Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Income Taxes

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Income Taxes
9 Months Ended
Sep. 28, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
Income Taxes Income Taxes

The Company recognized an income tax provision for the three months and nine months ended September 28, 2019 of $43.3 million and $93.8 million, respectively. The income tax provision for both periods included a $17.2 million net provision related to the settlement of the Company's qualified defined benefit plans in the third quarter of 2019. The tax impact of this action consisted of a tax benefit of $74.2 million from the pension settlement charge, which was netted against a tax charge of $91.4 million resulting from the release of disproportionate tax effects in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The Company recognized an income tax provision for the three months and nine months ended September 29, 2018 of $6.7 million and $48.4 million, respectively, which included net tax benefits of $10.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively. The net tax benefits of $10.7 million and $5.1 million were primarily associated with updates related to 2017 tax reform. The effective tax rate, which is calculated as the income tax provision as a percentage of earnings before income taxes, for the three months and nine months ended September 28, 2019 was not meaningful as a result of the tax impacts resulting from the pension settlement discussed above. The effective tax rate for the three months and nine months ended September 29, 2018 was 8.2 percent and 18.9 percent, respectively.

No deferred income taxes have been provided as of September 28, 2019, December 31, 2018 or September 29, 2018 on the applicable undistributed earnings of the non-U.S. subsidiaries where the indefinite reinvestment assertion has been applied. If at some future date these earnings cease to be indefinitely reinvested and are repatriated, the Company may be subject to additional U.S. income taxes and foreign withholding 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 September 28, 2019, December 31, 2018 and September 29, 2018, the Company had $3.5 million, $2.3 million and $2.6 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 September 28, 2019 could decrease by approximately $0.6 million in the next 12 months due to settlements with taxing authorities or lapses in the applicable 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 significant changes in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits in 2019, but the amount cannot be estimated at this time.

The Company is regularly audited by federal, state and foreign tax authorities. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has completed its field examination and has issued its Revenue Agents Report through the 2014 tax year and all open issues have been resolved. The Company is currently open to tax examinations by the IRS for the 2016 through 2017 tax years. 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 2014 taxable year. The Company is no longer subject to income tax examinations by any major foreign tax jurisdiction for years prior to 2013.