Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Income Taxes

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Income Taxes
6 Months Ended
Jul. 04, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes
Note 12 – Income Taxes

The Company recognized an income tax provision from continuing operations for the three months ended July 4, 2015 of $42.6 million, which included a net benefit of $7.9 million mainly associated with the internal restructuring of foreign entities and the completion of the 2011 and 2012 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits. The Company recognized an income tax provision from continuing operations for the six months ended July 4, 2015 of $70.9 million, which included a net benefit of $9.2 million mainly associated with the internal restructuring of foreign entities and the completion of the 2011 and 2012 IRS audits. The Company recognized an income tax provision from continuing operations for the three months ended June 28, 2014 of $44.8 million, which included a net charge of $0.1 million mainly associated with the impact of tax reserve changes. The Company recognized an income tax provision for the six months ended June 28, 2014 of $70.8 million, which included a net charge of $0.5 million mainly associated with the impact of tax rate changes. The effective tax rate from continuing operations, which is calculated as the income tax benefit or provision as a percentage of pre-tax income, for the three months and six months ended July 4, 2015, was 28.4 percent and 30.2 percent, respectively. The effective tax rate from continuing operations for the three months and six months ended June 28, 2014 was 34.0 percent and 34.2 percent, respectively.

During the second quarter of 2015, the Company initiated an internal restructuring of its foreign entities, including the establishment of a European holding company. This restructuring is being undertaken to more effectively and efficiently manage the Company's foreign cash.

The Company has historically provided deferred taxes for the presumed ultimate repatriation to the U.S. of earnings from most of its non-U.S. subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates. Through December 31, 2014, the indefinite reinvestment criteria had been applied to certain entities and allowed the Company to overcome that presumption to the extent the earnings were to be indefinitely reinvested outside the United States. As a result of the Company's internal restructuring of its foreign entities that was initiated in the second quarter of 2015, the Company determined that the indefinite reinvestment assertion would be expanded to include additional non-U.S. subsidiaries. Accordingly, no deferred income taxes have been provided as of July 4, 2015, December 31, 2014 and June 28, 2014 on the applicable undistributed earnings of the non-U.S. subsidiaries where the indefinite reinvestment assertion has been applied. As a result of these actions, the Company recorded a discrete net tax benefit in the second quarter of 2015 which includes the benefit of applying the indefinite reinvestment assertion to the foreign entities under the new European holding company. If at some future date these earnings cease to be indefinitely reinvested, the Company may be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding and other taxes on such amounts. The Company continues to provide deferred taxes, as required, on the undistributed net earnings of foreign subsidiaries and unconsolidated affiliates that are not deemed to be indefinitely reinvested in operations outside the United States.

As of July 4, 2015, December 31, 2014 and June 28, 2014, the Company had $5.2 million, $5.1 million and $6.0 million of gross unrecognized tax benefits, including interest, respectively.  The Company believes it is reasonably possible that the total amount of gross unrecognized tax benefits as of July 4, 2015, could decrease by approximately $0.4 million in the next 12 months due to settlements with taxing authorities or lapses in the statute of limitations.  Due to the various jurisdictions in which the Company files tax returns and the uncertainty regarding the timing of the settlement of tax audits, it is possible that there could be other significant changes in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits in 2015, but the amount cannot be estimated.

The Company is regularly audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. The IRS has completed its field examination and has issued its Revenue Agents Report for 2011 and 2012 and all open issues have been resolved. Primarily as a result of filing amended returns, which were generated by the closing of federal income tax audits, the Company is still open to state and local tax audits in major tax jurisdictions dating back to the 2004 taxable year. The Company is not subject to income tax examinations by any major foreign tax jurisdiction for years prior to 2008.