12. Income Taxes

For the three months ended April 30, 2014, we recorded an income tax benefit from continuing operations of $0.2 million. This represents an estimated annual effective tax rate of 12% attributable to profitable foreign operations or jurisdictions where losses can, more likely than not, be benefitted. Our provision is affected by the geographic jurisdiction in which the worldwide income or losses have been incurred resulting in the difference between the federal statutory rate of 35% and the forecasted effective tax rate.

Our effective tax rate in fiscal 2015 and in future periods may fluctuate on a quarterly basis as a result of changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets, changes in actual results versus our estimates, or changes in tax laws, regulations, accounting principles, or interpretations thereof. We regularly review our tax positions in each significant taxing jurisdiction in the process of evaluating our unrecognized tax benefits. We make adjustments to our unrecognized tax benefits when: i) facts and circumstance regarding a tax position change, causing a change in management’s judgment regarding that tax position; ii) a tax position is effectively settled with a tax authority; and/or iii) the statute of limitations expires regarding a tax position.

We file income tax returns in U.S. federal jurisdiction, various state jurisdictions, and various foreign jurisdictions. We are no longer subject to U.S. federal examinations before fiscal 2010. However, the taxing authorities still have the ability to review the propriety of certain tax attributes created in closed years if such tax attributes are utilized in an open tax year. Presently, we are undergoing an IRS audit for the fiscal years 2010, 2011 and 2012.

We continue to maintain a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets where realization is not certain. We periodically evaluate the likelihood of the realization of deferred tax assets and reduce the carrying amount of these deferred tax assets by a valuation allowance to the extent we believe that a portion will not be realized.