We recorded income tax expense of $1.3 million, or 30.3% of income before income taxes, for the six-month period ending October 31, 2021, compared with income tax expense of $5.9 million, or 109.5% of income before income taxes, for the six-month period ending November 1, 2020.

Our effective income tax rates for the six-month periods ended October 31, 2021, and November 1, 2020, were based upon the estimated effective income tax rate applicable for the full year after giving effect to any significant items related specifically to interim periods. When calculating the annual estimated effective income tax rate for the six-month periods ended October 31, 2021, and November 1, 2020, we were subject to a loss limitation rule in accordance with ASC Topic 740-270-30-36(a). This loss limitation rule requires any taxable loss associated with our U.S. or foreign operations to be excluded from the annual estimated effective income tax rate calculation if it is determined that no income tax benefit could be recognized during the current fiscal year. The effective income tax rate can be affected over the fiscal year by the mix and timing of actual earnings from our U.S. operations and foreign subsidiaries located in China, Canada, and Haiti versus annual projections, as well as changes in foreign currency exchange rates in relation to the U.S. dollar.

The following schedule summarizes the principal differences between income tax expense at the U.S. federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate reflected in the consolidated financial statements for the six-month periods ending October 31, 2021, and November 1, 2020:

	October 31,			November 1,
	2021			2020
U.S. federal income tax rate		21.0	%		21.0	%
U.S. valuation allowance		(4.5	)		141.6
U.S. income tax law change		—			(65.1	)
Withholding taxes associated with foreign jurisdictions		6.1			8.4
Foreign income tax rate differential		3.9			6.6
Global Intangible Low Taxed Income Tax ("GILTI")		3.3			—
Tax effects of deductible foreign exchange rate losses		(0.4	)		(4.0	)
Other		0.9			1.0
		30.3	%		109.5	%

Our effective income tax rate during the first half of fiscal 2022 was negatively affected, but not nearly to the extent as in the first half of fiscal 2021, by the mix of taxable income that is mostly earned by our foreign operations located in China and Canada, which have higher income tax rates than the U.S. This is due mostly to higher annual forecasted taxable income from our U.S. operations as of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2022, compared with lower annual forecasted taxable from our U.S. operations as of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2021.

Effective July 20, 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department finalized and enacted previously proposed regulations regarding the GILTI tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”). With the enactment of these final regulations, we became

eligible for an exclusion from GILTI if we meet the provisions of the GILTI High-Tax exception included in these final regulations. To meet the provisions of the GILTI high tax exception, the tested foreign entity’s effective income tax rate related to current year’s earnings must be higher than 90% of the U.S. Federal income tax rate of 21% (i.e., 18.9%). In addition, the enactment of the new regulations and the provisions for the GILTI High-Tax exception are retroactive to the original enactment of the GILTI tax provision, which includes our 2019 and 2020 fiscal years.

Since we met the requirements for the High-Tax exception for our 2019 and 2020 fiscal years, we recorded a non-cash income tax benefit of $3.5 million resulting from the re-establishment of certain U.S. federal net operating loss carryforwards. This $3.5 million income tax benefit was recorded as a discrete event in which its full income tax effects were recorded in the first quarter and the six-month year-to-date period of fiscal 2021.

Additionally, we met the requirements for the High-Tax exception for our 2021 fiscal year, and therefore, were not subject to GILTI tax.

As of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2022, we believe we will not meet the requirements for the GILTI High-Tax exception regarding our foreign subsidiaries located in Canada and Haiti, and therefore, will be subject to GILTI tax for the 2022 fiscal year.

Based on our assessment associated with our operation located in Canada, we expect that several significant capital projects will be placed into service during fiscal 2022, and therefore we will be eligible for a significant amount of deductible accelerated depreciation. As a result, our current year’s income tax expense is expected to be much lower than prior fiscal years’, and therefore, our projected current effective income tax rate is expected to be lower than the required 18.9% current effective income tax rate to meet the GILTI High-Tax exception.

Based on our assessment associated with our operations located in Haiti, we expect to earn taxable income that is not subject to income tax, as we are located in an economic zone that permits a 0% income tax rate for the first fifteen years of operations, for which we have ten years remaining. Since our operations located in Haiti are not expected to be subject to income tax, our projected current effective income tax rate of 0% will be lower than the required 18.9% current effective income tax rate to meet the GILTI High-Tax exception. Fiscal 2022 is the first fiscal year in which we expect to earn taxable income from our operations located in Haiti.

In accordance with ASC Topic 740, we evaluate the realizability of our deferred income taxes to determine if a valuation allowance is required. ASC Topic 740 requires that companies assess whether a valuation allowance should be established based on the consideration of all available evidence using a “more-likely-than-not” standard, with significant weight being given to evidence that can be objectively verified. Since the company operates in multiple jurisdictions, we assess the need for a valuation allowance on a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction basis, considering the effects of local tax law.

