recent US corporate income tax returns examined by the IRS. Returns for the year since 2011 are still open based on statutes of limitation only.

Chinese tax authorities have performed limited reviews on all Chinese subsidiaries as of tax years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 with no significant issues noted. We believe our tax positions are reasonably stated as of April 30, 2015. On May 20, 2015, Weifang Lakeland Safety Products Co., Ltd., one of our Chinese operations, was visited by the local tax authority as a routine check. Following this visit, management believes there is no material risk in our China tax position.

Our operations in the UK are profitable and continue to be subject to UK taxation. Management is not aware of any exposure in the UK.

Lakeland Protective Wear, Inc., our Canadian subsidiary, follows Canada tax regulatory framework recording its tax expense and tax deferred assets or liabilities. As of this statement filing date, we believe the Lakeland Protective Wear, Inc.’s tax situation is reasonably stated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and we do not anticipate future tax liability.

The Company’s Brazilian subsidiary is currently under a tax audit, which raised some issues regarding the tax impact related to the merger held in 2008 and the goodwill resulting from the structure which was set up by the Company's Brazilian counsel's suggestion. The structure used is relatively common in acquisitions of Brazilian operations made by non-Brazilian companies. In general, acquisitions with this structure have survived challenge by the taxing authorities in Brazil. The cumulative amount of tax benefits recognized on the Company’s books through April 30, 2015, resulting from the tax deduction of the goodwill amortization is approximately US $0.9 million (R$ 2,774,843) consisting of tax of approximately US $0.1 million (R$ 280,416) and the remainder in interest and penalties. In February 2015, a court decision was reached in favor of the Company and as such no provision has been recorded.

In connection with the exit plan from Brazil, the Company claimed a worthless stock deduction which generated a tax benefit of approximately US $9.5 million, net of a US $2.9 million valuation allowance. While the Company and its tax advisors believe that this deduction is valid, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge it and, if challenged, there is no assurance that the Company will prevail.

Except in Canada, it is our practice and intention to reinvest the earnings of our non-US subsidiaries in their operations. As of April 30, 2015, the Company had not made a provision for US or additional foreign withholding taxes on approximately $23.6 million of the excess of the amount for financial reporting over the tax basis of investments in foreign subsidiaries that are essentially permanent in duration ($21.6 million at January 31, 2015). Generally, such amounts become subject to US taxation upon remittance of dividends and under certain other circumstances. If theses earnings were repatriated to the US, the deferred tax liability associated with these temporary differences would be approximately $3.4 million at April 30, 2015.

In China, a dividend of $1.3 million was declared and paid to the Company in July 2014 from the Company’s China subsidiary, Weifang Lakeland Safety Products Co., Ltd. (“Weifang”) and in August 2014, a dividend of $450,000 was declared from the Company’s China subsidiary, Weifang Meiyang Protective Products Co., Ltd. (“Meiyang”) and paid to the Company in October 2014. The Company’s Board of Directors has instituted a plan to pay annual dividends of $1.0 million to the Company from Weifang’s future profits and 33% of Meiyang’s future profits starting in the next fiscal year. All other retained earnings are expected to be reinvested indefinitely.

Change in Accounting Estimate/Valuation Allowance

We record net deferred tax assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such determination, we considered all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent financial operations. The valuation allowance was $2,945,884 at April 30, 2015 and January 31, 2015.

Income Tax Expense

Income tax expenses consist of federal, state and foreign income taxes. Income tax expenses were $0.8 million for the three months ended April 30, 2015, as compared to income tax expense of $0 million for the three months ended April 30, 2014.