Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

INCOME TAXES

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INCOME TAXES
3 Months Ended
Apr. 03, 2016
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]  
INCOME TAXES
NOTE 5. INCOME TAXES
Our effective tax rate for the year is expected to approximate 28.5 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 months ended April 3, 2016, was 28.4 percent and did not include any discrete items.
Our effective tax rate for the three months ended March 29, 2015, was 26.3 percent. This tax rate 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 increase in the effective tax rate for the three months ended April 3, 2016, versus the comparable period in 2015 was primarily due to the favorable discrete tax benefit in 2015, partially offset by the research tax credit recognized in the first quarter of 2016 and 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 $40 million to $90 million within the next 12 months for U.S. and non-U.S. audits that are in progress.