As a result of the U.S. tax law change relating to the GILTI tax provisions of the TCJA, we assessed the need for an additional valuation allowance against our U.S. net deferred income taxes as of the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2021. GILTI represented a significant source of our U.S. taxable income during fiscal 2019 and 2020 that offset our U.S. pre-tax losses during such years, and which offset was reversed as a result of the retroactivity of the new GILTI regulations. Consequently, due to the retroactivity of the new regulations, we experienced a recent history of cumulative U.S. taxable losses during our last two fiscal years, and we expected at the time of this assessment that our history of U.S. pre-tax losses would continue into fiscal 2021. As a result of the significant weight of this negative evidence, we believed it was more-likely-than-not that our U.S. net deferred income tax assets would not be fully realizable. Accordingly, we recorded a non-cash income tax charge of $7.0 million to provide for a full valuation allowance against our U.S. net deferred income tax assets. This $7.0 million income tax charge was recorded as a discrete event in which its full income tax effects were recorded during the first quarter and the six-month year-to-date period of fiscal 2021.

As of October 31, 2021, we evaluated the realizability of our U.S. net deferred income tax assets to determine if a full valuation allowance was still required. Based on our assessment, we determined we still have a recent history of cumulative U.S. taxable losses, in that we experienced U.S. taxable losses during each of the fiscal years 2020 and 2021. In addition, as of October 31, 2021, we are currently expecting U.S. taxable income during fiscal 2022 stemming from the source of taxable income provided by GILTI noted above. However, the cumulative losses that we have experienced during fiscal years 2020 and 2021 significantly exceed the U.S. taxable income expected during fiscal 2022. As a result of the significant weight of this negative evidence, we

believe it is more likely than not that our U.S. deferred income tax assets will not be fully realizable, and therefore we provided for a full valuation allowance against our U.S. net deferred income tax assets.

Based on our assessments as of October 31, 2021, November 1, 2020, and May 2, 2021, valuation allowances against our U.S. net deferred income taxes pertain to the following:

(dollars in thousands)	October 31, 2021		November 1, 2020		May 2, 2021
U.S. federal and state net deferred income tax assets	$	9,155		8,543		9,344
U.S. capital loss carryforward		2,330		2,281		2,330
	$	11,485		10,824		11,674

In accordance with ASC Topic 740, we assess whether the undistributed earnings from our foreign subsidiaries will be reinvested indefinitely or eventually distributed to our U.S. parent company. ASC Topic 740 requires that a deferred income tax liability should be recorded for undistributed earnings from foreign subsidiaries that will not be reinvested indefinitely. As of October 31, 2021, we assessed the liquidity requirements of our U.S. parent company and determined that our undistributed earnings and profits from our foreign subsidiaries would not be reinvested indefinitely and would be eventually distributed to our U.S. parent company. The conclusion reached from this assessment was consistent with prior years.

As a result of the TCJA, a U.S. corporation is allowed a 100% dividend received deduction for earnings and profits received from a 10% owned foreign corporation. Therefore, a deferred income tax liability will be required for unremitted withholding taxes associated with earnings and profits generated by our foreign subsidiaries that will ultimately be repatriated to the U.S. parent company. As a result, as of October 31, 2021, November 1, 2020, and May 2, 2021, we recorded a deferred income tax liability of $3.4 million, $3.9 million, and $3.5 million, respectively, for withholding taxes associated with undistributed earnings and profits from our foreign subsidiaries.

In accordance with ASC Topic 740, an unrecognized income tax benefit for an uncertain income tax position can be recognized in the first interim period if the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is met by the end of the reporting period, or is effectively settled through examination, negotiation, litigation, or the statute of limitations for the relevant taxing authority to examine and challenge the tax position has expired. If it is determined that any of the above conditions occur regarding our uncertain income tax positions, an adjustment to our unrecognized income tax benefit will be recorded at that time.

As of October 31, 2021, November 1, 2020, and May 2, 2021, we had a $1.4 million total gross unrecognized income tax benefit, of which $1.1 million and $380,000 were recorded to income taxes payable-long-term and noncurrent deferred income taxes, respectively, in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Of this $1.4 million total gross unrecognized income tax benefit, $1.1 million would favorably affect the income tax rate in future periods.

Our gross unrecognized income tax benefit of $1.4 million relates to income tax positions for which significant change is currently not expected within the next year. This amount primarily relates to double taxation under applicable income tax treaties with foreign tax jurisdictions.

	Six Months Ended
(dollars in thousands)	October 31, 2021		November 1, 2020
United States Federal - Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) credit refunds (1)	$	—	$	(1,509	)
United States Transition Tax Payment		266		227
China - Income Taxes		921		349
China - Withholding Taxes Associated with Earnings and Profits Distribution to U.S. Parent		487		—
Canada - Income Taxes		427		377
	$	2,101	$	(556	)