Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

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INCOME TAXES
9 Months Ended
Oct. 02, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES
NOTE 5. INCOME TAXES
Our effective tax rate for the year is expected to approximate 25.5 percent, excluding any one-time items that may arise. Our tax rate is generally less than the 35 percent U.S. statutory income tax rate primarily due to lower tax rates on foreign income and the research tax credit.
Our effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2016, was 21.5 percent and 25.5 percent, respectively.
Our effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 27, 2015, was 30.1 percent and 28.7 percent, respectively. The tax rate for the nine months ended September 27, 2015, included an $18 million discrete tax benefit to reflect the release of reserves for uncertain tax positions related to a favorable federal audit settlement.
The decrease in the effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended October 2, 2016, versus the comparable periods in 2015 was primarily due to favorable changes in the jurisdictional mix of pre-tax income.
It is reasonably possible that our existing liabilities for uncertain tax benefits may decrease in an amount ranging from $20 million to $26 million within the next 12 months for U.S. and non-U.S. audits that are in progress.