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Note 8 - Income Taxes | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block] | 8. INCOME TAXES The asset and liability method, prescribed by FASB’s guidance on the accounting for income taxes, is used in accounting for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on differences between financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using the enacted tax rates and laws that are expected to be in effect when the differences are expected to reverse. For the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012, we recorded a benefit of $21 and a provision of $264, respectively, in income tax expense. For the three- and nine-month periods ended October 2, 2011, we recorded $132 and $332, respectively, in income tax expense. The expense is primarily due to (a) the recognition of deferred tax liabilities generated from goodwill and certain intangible assets that cannot be predicted to reverse for book purposes during our loss carryforward periods, and (b) the income reported for our China operations during the periods. Our effective consolidated tax rate for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 and October 2, 2011 was:
|  | Three-Month Periods Ended |  |  | Nine-Month Periods Ended |
|  | September 30, 2012 |  |  | October 2, 2011 |  |  | September 30, 2012 |  |  | October 2, 2011 |
Income (Loss) from continuing operations before Incomes Taxes (a) |  | $ | 1,643 |  |  | $ | 1,470 |  |  | $ | (2,763 | ) |  | $ | 545 |
Total Income Tax Provision (b) |  | $ | 175 |  |  | $ | 122 |  |  | $ | 437 |  |  | $ | 298 |
Effective Tax Rate (b/a) |  |  | 10.7 | % |  |  | 8.3 | % |  |  | 15.8 | % |  |  | 54.7 | %
The overall effective rate is the result of the combination of income and losses in each of our tax jurisdictions, which is particularly influenced by the fact that we have not recognized a deferred tax asset pertaining to cumulative historical losses for our U.S. operations and our U.K. subsidiary, as management does not believe, at this time, it is more likely than not that we will realize the benefit of these losses. We have substantial net operating loss carryforwards which offset taxable income in the United States. However, we remain subject to the alternative minimum tax in the United States. The alternative minimum tax limits the amount of net operating loss available to offset taxable income to 90% of the current year income. The alternative minimum tax did not have an impact on income taxes determined for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2012 and October 2, 2011. The payment of the alternative minimum tax normally results in the establishment of a deferred tax asset; however, we have established a valuation allowance for our net U.S. deferred tax asset. Therefore, the expected payment of the alternative minimum tax does not result in a net deferred tax asset. As of December 31, 2011, we had foreign and domestic net operating loss carryforwards totaling approximately $57,977 available to reduce future taxable income. Foreign loss carryforwards of approximately $11,479 can be carried forward indefinitely. The domestic net operating loss carryforwards of $46,498 expire from 2019 through 2031. The domestic net operating loss carryforwards include approximately $2,949 for which a benefit will be recorded in capital in excess of par value when realized. We have adopted FASB’s guidance for the accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. As a result of the implementation of this guidance, there was no cumulative effect adjustment for unrecognized tax benefits, which would have been accounted for as an adjustment to retained earnings. Our unrecognized tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions at September 30, 2012 relate to Federal and various state jurisdictions. The following table summarizes the activity related to our unrecognized tax benefits:
|  | Nine-Month Periods Ended |
|  | September 30, 2012 |  |  | October 2, 2011 |
Balance at beginning of the period |  | $ | 6,779 |  |  | $ | - |
Increases related to current year tax positions |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Increases related to prior year tax positions |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Decreases related to prior year tax positions |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Expiration of statute of limitations for assessment of taxes |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Settlements |  |  | - |  |  |  | - |
Balance at end of the period |  | $ | 6,779 |  |  | $ | - |
The total unrecognized tax benefit balance at September 30, 2012 is comprised of tax benefits that, if recognized, would result in a deferred tax asset and a corresponding increase in our valuation allowance. As a result, because the benefit would be offset by an increase in the valuation allowance, there would be no effect on the effective tax rate. We are not required to accrue interest and penalties as the unrecognized tax benefits have been recorded as a decrease in our net operating loss carryforward. Interest and penalties would begin to accrue in the period in which the net operating loss carryforwards related to the uncertain tax positions are utilized. We do not expect our unrecognized tax benefits to change significantly over the next twelve months. As a result of our operations, we file income tax returns in various jurisdictions including U.S. federal, U.S. state and foreign jurisdictions. We are routinely subject to examination by taxing authorities in these various jurisdictions. Our U.S. tax matters for the years 1999 through 2011 remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) due to our net operating loss carryforwards. Our U.S. tax matters for the years 1999 through 2011 remain subject to examination by various state and local tax jurisdictions due to our net operating loss carryforwards. Our tax matters for the years 2006 through 2011 remain subject to examination by the respective foreign tax jurisdiction authorities. The IRS has completed the examination of our 2009 U.S. federal income tax return, with no resulting material effect to our financial position or results of operations. We have determined that a change in ownership, as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 382, occurred during 2005 and 2006. As such, the domestic net operating loss carryforwards will be subject to an annual limitation estimated to be in the range of approximately $12,000 to $14,500. The unused portion of the annual limitation can be carried forward to subsequent periods. We believe such limitation will not impact our ability to realize the deferred tax asset. The use of our U.K. net operating loss carryforwards may be limited due to the change in our U.K. operation during 2008 from a manufacturing and assembly center to primarily a distribution and service center.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 136, 172 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 + Details
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