INCOME TAXES |
3 Months Ended |
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Mar. 31, 2017 | |
| Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| INCOME TAXES |
INCOME TAXES
Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2017 was approximately 31.8% compared with 35.3% in the same period of 2016. In the first quarter of 2017, we adopted a new accounting standard that requires the recognition of excess tax benefits related to share-based compensation in income tax expense, which resulted in discrete tax benefits for the three months ended March 31, 2017 of $55 million and reduced our effective tax rate by 3.2% (see note 2). Other factors that impacted our effective tax rate in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same period of 2016 include favorable changes in the proportion of our taxable income in certain U.S. and non-U.S. jurisdictions, partially offset by a decrease in U.S. Federal and state tax credits.
As discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, we have recognized liabilities for uncertain tax positions. We reevaluate these uncertain tax positions on a quarterly basis. A number of years may elapse before an uncertain tax position is audited and ultimately settled. It is difficult to predict the ultimate outcome or the timing of resolution for uncertain tax positions. It is reasonably possible that the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly increase or decrease within the next twelve months. However, an estimate of the range of reasonably possible outcomes cannot be made. Items that may cause changes to unrecognized tax benefits include the timing of interest deductions and the allocation of income and expense between tax jurisdictions. These changes could result from the settlement of ongoing litigation, the completion of ongoing examinations, the expiration of the statute of limitations or other unforeseen circumstances.
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